Mid-Atlantic Projects

Marshes for Tomorrow

Our Goals
Restoring a resilient and balanced salt marsh ecosystem in Maryland by slowing and, where possible, reversing the loss of high-priority marshes that benefit endangered birds such as the Saltmarsh Sparrow as well as local communities and industries.
What We’re Doing
Using our landscape-scale salt marsh restoration plan for 29,000 priority acres, Audubon is working with partners to implement restoration strategies at a scale to protect and save this vital ecosystem.
Saltmarshes in the Irish Grove Sanctuary, Somerset County, Maryland

The Marshes for Tomorrow project was created in 2023 as a response to the salt marsh crisis on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and coastal bays. These marshes are more vulnerable than most other coastal regions in North America due to the land subsidence coupled with sea level rise. They are are being lost at such a significant rate that we risk losing them forever.  

In collaboration with our partner organizations in the Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network, Audubon is coordinating a centralized approach to conserve and restore priority marsh areas in the region's high marsh zones. Marshes for Tomorrow has identified more than 29,000 acres of priority marshes that have the highest chance of responding to interventions such as hydrological repair that will modify water flow patterns in the marshes or sediment placement to raise marsh elevation. Conserving the marshes at this scale gives us the best chance to not only save this ecosystem but also provide enormous economic benefits to local communities, fisheries, and tourism. 

Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Nework

Learn more about Audubon and our partners are responding to Maryland's Tidal Salt Marsh Crisis and how you can help.

Check out our technical plan and opportunities to get involved.