If power or sail boating is more your style, the nearest public boat landing is located in Neavitt. There is plenty of deep water anchorage nearby, and the island can then be accessed by dinghy or launch. Consult the latest navigational charts and tide tables before setting out.
In the mid 1800's, Hambleton Island was a 55 acre farm, with two residences. Within 50 years, two forces began to shape it's future. As the Industrial Revolution quickly began to make farming an island costly and impractical, the winds and tides of the Chesapeake Bay were reclaiming Hambleton Island at a rate of 1/4 acre per year.
Once agriculture on the island ceased, it became uninhabited. Over time, the island became forested, shading any shoreline marsh vegetation and leading to increased upland erosion rates. By 1939, Hambleton island had eroded into two islands totaling less than thirty acres. By the late 1960's, the largest of the two islands had itself eroded into two islands seperated by a 30 meter breach, and the total land area was less than 15 acres.
Around this time, Edgar W. Garbisch, a chemistry professor and researcher at the University of Minnesota, inspired by the book Life and Death of a Salt Marsh by John and Mildred Teal, resigned his position at the University, and returned home to the Eastern Shore.
After obtaining the necessary permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, Dr. Garbisch was joined by one of his post-doctorate students, Dr. Robert McCallum, and they proceeded to design, plan, and implemement the very first large-scale wetland/marsh creation in the United States, an attempt to build two acres of brand-new wetland, and repair the breach between the two largest land masses on Hambleton Island.
Work began in the winter of 1971. Plastic breakwaters to protect the site were installed, and 3000 cubic metric tons of sand, gravel and mud were floated in by barge. With the material in place, over 60,000 potted marsh plants were installed, mostly smooth cordgrass, salt marsh hay, and broadleaf cattail.
Repaired Breach Area - 1976Thanks in no small part to his success on Hambleton Island, Dr. Garbisch went on in 1972 to found Environmental Concern, a non-profit organization based in St. Michaels, dedicated to wetland conservation, restoration, and education. Since its founding, EC has successfully restored over 35 miles of Chesapeake Bay shoreline. Its native plant nursery, the first of its kind in the United States, grows over 100 different varieties of plants. EC has recently planted more than a half-million native plants on Poplar Island, the largest restoration project using dredge materials in human history.
Forty years later, Hambleton Island is still eroding rapidly. Today, it is still essentially three islands, although the central island (with the lone pine) wouldn't be there today without its cordgrass plantings. The island's position at the confluence of three creeks, and its exposure to wind have made it difficult to maintain Dr. Garbisch's pioneering work.
The important thing to know is that this site was the jumping-off point for a brand-new industry dedicated to mitigating the loss of over half the wetland in the United States in the last 200 years. The lessons learned by Dr. Garbisch on Hambleton Island helped shape the techniques and methods used today to restore wetlands around the world.
The posted coordinates will place you at the north end of the 1971 breach. There is still a small breach there, although nowhere near 30 meters in width, and it's dry at low tide. Please email us with a rough measurement (paces will be fine) of this breach. At low tide, when the breach may not be apparent, use the distance between the built-up peat beds of cordgrass.
Breach Area 2011
We'd also like you to post in your log your observations about the island; evidence of erosion, the presence of any sub-aquatic, or shoreline vegetation, wildlife, muggle activity, a trash report, and (optionally, of course) a photo of you and/or your GPSr at the posted coords.