In 1954, aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin donated over 2,500 acres of his Chesapeake Bay hunting preserve; today the refuge spans 4,548 acres and protects migratory birds

• Chesapeake Bay (Image Credit: iStock)A piece of Chesapeake Bay marshland that once formed part of an aviation pioneer's private hunting preserve has become an important refuge for wildlife.
• What began as a donation of thousands of acres more than seven decades ago now protects tidal marshes, creeks, coves and wooded ridges used by migratory birds throughout the year.
• The landscape is part of a larger story of how privately held land can become a lasting habitat when it is placed under conservation management.