Chesapeake Bay News

On January 20, 2011, the Chesapeake Bay Trust announced its 2011 Annual Awards Program winners, including its Environmental Educator of the Year, Student of the Year and Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship recipient.

At a ceremony held in the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis, members of the Maryland General Assembly were joined by Chesapeake Bay Trust partners and supporters as they honored these exceptional individuals and their contributions to environmental education, community outreach and civic engagement.

“Educating and engaging the next generation of Bay stewards is crucial to the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams,” said Allen Hance, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “This Maryland teacher and these two talented Maryland students exemplify what it means to be environmentally literate: every day, they translate scientific knowledge and environmental values into actions that are making a difference for the Bay and their local communities.”

The Trust awarded its 2011 Environmental Educator of the Year to Susie Peeling, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Resource Teacher at Pleasant Plains Elementary, Lutherville Lab and Halstead Academy in Baltimore County.  Peeling is an educator who uses the rigorous STEM curriculum and outdoor educational experiences on school grounds and through field trips as a platform for increasing environmental literacy and improving student achievement.  Working with diverse student populations in Title I schools, Peeling’s approach is yielding measurable results.   In addition to a cash award of $2,500, Peeling also has an opportunity to apply for a $5,000 grant to be used for environment projects and programs within her schools.

The Trust’s Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship was awarded to Jillian Tse, a senior at Paint Branch High School in Montgomery County, for her exceptional work at Paint Branch and throughout the broader community.  The $5,000 Arthur Dorman Scholarship is presented each year to a minority student who shows an exemplary commitment to improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and who exhibits leadership in promoting diversity, inclusion, and tolerance for individuals of all backgrounds.  Tse, an honors student, is an active member of Eco-exist, the environmental club at her school and has, both as a volunteer and an employee, helped advance local environmental education and community-clean up efforts.

The recipient of the Trust’s 2011 Student of the Year Scholarship is Emily Peterson, a senior at South Carroll High in Carroll County, who is honored for her outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship, Chesapeake Bay restoration, and civic engagement at South Carroll High and throughout her local community.  Peterson, the winner of this $5,000 scholarship, is an accomplished honors student, the founder of her school’s environmental club, a national leader for the Green Schools Youth Summit and Vice President of Sustainability for Venturing Crew.

Each year the Trust makes six awards to Marylanders for a variety of environmental leadership roles and educational achievements.  In addition to the Teacher of the Year, Student of the Year and Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship, the Trust announces recipients of its Dr. Torrey Brown Award (for Bay leadership), the Ellen Fraites Wagner Award (for an exceptional Bay Steward) and the Melanie Teems Award (for an outstanding Trust grant project) in the spring. The Trust’s awards program was launched in 1998 with each year more and more applications being submitted to the program.

“We are thrilled to recognize these exceptional individuals not only for the work they are doing to improve Chesapeake Bay and its waterways, but also for their efforts to educate others on the importance of civic involvement and community activism,” said Tara Potter, Trust Board Chair and Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs for Verizon.  “These awardees aren’t just sitting around waiting for change to happen; they are out there doing it, making a difference and inspiring others to act.”

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is competing in the Pepsi Refresh Project competition to win a grant to boost environmental education throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. A Pepsi Refresh grant would support expenses for 4,500 students to learn outside, including a transportation stipend for 1,125 underserved urban & rural students to travel to any of CBF’s 15 outdoor classrooms during 2010-11.

“A day spent learning outside, paddling a canoe, sailing on a historic oyster vessel, working a Chesapeake ‘deadrise,’ or touring a farm, shouldn’t be just for fortunate children. This grant would significantly boost the number of students we could serve in our outdoor learning programs,” said Don Baugh, vice president for environmental education at CBF.

Pepsi Fresh is expected to award $15 million in grants this year to support ideas that improve local communities and the world. The money is awarded to groups that receive the most votes. The public can support CBF’s application by voting at http://www.refresheverything.com/outdoorclassrooms

CBF is competing for a $250,000 grant that would cover bus and other transportation costs, equipment such as canoes, life vests, water quality monitoring equipment, field guides, educational materials, vessel maintenance and other costs. The award would help children in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

source: MD DNR

The Magothy River Association, in conjunction with the state sponsored “Maryland Grows

Oysters” program, is recruiting oyster gardeners for the 2009-2010 season. If you have

access to a pier on the Magothy River, and can spare a few minutes every week or so, you can

do this! The MGO program is free to all participants.

