Green Strides Webinars: April Series

March 25th, 2013 by Sarah

The Green Strides Webinar Series provides school communities the tools to reduce their schools’ environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and teach effective environmental literacy, including STEM, green careers, and civic engagement.>>> These are all the tools that help schools and districts move toward the aims of our U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition award.  This April, the Green Strides Webinar Series will be conducted on:

The Three T’s of Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools (EPA)
April 3, 2013 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Young children are at particular risk for lead exposure. To assist with implementation of programs and policies to reduce lead in drinking water at school and child care facilities, EPA uses the 3Ts concept: Training, Testing, Telling,  each of which is an important component of a successful lead reduction program. This webinar will cover how to implement a 3T program in your school or child care facility.

Register here!

21st Century Tools for Environmental Learning in the Community (NEEF & Green Teacher)
April 3, 2013 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Learn how to turn student engagement in media & technology tools into a powerful venue for learning. Get to know the Island Institute & their strategies for integrating & applying technology with community-based environmental education programs. Learn how to apply these strategies in your classroom to engage students in hands-on environmental learning through the application of 21st century skills and knowledge.

Register here!

Pathways to Green Jobs and Careers in Natural Resources (USDA)
April 10, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Are you prepared to enter into a meaningful green career? With record numbers of people out of work, the prospect of an emerging green economy is increasingly viewed as the light at end of a tunnel.  This webinar will feature high level participation from the USDA, experts in this emerging realm along with Green Team students who aspire to embrace Green jobs as a career pursuit.

Register here!

Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors (NEEF & EPA)
April 16, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

On this webinar, participants will explore how technology can enhance environmental learning both inside and outside the classroom. EE Week will highlight the growing opportunity to engage today’s students in learning about the environment with new technologies that enable scientific research and develop 21st century skills, including creativity, innovation, communication and collaboration.

Register here!

Water, Exploration, and the Future (NASA)
April 17, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Discover all the ways NASA is learning about water here on earth and in Space.

No registration necessary. Log on here!
GreenSchool and STEM (USFS & PLT)
April 27, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, parent or student Green Team member, this webinar will demonstrate how STEM can be seamlessly integrated into the school curriculum using the US Forest Service /Project Learning Tree GreenSchools! Investigations and grant program as a model for schools.

Register here!

For more information on the Green Strides Webinar Series, upcoming webinars, and past webinar recordings, please visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/webinar.html

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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

The Bill James Environmental Grants, An Opportunity for Schools Involved in Environmental Education

March 18th, 2013 by Elizabeth Buxton

Students at the Greenmount School in Baltimore, MD

The students at the Greenmount School weren’t the only ones who benefited from a Bill James Grant last year that funded an expansion of their vegetable gardens.  The vegetables that were harvested last fall were enjoyed by the students, their families, and community at large. This grant provided the opportunity for low income youth to learn about the principals of sustainable gardening and encouraged a sense of stewardship and personal responsibility for the environment. The Garden Expansion Project stimulated a better understanding of environmental issues and helped the kids learn how a community garden can improve the neighborhood and provide locally produced foods.

The Bill James Grants are part of the Keep Maryland Beautiful Program administered by the Maryland Environmental Trust. Up to $1,000.00 is available to school groups, science and ecology clubs, and other non-profit youth groups for environmental education projects.  Previous recipients have included:

  • The Pine Grove Middle School for its terrapin hatchlings project in partnership with the National Aquarium.  Students, monitored, raised and released the hatchlings into their natural habitat.
  • Perryville High School for its project involving freshman students who constructed a gazebo, rain barrels, picnic tables and rain gardens.
  • Manchester Valley High School for an experiment involving three young blue crabs in which two students monitored the effects of different salinity levels on the crabs.

The objectives of the grants are to encourage a sense of stewardship and personal responsibility for the environment; to stimulate a better understanding of environmental issues; to aid in the elimination or reduction of an environmental problem, and to encourage the protection of rural areas and sensitive resources.

These grants are given in memory of Senator William S. James who drafted legislation to create the Maryland Environmental Trust and to incorporate the activities of the Governor’s Committee to Keep Maryland Beautiful.

For more information about the Bill James Environmental Grants and the Keep Maryland Beautiful program, please visit the Maryland Environmental Trust website or contact Cathy Ford at 410-5147-7900 or kmb@dnr.state.md.us . The deadline to apply is March 31, 2013.

