Scrubby Garrett terrain will preserve woodcock, Aelred Geis’ legacy of determination
By Candus Thomson, The Baltimore Sun
6:16 p.m. EDT, October 9, 2011
Aelred Geis tried to make the world better for birds and people, in that order.
He studied ways to coax birds back into urban areas, helped persuade Jim Rouse to set aside 1,000 acres of prime Howard County real estate for a nature preserve, turned his Clarksville farm into a wildlife sanctuary and not only built a better bird feeder, but also filled it with superior seed that he developed.
Geis could be loud and confrontational with a touch of arrogance when the circumstances warranted it, his friends fondly remember.
Before his death in 2007 at age 78, he put all those traits to work pestering state officials into helping restore the woodcock, a shy woodland bird that once filled Maryland’s fields and skies and delighted springtime birders with its bubbling call and dizzying courtship flight.
On Oct. 14, the state will dedicate a 400-acre woodcock habitat project in Garrett County in Geis’ honor to continue his work.
Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
