Wood Duck Nest Box Program
Hart Miller Island
November 5, 2008

MWDI recently received approval from the Baltimore Port Authority and the Maryland Environmental Service to initiate a wood duck nesting program on Hart-Miller Island (HMI) situated about three-quarters of a mile from the mouth of Back River in Baltimore County.

Hart Miller Island is a wildlife sanctuary and State Park created by restoring and linking Hart, Miller & Pleasure Islands using berms and dredged spoil material primarily from the Baltimore Harbor. The design, development and management of this ambitious project has been a cooperative effort between the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Maryland Port Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Environmental Service, and the Maryland Department of the Environment. The island's 100 acre+ wetland is used by thousands of migratory waterfowl each year.

On November 5th, Cliff Brown, Rich Mason, USF&WS, and Brent Evans, of DNR's Wildlife & Heritage Service, joined Maryland Environmental Service biologist and project coordinator Amanda Penafiel to inspect the site and install 12 boxes as a Phase I program. Rich has been active in monitoring HMI's wetland development and had recommended that MWDI consider this site. HMI is being expanded substantially and within the next decade will be roughly three times its current size.

Harford County Ducks Unlimited and the HSBC Bank provided support for the nest boxes and predator guards installed on Nov. 5th.