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Elizabeth Buxton is the Director of the Maryland Environmental Trust.

Tree Frogs, Pocket Gophers and Bears – Discover the Wild World of Trees!

March 11th, 2013 by Eliza Russell

Poster

National Wildlife Federation is celebrating 75 years of National Wildlife Week March 18-24.  This year we are “Branching Out for Wildlife” – examining trees and wildlife that depend on trees.  Take a moment to explore the wealth of information and resources we have at www.nwf.org/wildlifeweek.

Explore over 40 different species from trees that live for thousands of years to fish that live in trees and voles that spend their entire lives living high up in a tree. Download wildlife trading cards and games to test your student’s knowledge.   Create a stunning display in your classroom or measure yourself or students against a mega poster of a tree.  Challenge your students to make a difference at their school or in their backyards by planting a tree that they can nurture.  We can help you get trees and provide you with a how-to guide for planting and caring for them. Help us to reach our goal of planting 75,000 trees!

Join the adventure!  Take your students on a daily exploration of the wild and wonderful world of trees and the wildlife (including us) that depend on them.   Just think of all the amazing things we get from trees in addition to the air we breathe — paper and pencils fruit and nuts, wooden furniture and even buildings!  In these ways we all touch a tree more than 30 times every day.

For more information about the resources, lesson plans, and activities the National Wildlife Federation is providing in support of National Wildlife Week, visit:

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Eliza Russell is the Director of Education at National Wildlife Federation.

What’s on Tap for EE Week 2013

March 7th, 2013 by Sarah Kozicki

Photo Credit: David Munson

Hosted by NEEF, EE Week is the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education held each year the week before Earth Day and inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students. The 2013 theme, Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors, will explore how technology can enhance environmental learning both inside and outside the classroom

EE Week will highlight the growing opportunity to engage today’s students in learning about the environment with new technologies that enable scientific research and develop 21st century skills, including creativity, innovation, communication and collaboration.

Among EE Week’s offerings for K-12 educators this year are a series of webinars:

  • On March 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET, join National Geographic Education and Esri to explore tech tools that engage students in citizen science projects and connect them with their local communities.
  • Then on April 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET, join EE Week and Green Teacher to learn how the Island Institute is turning student engagement with technology tools and media into a powerful venue for learning about their environment.

Google+ Hangout

And stay tuned for more details about how teachers and students can go behind the scenes with a scientist who is utilizing cutting-edge technologies to support environmental work in an upcoming EE Week Google+ Hangout. This is slated to be part of a series of biweekly Google+ Hangouts with renowned scientists leading up to Google’s third annual Science Fair.

Register for EE Week now to take advantage of these learning opportunities. There is no cost to register and participate in EE Week.

In addition to webinars, educators who register for EE Week 2013 will be able to take advantage of:

  • A free educator toolkit including tech tools, educational resources and suggested activities for engaging students in Greening STEM learning outdoors.
  • Case studies of technology in action and the educators and programs using it to enhance environmental and STEM learning and achievement in core subject areas.
  • Discounts, giveaways and special offers from our partners on environmental education tools, resources and professional development.

Stay tuned as more offerings become available. Visit www.eeweek.org/greening_stem to learn more or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Sarah Kozicki is an Education Program Coordinator for National Environmental Education Week.

Chesapeake Conservation Corps

March 4th, 2013 by Tara Baker

Chesapeake Conservation Corps volunteers

In 2010, the Maryland Legislature established the Chesapeake Conservation Corps Program to promote and sustain the environment by providing young adults with opportunities to gain career skills and become more engaged through meaningful community service in the fields of environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture, energy conservation, forestry and environmental education.  This leadership program, supported by the Trust, Constellation Energy, and the state of Maryland, matches young adults with organizations throughout the state for paid, fulltime, one-year term of service.  Individuals must be between the ages of 18 and 25 years at the time of enrollment. Corps Volunteers will receive an annual stipend of $15,500 plus health insurance, administered by the Trust. The purpose of the Corps Program is two-fold:  the first is for stipend Volunteers to work with Host Organizations and communities throughout Maryland to implement on-the-ground restoration and energy conservation projects. The second is to provide leadership and training opportunities for young adults pursuing environmental and conservation careers.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is proud to announce the fourth year of solicitations for Volunteer Applications for the 2013-14 Chesapeake Conservation Corps. The Corps Program has grown from 16 Volunteers in its inaugural year to 21 in its second year to now 26 exceptional young people in year three who will gain valuable work experience and partner with local communities to advance conservation initiatives in Maryland by working on energy efficiency programs, restoration activities and neighborhood clean-ups, water quality monitoring programs, reforestation projects, job training programs for youth and so on. Even more, almost 30% of all program participants have been hired by their host organizations, which illustrates that the program not only creates employment opportunities but also increases the capacity of participating organizations to further their environmental missions.  Additionally, the program has a 100% retention rate – not a single volunteer has ever left the program early with the exception of those hired on mid-service term by their host organizations.