This is at least a one year commitment. The oysters you grow will be placed on restored

oyster reefs in the Magothy River late in the summer of 2010. We ask that you consider

taking a new batch of oysters at that time to start the process over again.

To sign up, send an e-mail to magothyriversavers@yahoo.com with your name, address, phone,

e-mail, and preferred number of cages (4 minimum).

The oyster pickup is tentatively planned for a weekend in September. Details will be sent as

the program evolves. For more information please visit the following website:

http://www.h2006.net/MRAOys01

The Severn River Association has sent a letter to Governor O’Malley concerning development in Sullivan’s Cove. The letter expresses members’ concerns over failures by agencies of the state of Maryland to protect the Severn River watershed.

The association states that “Any issuance of permits enabling the developments proposed for Sullivan Cove is wholly incompatible with mandates applicable to the Severn River.”

The letter asks Governor O’Malley the relevant Maryland agencies take every action to assure that the permits in question are denied, and that the construction of piers across the sensitive Sullivan Cove on the Severn River is not allowed to proceed.

The Severn River is designated by the General Assembly as a Maryland Scenic River. The proclamation states that the Severn is a “free-flowing river whose shoreline and related land are predominantly forested, agricultural, grassland, marshland, or swampland with a minimum of development…” The Act mandates the preservation and protection of its natural values, and Maryland governments are required to take whatever action is necessary to protect and enhance the qualities of a river so designated.

A benefit will be held at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Gloucester Campus, on April 25 and 26. “Scenes From the Seas” is the 10th annual art show and auction held at VIMS. This year’s event will help fund research concerning damage from coastal storms, bycatch issues with the white marlin fishery, mercury-tainted seafood, and interactions between pollution, eel grass and fishing.

The featured artist for this event is Dr. Guy Harvey. Dr. Harvey is back by popular demand. He was here for this event in 2006 and helped to raise more than $60,000 for VIMS programs. Guy Harvey is one of the most popular marine artist of all time. He is also an author, photographer, angler, conservationist, television show host, and scientist. Dr. Harvey spends much time promoting fisheries research and conservation.

This two evening event begins with a public art show, book signing, and autograph session with Dr. Harvey on Friday, April 25, at 6:30 pm in Chesapeake Bay Hall, including light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. At 7:30 pm, the audience will move to Waterman’s Hall, where Dr. Harvey will narrate several of his dramatic billfish films. His footage of billfish feeding in the wild is amazing. If you are an angler, you will now know what is happening the next time you drop back to a billfish. There is no cost to attend this evening. There will be a large variety of Guy Harvey’s art to view and to purchase. There will be both originals and prints available. Dr. Harvey has painted an original just for this event which features a striped bass, white marlin, bluefish, and yellowfin tuna. This artwork has also been made into a special Guy Harvey/VIMS t-shirt. Almost everyone who appreciates marine life has a collection of Guy Harvey shirts. This is one that you will not be able to get anywhere else.

The event resumes on Saturday, April 26 at 6:30pm in Chesapeake Bay Hall. Guy Harvey’s art show will continue and both silent and live auctions will be conducted. This ticketed event ($100 per person) will feature a silent auction of items from regional artists and craftsmen, festive cuisine and a hosted bar, and a live auction with the original Harvey painting along with other art, nautical, and maritime items. mailto:lcphip@vims.eduIn addition to the auctions, a limited edition Turner Sculpture, “River Otters” has been donated http://www.turnersculpture.com/gallery/317.htm . This bronze sculpture will be available through a raffle.

There will be many items available for silent auction. Some of the live auction items include:

Guy Harvey Original Framed Watercolor, “A Tribute to VIMS”

Bass Pro Outfitted Fishing Kayak

Condo for One Week at Pueblo Real in Costa Rica

Condo for One Week at Tapatio Cliffs in Phoenix, Arizona

Two Tickets to a Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees Baseball Game with Hotel

“Blue Fury” Kent Ulberg Sculpture
Offshore Fishing Trip for Five

The Nautical Wheelers will perform at Dobbins Island Anchorage on June 14, 2008 from 6pm to 9 pm. The event will honor the historic event of Captain John Smith’s exploration of the Magothy River on June 12,1608.

