present name, the Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, Inc. (ANS). In 1969, ANS moved to its present headquarters at Woodend Sanctuary, a bequest of Mrs. Chester Wells; the property comprises 40 acres in Chevy Chase, Maryland and a 30-room mansion. C&O Canal controversy The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was acquired by the federal government in 1938 as settlement of a debt. Maintaining the canal was thought to be too expensive, and soon plans were in place to convert all or part of the corridor to a parkway. However, in 1953, opposition to the parkway began to mount. The Society and its president Barnes joined the dissent; Barnes wrote an influential article for the Washington Post, arguing for restoring the canal and converting its towpath to a hiking trail. He chaired the newly formed Potomac Valley Conservation and Recreation Council to promote conservation in the valley and oppose the road project, which was ultimately shelved. Programs Although its original focus was birds, Audubon Naturalist Society has been active in several areas of wildlife conservation, protection of habitat, and control of pollution. Past conservation activities include successful efforts to block road construction through Rock Creek and Glover-Archbold Parks. The Society has also been active in preserving Dyke Marsh and working to protect golden and bald eagles. In 2007, the Society opposed construction of Maryland Route 200 (often known as the Intercounty Connector), bringing an unsuccessful suit in federal court against the project. In 2013, ANS joined opposition to development in the watershed of Ten Mile Creek. Sanctuaries ANS manages two properties as wildlife sanctuaries: the headquarters property of Woodend and the 68-acre Rust Nature Sanctuary in Leesburg, Virginia. In fiscal year 2013, ANS entered into a partnership with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) for the operation of Rust Sanctuary: NOVA Parks will maintain the buildings and grounds and ANS will continue to offer educational programming at the site. In addition to trails and classrooms, the Woodend facility provides a shop offering books, sport optics, birdfeeding supplies, gifts, and items for children. Education The Society offers a range of summer camps and other activities for children and families, as well as outreach programs to local schools and training for teachers. Free birding walks are held monthly. For adults, ANS offers classes and workshops, training in stream water quality monitoring, local field trips, nature travel to locations like