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School Programs
The Environmental Center offers a series of programs for schools to connect students to the Chesapeake Bay. Each and every program includes outdoor, hands-on activities to better understand our ecosystems. Courses that include data collection utilize technology that is used by hydrologists, biologists, chemists, and foresters when collecting data.
Our programs are designed to leave students curious, excited, and capable. Above all, our programs are meant to connect students to our natural environments.
MWEE for Impacting the Health of the Chesapeake Bay
Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall for grades 2-5
Students investigate the impact of trash, sediment, and chemicals from the watersheds to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Students will explore the shoreline to identify areas of erosion and sedimentation while evaluating the condition of submerged aquatic vegetation. Students develop an understanding of why plants and animals are important and how they are affected by the litter, sediment, and chemicals eroded from the watershed. Students are shown mitigation processes in place to help them develop solutions to these problems.
Fish of the Chesapeake Bay
Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall for grades K-5
Students explore fish of the Chesapeake Bay by understanding the physical and biological characteristics of fish, what threatens their ecosystems, and how we all can help. Students will leave this course with a working understanding of the state of our Bay and our watershed, and how that affects animals. Students discover what makes a fish different from other living things, and what types of fish we have here in the Bay. Students will then participate in a game to learn what fish need to be healthy, and what harms their populations. Students will explore fish of the Bay by participating in a walk, and utilizing a seine net.
Watershed & Wetland Study
Offered: Year Round for grades 5-7
Students investigate their local watershed and wetlands, and learn how these ecosystems interact and connect among the Earth’s hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere. Students learn why watersheds and wetlands are essential while documenting their biological, chemical, and physical characteristics. Students will conduct a series of water parameter tests, discover some of the microscopic life found in the Chesapeake, and understand why this data matters. The data students collect becomes part of an ongoing monitoring project at the Environmental Center.
Stormwater Runoff & Management
Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall for grades 10-12
Students use hands-on demonstrations to explore where water comes from and what effects it has on the Earth as it moves through the water cycle. Students identify water‘s impact on the landscape, including a closer look at stormwater runoff and pollution. Learners will understand the policies and regulations that have been established while learning how these rules mitigate some of the negative impacts of stormwater runoff. Students investigate and explore real-world stormwater runoff problems and identify potential issues within their communities.
Coastal Erosion & Sedimentation
Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall for grades 8-10
Students explore the primary causes and impacts of coastal erosion and how communities respond to this process. Through hands-on investigation, students understand the complex ways in which aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are influenced by coastal erosion and sedimentation. Students explore how soil performs critical ecological functions, and why/how different types of soil and sediment settle out of fluid.
Water Quality Monitoring
Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall for grades 8-10
Students explore our piece of the Chesapeake Bay, monitoring the effect of stormwater runoff, sub-aquatic vegetation (SAVs), and land uses on water quality. This program allows students to utilize macro-invertebrate surveys, water chemistry testing, and other sampling and observation techniques to conduct investigations. Students investigate how their regional and local water quality is impacted by natural and human forces, and understand how water quality policies have developed over time.
Pollinator Plants, Insects, & Animals
Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall for grades 2-4
Students learn the conditions needed for plants to grow, and why plants are dependent upon pollinators to reproduce. Learners visit several types of pollinator habitats, look for diversity and abundance of pollinators, and learn to identify which helpers pollinate which plants here in Havre de Grace. Students also learn how seeds are dispersed by insects, animals, natural/human forces.
Native, Non-Native, and Pioneer Plant Species
Offered: Year Round for grades 5-7
What does it mean to be a non-native species? What are native and pioneering plants? Understand the benefits that plants have in shaping our environment and the drawbacks some plants pose. Students work together to learn how plant communities interact within our environment. Field techniques are explored to identify and survey plant biodiversity and why that is important for the greater ecosystem.
Tree Identification & Dendrochronology
Offered: Year Round for grades 10-12
Trees serve many different roles in our environment and our daily lives. In this class, students learn how different types of trees function, focusing on trees that are native to our piece of Maryland. Students will use forestry tools to measure trees and determine the approximate age while understanding how to identify a tree's health. Students will discover different types of tree management strategies that are used to protect our most precious resources.
Birds of the Chesapeake Bay
Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall for grades K-2
Students investigate what makes birds different from other animals, and why they are so special. Students learn how to use their sight and hearing to identify common birds of the Chesapeake Bay, and how to use tools like binoculars and identification guides to do so. Students will leave this course competent and curious birders.