Mike was instilled with an appreciation of nature at a young age by his dad. As a kid, Mike would join his dad on birding excursions whenever they got the chance. That same passion for nature is partly the reason for his decision to attend Cornell, which is famous for its ornithology. That love for wildlife continues to this day as he and wife Laura meet up with Mike’s dad and his wife on frequent birding excursions.
It is on one of those birding trips to the Eastern Shore of Virginia in the Spring of 2007, when Mike became enamored with the beauty, culture, and history of the Chesapeake Bay. Shortly thereafter, Mike found the Anderson’s Neck estate and put the wheels in motion to preserve the property and its wildlife for posterity. Since that time, Mike has become a fanatical self-study on the Chesapeake Bay, the history of Anderson’s Neck, the York River, and all things oyster related.
Anderson’s Neck is now once again a working farm. The oyster business has been revived, but now with sustainable practices. Mike loves heading out on the water and working the cages. He has been the driving force behind the preservation of the land and the inspiration for bringing premium oysters back to the Upper York River’s famed oyster beds. Just don’t get him talking about oysters. He can dazzle you for hours with loads of arcane factoids about the tasty bivalves. Well actually that’s true about lots of topics with Mike, not just oysters.
