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Living Local began as an Environmental Education initiative started by MCBP’s 2019-2020 CCC member, Chandler Joiner, to educate the local community about the beneficial impacts of small-scale farming with sustainable practices on the Coastal Bays watershed while simultaneously encouraging the consumption of local products. The initiative well received by the community, and in 2020, MCBP’s Education Coordinator, Liz Wist, applied for and received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s EE Grant Program to continue and expand the Living Local program.
The goal of Living Local is to provide agricultural environmental education through the development and implementation of an interdisciplinary learning module, student experiences, and community workshops that address environmental and human impacts affecting agriculture, as well as the benefits best farm practices have on the water resources of Maryland’s Coastal Bays. This learner-centered EE program incorporates educational and training activities that involve elementary students, educators, and other interested community members including senior America and underserved groups. These activities include educator trainings, in-class and outdoor education, and community workshops, all of which will promote environmental stewardship and increase public literacy about environmental issues affecting agriculture and their solutions.
For more information please reach out to project manager, MCBP’s Education Coordinator, Liz Wist, at lwist@mdcoastalbays.org or Environmental Educator, Chandler Joiner, at cjoiner@mdcoastalbays.org.
Farm Spotlights
These farm spotlights are articles based on interviews conducted with local farmers in the Coastal Bays watershed. Each article highlights a small-scale farm and the sustainable practices they implement, as well as the successes and struggles the farms have faced. The spotlights include information about what each farm grows, where you can find their products, and how you can best support a local farmer.
Below you will see the link to register for MCBP’s Living Local educator training! The overall goal of the Living Local project is to foster a greater appreciation of farming by educating students about the positive change’s farmers are implementing to protect our natural resources with the long-term goal of environmental stewardship. This Living Local educator training is available to both formal and informal educators. While the curriculum is targeted towards 2nd-4th grade students, we encourage any interested educator to sign up for the training as the lessons and concepts are applicable to anyone seeking to engage their audience in topics like watershed health, water quality, soil health, agriculture practices, and more! All 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade WCPS teachers who attend the training will be compensated in full.
If you have any questions about registration, or about the Living Local project in general, please email them to cjoiner@mdcoastalbays.org. Thank you to the EPA EE grant program, and our amazing partners, for their support on this project.”
Farm visits are offered as a FREE opportunity for community members to become actively engaged with local farms. Each visit is one hour, the first 30 minutes are dedicated to a farm tour and Q&A opportunity with the farmer. The last 30 minutes include a hands-on activity lead by the farmer. The activity differs from farm to farm, and you will receive more information regarding the activity once you have registered. Each farm can only host a limited number of individuals so registration will be based on a first come first serve basis. All farms are within the Coastal Bays watershed boundaries and free parking and public restrooms are available at each. The current available farm visit opportunities are:
Splendid Earth Farm, October 28th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm
Goat Plum Tree Farm on November 3rd from 2:00 to 4:00 pm
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.