The Corps Program provides service-learning opportunities and green job preparation for young adults through multiple trainings, a capstone project, grant writing, site visits at other Host sites and attending the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Forum. Corps volunteers are also involved in a variety of activities and projects, including promoting, preserving, and protecting local streams, rivers, the Bay, and Maryland’s other natural resources; working with communities to promote energy conservation and mitigate threats to the environment; pursuing leadership opportunities that will advance environmental and conservation careers; obtaining training for careers that will be part of the emerging green economy; and educating and training communities about the long-term actions needed to promote, preserve, protect, and sustain the environment. One of the beauties of this Program is that each position at each Host each year is different. As a result, you can have one Volunteer out on a kayak performing water quality monitoring, another leading an energy conservation campaign or another working on a sustainable farm. Still the entire group is intertwined and visiting each other’s sites, attending each other’s events and always networking.

The Host Application Deadline has just passed and as a result any interested potential Volunteer Applicant can review the submitted Host applications to learn more about the organization and the position they are offering. After the April 19th deadline Volunteer and Host Applicants will begin to contact and connect with each other to determine their top picks. In June both Volunteer and Host Applicants will submit a ranking sheet of their top 5 which will be an important factor in determining who his matched and with whom. One can view all of the submitted Host Applications on our website.

Please click here to download the application. All applications must be RECEIVED by 5pm on April 19, 2013.

For any questions about becoming a Host Organization or about the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, contact Tara Baker, 410-974-2941, ext. 102.

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Tara Baker is a Program Coordinator at the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Green Strides Webinars: March Series

February 28th, 2013 by Sarah

The Green Strides Webinar Series provides school communities the tools to reduce their schools’ environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and teach effective environmental literacy, including STEM, green careers, and civic engagement.>>> These are all the tools that help schools and districts move toward the aims of our U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition award.  This March, the Green Strides Webinar Series will be conducted on:

Integrated Pest Management in Schools: Protecting Children from Pests & Pesticides (EPA)
March 6, 2013 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Pests and pesticides pose risks to the nearly 60 million children and staff who spend considerable periods of time in our nation’s schools. EPA recommends that schools use an Integrated Pest Management approach to reduce exposure in schools. This webinar will describe basics of school IPM, the potential health, environmental and economic benefits, and what it takes to put IPM into practice.

Register here!

Food and Fitness (NASA)
March 13, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Many factors impact an astronaut’s ability to live and work in space. Study the efforts to improve nutrition and keep crew-members healthy. Learn about the relationship between nutrition and fitness. The activities examine techniques to make life long healthy meal and activity choices, such as determining the proper serving size, understanding food labels, and assessing proper nutritional and exercise choices.

No registration necessary. Log on here!
Taking Technology Outdoors: Geography Connections (NEEF)
March 13, 2013 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

In this webinar, National Geographic Education will introduce FieldScope, mobile technologies and online communities and how they can be used for citizen science projects. The event will introduce storymaking with maps – how to make maps with existing data and how to collect data in the field for creating story maps.

Register here!

Radiation Exposure on Earth (NASA)
March 20, 2013 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

This webinar features the first activity of NASA’s Radiation Challenge guide designed for middle school classroom – “Radiation Exposure on Earth.”  Discover how NASA is using radiation studies to help design long-duration spaceflight vehicles and how NASA’s space experiences are helping us here on Earth. Explore the use of sunscreen and SPF levels designed to protect us from the effects of solar UV radiation.

No registration necessary. Log on here!