The Magothy River Association has declared June 12 Magothy River Day! A celebration of Magothy River Day, will be hosted by The Magothy River Association on FLAG DAY, Saturday, June 14, 2008. Come join in for a number of family fun activities within the protected waters of the historic Dobbins Island anchorage.

The Nautical Wheelers will entertain boaters by performing on a boat anchored in the anchorage.

BYOB (Bring your own boat)

Activities Planned:

4pm Rendezvous at Dobbins island (Free parking)
5 pm Re-enactment of Captain John Smith landing on the Dobbins Island sand bar officially declaring “ the Dobbins Recreational Area as the LAND of Pleasant Living”
6 pm to 9 pm Band Concert featuring the Nautical Wheelers
9:30 pm Christmas light boat parade back to home ports Be patriotic, June 14 is flag day the color of the day is Red White and Blue the color of the night is up to you.

Details contact Friends of Dobbins at www.SaveDobbins.org

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary John R. Griffin today announced the selection of Tom O’Connell, a respected 15-year veteran of the department, to serve as director of the department’s Fisheries Service, effective immediately.

“From the time Captain John Smith first sailed into the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland’s fisheries have helped define our culture and drive our economy,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “Tom O’Connell has the vision, the conviction and the expertise to guide our efforts to ensure sustainable fishery populations remain a birthright for future generations of Marylanders.”

Over the past year Governor O’Malley has taken significant steps to support the department’s management efforts on behalf of people across Maryland who depend on our fisheries for recreation and economic opportunity  including: creation of the Fisheries Management Task Force and Oyster Advisory Commission to help guide the agency’s decision-making; a provision for $750,000 in additional fiscal year 2009 funding for fisheries management; adoption of new regulations to conserve yellow perch populations; and an ongoing collaboration with Virginia to develop strategies to better manage the states’ shared blue crab resource.

“This a critical time for fisheries management in Maryland,” said Secretary Griffin. “Tom’s personal passion for protecting our resources, coupled with his extensive scientific and management experience, makes him the ideal choice to successfully lead the Fisheries Service.”

“We have important decisions to make regarding blue crab conservation, oyster restoration strategies, and other key populations,” the Secretary continued, “while we also have the benefit of new resources provided by our recreational anglers and through Governor O’Malley’s commitment of matching funds. Together, they give us a chance to work for real progress on behalf of these resources and our stakeholders.”

O’Connell began his tenure with DNR in 1993 as a fisheries biologist working on striped bass monitoring and management.  Since then he has served the Maryland Fisheries Service as its Legislative and Policy Program Administrator, Coastal Bays Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, Oyster Restoration Program Manager, and most recently the Assistant Director for the Estuarine and Marine Fisheries Division.

“It is with great seriousness that I accept this new responsibility of directing management of Maryland’s fisheries resources,” said O’Connell.  “Our goal will be to manage these treasured natural resources sustainably, and to increase opportunities for their enjoyment and appreciation by all Marylanders and the tens of thousands of visitors who enjoy fishing in our state’s waters.  I look forward to continuing Maryland’s tradition of science-based fisheries management and hope to expand our efforts to bring stakeholders together to ensure transparent, technically sound, and sustainable management decisions.”

O’Connell holds a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry.  Prior to his service with DNR, O’Connell worked as a biologist with Wildlife International, Ltd. in Easton, Md. and as a wildlife and fisheries technician with both the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Adirondack Ecological Center.  O’Connell, who lives with his wife and four children in Goldsboro, enjoys fishing, camping and hunting.

Rich Novotny, Executive Director of the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association (MSSA) had this to say when he learned of the appointment: “We are very pleased that Mr. O’Connell will be heading the fisheries department of DNR.  MSSA has worked with him over the years and have found him to be very knowledgeable, and also very sincere to the entire fishing community.”

The Maryland Fisheries Service strives to manage the state’s fisheries in balance with the ecosystem for present and future generations and provide high quality, diverse, accessible fishing opportunities.  O’Connell replaces former Director Howard King, who retired in December after 38 years with the department.

Virginia Council of Angling Clubs provides Virginia angling club members and the Virginia recreational fishing community immediate access to the latest news and issues related to recreational fishing via the organization’s website at www.vafish.org. Visitors can visit the VCAC news page and also have the option of subscribing to news updates via email.

Interested persons can support the Virginia Council of Angling Clubs by joining your local anglers club and let the officers know that you support the work of the council.