Hughesville, MD – The Executive Director and the Board of Directors of the Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium (SMHAC) are pleased to announce $40,000 in Seed Grants awarded to significant heritage tourism projects in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s County. These grants reflect more than a doubling of the award amount from the previous year ($15,000 in 2017 to $40,000 in 2018). The Heritage Area had its greatest response to the Seed Grant Program to date, with over $60,000 in grant requests. In keeping with the mission of SMHAC, this granting opportunity is focused on preserving the heritage of Southern Maryland through innovative tourism, excellence in cultural and natural resource conservation, and unique educational opportunities.

Of the many excellent proposals received, the SMHAC Board of Directors selected the following organizations and programs to receive the 2018 Seed Grant Awards:

Calvert County
American Chestnut Land Trust – $3,000
• In Your Own Backyard
Annmarie Sculpture Garden – $2,000
• Tree-mendous Trail
Arts Council of Calvert County – $1,000
• Calvert Barn Quilt Trail
Calvert Marine Museum – $3,000
• Megalodon Jaws Encounter

Charles County
Piscataway Conoy Tribe (Cedarville) – $5,000
• We are Singers
Piscataway Conoy Tribe (Cedarville) – $5,000
• Mini Pow Wow
Charles County Fair – $1,000
• Historic McConchie One-Room School brochure
Historical Society of Charles County – $1,000
• Holiday Trail brochure
Chapman State Park – $1,500
• 18th- 19th Century Cemetery Preservation
Farm Heritage Conservancy – $3,000
• Dendrochronological Study of 1800’s Log Tenant House

St. Mary’s County
St. Mary’s College of Maryland – $3,500
• Commemorating Our Shared History: Slavery in Southern Maryland
Historic Sotterley — $3,000
• Outdoor Classroom
Lexington Park Rotary — $1,000
• National Oyster Cook-Off and Cookbook
Patuxent River Naval Air Museum — $1,000
• Spirit of Jazz & Democracy
St. Clement’s Island & Piney Point — $2,500
• Museum and Historic Sites brochure
St. Mary’s CDC — $2,500
• Lexington Park Arts Park – Manor Street Signs
Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions of St. Mary’s County — $1,000
• Preserving Oral Histories