T
Tucked away off a winding country road just outside Poolesville is one of the gems of the
county and the Agricultural Reserve, the 623-acre Bethesda-Chevy Chase Izaak Walton
League Conservation Farm.

One of 240 national chapters, the nonprofit club provides its members the opportunity
to experience Montgomery County’s treasured natural resources and to serve the
community with educational and school programs, scholarships and conservation projects.

The conservation farm and the areas within it are essentially a living classroom and
outdoor recreational facility.

Named after a famed 17th-century naturalist and angler, the Izaak Walton League was
founded in 1922 to preserve and improve wildlife habitat, and raise public awareness of the
benefits of a balanced environment. The league’s mission is “to conserve, restore and
promote the sustainable use and enjoyment of our natural resources, including soil, air,
woods, water, and wildlife.”
League Today on the farm, the club’s members are implementing best farming, woodlands and
water stewardship practices through
crop management, planting trees,
removing invasive species, monitoring
water, and the Citizen Scientist
Program where volunteers can collect
valuable, scientifically valid
information about water.

Eighteen acres of marginal farm
land have been reforested with 4,000
plantings representing over 20
different tree species, all providing
either a hard or soft mast crop for
wildlife. The volunteer labor for the
entire reforestation project was
provided by the club’s membership,
their families, Boy Scouts, and Cub
Scouts. Along with learning the ins and outs
of managing a working farm, the club members also have plenty of fun. Everyone from
young families to solitary birdwatchers can explore the 623 acres of the “Doc Holton”
Conservation Farm and find loads of activities including hiking, archery, skeet shooting,
beekeeping, camping, observing, and monitoring wildlife.

The farm has 491 acres of woodlands and miles of hiking trails that provide an
outstanding opportunity for wild flower and tree identification. A picturesque fishing pond
is located in front of the historic Willard Log Cabin. Restoration efforts continue on the
cabin and outbuildings, which date to the early 1800s.

There are also three working archaeology sites and garden plots where members can
grow their own vegetables. The club’s more than 1,000 members strive to manage the farm
to create an outdoor classroom and enable its membership to physically and mentally
interact with the wonders of a natural environment.

The BCC chapter is part of the county’s heritage area and is open to the public for
Heritage Days weekend each year.

Information about the Izaak Walton League can be found at www.bcciwla.org or
conservationed.bcc.iwla@gmail.com. Information about Montgomery County’s heritage
sites and activities can be found at www.heritagemontgomery.org.

THE 623-ACRE FARM OF THE BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE CHAPTER OFFERS PLENTY FOR THOSE
WHO LOVE THE OUTDOORS INCLUDING RAISING BEES, FEEDING AND WATCHING BIRDS AND ARCHERY.

Montgomery Magazine // October/November 2018
25