For more information on the Green Strides Webinar Series, upcoming webinars, and past webinar recordings, please visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/webinar.html

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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Do Your Students Know What They Can Do To Reclaim the Bay?

February 25th, 2013 by Samantha Kappalman

Getting young students excited about what they and their families can do to “Reclaim the Bay” is the goal behind the Maryland Department of the Environment’s first Earth Day poster contest. K-through-8 students are encouraged to submit an entry that depicts what Marylanders can do to help restore the Chesapeake Bay.

Whether it is through Curriculum Extension Units, after-school programs or in science classes, we want to get the word out to our next generation of environmental advocates that Maryland is a leader in the Bay watershed’s restoration efforts. But we can’t do it at the State and local government levels alone. We need everyone to get involved in restoring the Bay.

We’ve put together a fun animation that can be shown in class or watched at home about the 10 things that everyone can do to help “Reclaim the Bay.” This poster contest is our way of having students show us what they think is the most important aspect of our Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

Many factors contribute to the degradation of our waterways. By making better choices we can continue to build upon the progress for a healthier Bay.

Thirty years ago, we began the first phase of the Chesapeake Bay restoration when Governor Hughes introduced a legislative package of 38 “Bay Initiatives.” These programs included strengthening existing sediment and erosion controls and creating the Critical Area Program, which designated areas for development and conservation.

From those beginnings to our current Watershed Implementation Plan to meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act, Maryland has worked with our inter-state Bay Program partners and our county and municipal governments to take the necessary steps to reduce pollution and restore the Bay. We are making great strides through this ongoing collaboration, but there is still more hard work to do if we are to succeed.

We hope that you can help us get the word out to students in K-8 – not only about this exciting opportunity, but also about the importance of doing what ever they can around their homes and neighborhoods to help with Bay restoration.

The deadline for contest submissions is Monday, April 8, 2013. Winners will be announced at a special event during Earth Week.

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Samantha Kappalman is Director of Communications & Digital Strategy at the Maryland Department of the Environment.

National Parks Trust Hosts a “Kids to Parks Day” School Contest

February 18th, 2013 by Sarah

In October 2012, Mrs. Hill’s third grade class from Brent Elementary School in Washington, DC canoed on the Anacostia River and stopped off at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

National Parks are an excellent resource for formal and informal educators alike.  Here in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, we are lucky enough to have access to over 50 National Parks that offer opportunities for students to get out of the classroom and explore the region’s unique history, culture, geology, ecology, environment and more.

How can you get your students to a park? This year, the National Parks Trust (NPT) is once again hosting the Kids to Parks Day School Contest! The purpose of the contest is to help teachers engage their students with their local parks.  Past winners include over 20 classes from Chesapeake Bay watershed states and Washington, DC that have implemented some truly impressive projects in parks.

This national contest is open to all schools across the country and in the U.S. territories.  Students can submit proposals for a Kids to Parks event at a park in their community. These events are a great opportunity for participation in service learning projects.  As an educator, you can help your students develop their ideas, but should allow them to complete the proposal in their own words.  Students are encouraged to be creative when submitting the entry form. Videos, pictures and drawings are encouraged to supplement the proposal.

NPT will award scholarships up to the amount of $1,000 to winning entries for each class.  These scholarships will be used by the winners to implement their Kids to Parks event during the week leading up to May 18th.  The scholarship funds can be used to costs associated transportation, healthy snacks and refreshments, park experience related fees, stewardship project supplies, and more.

The deadline entry submission is Friday, March 1st. Winners will be announced on Monday, March 18th.

Learn more about the Kids to Parks Day School Contest, or use the National Park Service’s Chesapeake Explorer App to find a national park near your school!

Filed under: Field Studies
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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Make Your Local Birds Count Through the Great Backyard Bird Count

February 13th, 2013 by Zach Slavin

Blue Jay, by Linda Pizer, 2012 GBBC Participant

The 16th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will take place Friday, February 15th through Monday, February 18th. A joint project from Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Canadian partner, Bird Studies Canada, this citizen science project is a great way to learn about your local birds and connect with nature while contributing valuable data to scientists and conservationists. Participants are asked to count the birds that they recognize for as little as fifteen minutes on one or more days of the count, and then submit their observations online at www.birdcount.org.You can count in your backyard, at school, at a local park—absolutely anywhere you can find birds.

