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Become a member of the Coastal Bays Foundation and donate online securely through PayPal.
Your financial contribution will go toward protecting our watershed, its habitat, and wildlife. The Maryland Coastal Bays Program Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; all donations are tax deductible.
Due to safety concerns, we have postponed the Marine Debris Plunder until Sunday, October 16th. This wind will surely bring in some debris so hopefully you can form a trash pirate team, pick up debris, and bring it to Captain Jack next Sunday, October 16. You can register here mdcoastalbays.org/the-coastal-bays/marine-debris-plunder-registration/ or email mcbp@mdcoastalbays.org for any questions or clarifications you have with this event!Help us keep our waterways clean! ... See MoreSee Less
MCBP staff Carly Touland and Archer Larned recently removed the restricted signs on the bird islands (and took some marine debris with them)......so it must really be fall now. With the birds leaving the area for warmer waters, you are now free to move about the islands. Thanks for respecting the signs! ... See MoreSee Less
Although we are wrapping up National Estuaries Week, we should celebrate and conserve them all year long!The goal of National Estuaries Week is to highlight the importance of America’s estuaries to officials on the state and federal level by showcasing the value estuaries provide to communities. In order for the local community to share this value, they must first see, and acknowledge, the importance of their estuary. To help with this process, local organizations try to provide ample community education opportunities! Community education can be anything from in-class lessons and student field trips, to eco-tour paddle trips, at-home initiatives, and restoration site exploration for all ages. For the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, the overall goal of community education is to instill a sense of responsibility and environmental stewardship in our local community so they are inspired to help protect and restore our estuary for generations to come. Every opportunity we provide to the community, whether it is a large scale outreach event such as Bay Day, or the long standing volunteer-based water quality monitoring program, education is a vital component. In order for a community to see the value of estuaries, it is vital to have education opportunities available and accessible to everyone within a community. Below you will find a list of some upcoming community education and outreach opportunities throughout the Coastal Bays watershed. These are available from a range of local organizations and to learn more details about each, please click the link below to check out a few upcoming opportunities from local organizations:docs.google.com/document/d/1Lj-ND9u4BOk9y0CXHb45BjzSwhVgTvbHRjctQPU1bpA/edit?usp=sharing#EstuariesWeek#WadeIn... See MoreSee Less
"The Marsh"The Marsh, with its expansive, frontier like character is symbolic of Delmarva. It is the marsh, our tidal wetlands, that reside as critical defense for our coastal communities. Let us look at the marsh for a moment. It is a haven for wildlife. It is front line defense against rising sea level and storm surge. It is an exceptional natural filter of pollutants and other runoff that would, in the absence of marsh, quickly make its way into and foul our waterways. For most of us, tidal wetlands remain an elusive, albeit picturesque backdrop to our coastal landscape. As with any environment, to better understand its character, we must immerse ourselves in that environment. This is true for our wetlands as well. Time spent in these areas with ear attuned and an eagle eye to survey the intricacies that abound can reveal significant qualities. Paired with science, we can better understand the health and condition of our tidal wetlands and how they will change with time. At the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, environmental staff conduct wetland assessments that look at these elusive environments across the water through a scientific lens. Utilizing the Mid Atlantic Tidal Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (MidTRAM ), environmental staff at MCBP work in these tidal wetlands to collect preliminary data on the characteristics of the buffer and landscape, hydrology, and habitat. These data indicate that the average wetland condition score for wetland assessments completed from 2019-2021 is 71.1 and ranged from 44.5 to 94.3 on a 0 to 100 scale. Condition scores indicate 9% of tidal wetlands are severely stressed, 81% are moderately stressed, and 10% are minimally stressed. The field studies conducted at MCBP provide the necessary data to better understand tidal wetland response to rising sea level and increased storm surge. #EstuariesWeek#WadeInU.S. EPA Mid-Atlantic RegionRestore America's Estuaries... See MoreSee Less
