Join MCBP for our third installment of our volunteer educational series!
On Saturday, June 17th, from 10 am to 1 pm, join us at the Bishopville Dam restoration site for the third Discover Your Watershed event of the year. We will begin with a walking tour of the property, followed by a tree survey and aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling! The data collected from the survey and sampling will be compiled and used by the MCBP. Lunch provided. Contact Amanda at
[email protected] or 410-213-2297 ext. 103 for more information and to RSVP.
Upcoming Discover Your Watershed Events:
- Greys Creek, Travel & Trails, October 21st
- Showell, Senses & Scenery, November 18th
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MCBP Seeking Beer Servers
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It's MCBP's turn for a beer truck at Sunfest this year and we're looking for volunteers for beer pouring shifts.
Shifts are from Thursday, September 21 to Sunday September 24.
If you are interested in helping serve for the cause, please let Sandi know your availability at [email protected] or by calling 410-213-2297 ext 106.
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This years event is slated for Saturday, September 30th. Registration is now open. To register click
here
Our volunteers make this a great event great. So please let us know if you are interested in volunteering by contacting Sandi at [email protected] or by calling 410-213-2297 ext 106.
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On May 18th, MCBP staff members traveled to Sandy Point State Park for the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education's annual Youth Summit. The summit is held yearly to celebrate new and re-certifying Green Schools and Green Centers, to expose teachers to education resources, and to engage students in hands-on activities with environmental education providers from around the state. This year, there were approximately 3,000 students and teachers in attendance! Our MCBP booth offered opportunities to learn about horseshoe crabs, participate in an interactive lesson about animal navigation, and to gain information about the coastal bays. We also provided teachers and parents with the links to our online educational resources about the coastal bay wetlands. These resources align with the Next Generation Science Standards and can be found here
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This is the time of year we think to power wash our homes and landscape our yards. It's also the time of year where nests are made and wildlife babies are emerging. So if you're having your house power washed or having a tree cut down, ask your contractor to please consider the possibility of nests and maybe scheduling this type of work a little later in the season when fledglings are on their own. These two owlets were the victims of a tree that was cut down.
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Check Out Our Calendar!
Want to know what's happening in your Coastal Bays? Check out our calendar
here.
Interested in volunteering? Check out our list of
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Asia Mason (left) is a STEP UP STEM intern through Worcester County. She is currently a sophomore at University of Maryland majoring in Public Health Science. Asia has participated in the STEP UP STEM program the past two summers at Atlantic General Hospital. She is interested in learning more about water and air quality and how they affect public health.
Brenna Waite (middle left) is an environmental intern with MCBP and is a recent graduate from Temple University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Previously, Brenna has worked with the Philadelphia Zoo as an Environmental Education & Animal Behavior Intern and with the Center for Biodiversity at Temple University as an Undergraduate Research Assistant investigating herpetological species invasion and extinction. She spent a semester abroad at Bond University in Australia studying marine biology.
Madison Warfield (middle right) is an environmental intern with MCBP and is a senior at Salisbury University majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Geography. Previously, she has worked with the Bear Branch Nature Center as an intern, Carrol Community College as a program assistant for SummerKids summer camp, Hashawha Carroll County Recreation and Park as a park attendant, and as an Information Technology Support Representative for Salisbury University. Madison is the current president of the Environmental Students Association at Salisbury University, a member of the Salisbury Bellavance Honors Program, and a member of Phi Eta Sigma (Salisbury Academic Honors Society).
Patrick Simons (right) is a seasonal scientist with MCBP. He graduated from Salisbury University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 2016 with degrees in Biology and Environmental Science with a concentration of Marine Science. Previously, Patrick has worked with the Maryland Department of Agriculture as a Field Technician, Salisbury University as an entomologist,
Pocomoke River State Park as a Park Naturalist, and as a Zoology Laboratory Assistant at Salisbury University.
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Horseshoe Crab Stewardship
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It's horseshoe crab spawning season! So keep a look out for crabs that have flipped over on land as often they are not able to flip back. so give them hand and just flip 'em.
There are a few areas in Ocean City where they do get caught up in rip rap during spawning season so we are looking for a few horseshoe crab stewards who would like to be on call when such an event. Please let Amanda know if you are interested in volunteering at [email protected]
or by calling 410-213-2297 ext 103.
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The 2017 terrapin surve
y
was a success as over 40 volunteers came out to help us survey our bays. Thanks to a generous donation, we have by-catch reduction devices (BRDs) known also as turtle excluders free for your crab pots as another means of protecting our terrapin.
Recreational crab pots are required by law to have turtle excluders. Turtles are attracted to the same food source as blue crabs. Its easy for our turtles get into crab pots but they are unable to get out and can drown. These devices allow crabs to enter with ease, but not turtles due to their shape. Please contact Sandi at [email protected] or by calling 410-213-2297 ext 106 to make arrangements to get your turtle excluders at the Maryland Coastal Bays Office.
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Policy Committee Meeting
The Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) Policy Committee met on May 31, and heard both accomplishments and challenges to meeting the goals of the program's Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan. The Policy Committee, chaired by MD DNR Secretary Mark Belton, included other cabinet level officials of the state Departments of Environment, Agriculture and Planning. Also present on the Committee were the Mayor and Council members for Ocean City, officials from Berlin, Worcester County Commissioners and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. MCBP Board members, EPA Region III Administrator, Ocean Pines Board Director, and Assateague National Seashore Superintendent completed the group. Presentations were received by the MCBP Executive Director Frank Piorko and Science Coordinator Roman Jesien, as well as Worcester County Director of Environmental Programs Bob Mitchell and Planner Katherine Munson. Cathy Wazniak of MD DNR spoke of the recently released State of the Bays Report. Joining the afternoon event were Senator Jim Mathias and Delegate Mary Beth Carozza. All present agreed that the MCBP has been very effective recently with their conservation efforts, and the Committee committed to assisting in the continued challenge to find additional resources to continue this good work.
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This week's Education Corner is dedicated to the incredibly hard-working students and teachers that have participated in an MCBP event this month. Their work has been invaluable to us, and we thank them for being stewards for our local coastal bays! In the month of May alone, students had the opportunity to conduct quadrat samples of Atlantic White Cedar trees, collect aquatic macroinvertebrates, participate in trail maintenance, learn the art of orienteering, and remove invasive species. Data was collected for many of these activities, and will be used by the MCBP and other partner organizations. Thank you all!
With spring after school programs coming to a close, MCBP is gearing up for the fantastic summer educational programs planned! We will be holding weekly bay programs for visitors at Castaways RV Resort and Campground in West Ocean City, and at Sunset Island in Ocean City. Additionally, please come down and see us at the 7th Annual Children's Day on the Bay event hosted by the Town of Ocean City. This free, public event will be held on Sunday, August 6th, from 12-4 pm at Sunset Park in Ocean City. We look forward to see you there!
Yours in EE,
Liz
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