The GBBC is a great opportunity for educators to introduce new audiences to the study of birds because we ask that participants only report the bird species that they are able to identify. With a bevy of educational and instructional resources available on the program website, you can share a PowerPoint presentation on how to participate, distribute simple participation instructions, and acquaint your audience with some of the most commonly reported birds. You can also download a data form on which to record your observations, and even get a printable checklist of the birds you are most likely to see in your area.

Teachers can participate with their classes in a number of ways. After introducing your class to a few species of birds, you can head out on one of the days of the count to tally the birds found around your school and then submit your results online. With older students, you can explain how to participate, review some basic bird identification, and then have students count in their backyards, or even out their windows! Those interested in photography should also be sure to bring their cameras along and submit their photos of birds (and birders) taken during the count to our annual GBBC photo contest. You can check out some of the last year’s winning photos for inspiration.

After the count, you can explore what has been reported in your area, and for the first time ever, view results from all around the world. So please, join us in this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count, and make your local birds count!

Please contact us at citizenscience@audubon.org for more information.

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Zach Slavin is a Program Associate at the National Audubon Society.

Seeking Host Organizations for Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteers

February 11th, 2013 by Tara Baker

Corps Volunteers staying clean at the Karen Noonan Center

In 2010, the Maryland Legislature established the Chesapeake Conservation Corps Program to promote and sustain the environment by providing young adults with opportunities to gain career skills and become more engaged through meaningful community service.  This leadership program, supported by the Trust, Constellation Energy, and the state of Maryland, matches young adults with organizations throughout the state for paid, fulltime, one-year term of service.  Individuals must be between the ages of 18 and 25 years at the time of enrollment. Corps Volunteers will receive stipends of $15,500 per year plus health insurance, administered by the Trust. The purpose of the Corps Program is two-fold:  the first is for stipend Volunteers to work with Host Organizations and communities throughout Maryland to implement on-the-ground restoration and energy conservation projects. The second is to provide leadership and training opportunities for young adults pursuing environmental and conservation careers.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is proud to announce the fourth year of solicitations for Host Organizations for the 2013-14 Chesapeake Conservation Corps with a February 22nd deadline. The Volunteer Application will be launched on February 25th. In its inaugural year, 16 Corps volunteers worked on a variety of environmental initiatives including energy efficiency programs, restoration activities and neighborhood clean-ups, water quality monitoring programs, reforestation projects and job training programs for youth. The program expanded to 21 participants its second year, and now includes 26 exceptional young people in year three who will gain valuable work experience and partner with local communities to advance conservation initiatives in Maryland. For the fourth year, the Trust anticipates placing 20-25 Corps Volunteers in Host Organizations throughout Maryland with service to begin August 27, 2013. Almost 30 percent of all program participants have been hired by their host organizations, which illustrates that the program not only creates employment opportunities but also increases the capacity of participating organizations to further their environmental missions.  Additionally, the program has a 100% retention rate – not a single volunteer has ever left the program early with the exception of those hired on mid-service term by their host organizations.

The Corps Program provides service-learning opportunities and green job training for young people through environmental and energy conservation projects including their mandatory capstone project. Corps volunteers have been involved in a variety of types of activities, including promoting, preserving, and protecting local streams, rivers, the Bay, and Maryland’s other natural resources; working with communities to promote energy conservation and mitigate threats to the environment; pursuing leadership opportunities that will advance environmental and conservation careers; obtaining training for careers that will be part of the emerging green economy; and educating and training communities about the long-term actions needed to promote, preserve, protect, and sustain the environment. One of the beauties of this Program is that each position at each Host each year is different. As a result, you can have one Volunteer out on a kayak doing water quality monitoring and then another working on reforestation at a number of sites and another leading field experiences with kids. Still the entire group is intertwined and visiting each other’s sites, attending each other’s events and always networking.

Applications to serve as Host Organizations will include proposed scopes of work, and potential Host Organizations may suggest a wide range of activities to be undertaken by the Corps Volunteer in the fields of environmental restoration, energy conservation, sustainable agriculture and forestry, and/or K-12 environmental education.

Please click here to download the application. All applications must be RECEIVED by 5pm on February 22, 2013.

For any questions about becoming a Host Organization or about the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, contact Tara Baker, 410-974-2941, ext. 102.

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Tara Baker is a Program Coordinator at the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
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