Maryland Department of Natural Resources Bay Grasses in Classes
Bay Grasses in Classes
SAV Icon   BGIC Home
SAV Icon   Sign Up for BGIC
SAV Icon   Classroom Resources
SAV Icon   Classroom Data
SAV Icon   On-line Data Entry
SAV Icon   Q and A's
SAV Icon   Transplanting Results
SAV Icon   Photo Gallery
SAV Icon   Contact Us
Harness Creek Project
Patuxent Project
Potomac Project
Other Projects

An Interactive Program that Allows Students
to Participate in Restoring the Chesapeake Bay

The Bay Grasses in Classes program is a hands-on education project that gives students a direct role in Chesapeake Bay restoration. Teachers are given the equipment and materials required to grow bay grasses in their classrooms. DNR designed a number of educational activities to teach students about bay grasses. During the semester, students perform experiments to study bay grass growth. Experiment data are posted on the Bay Grasses in Classes website. At the end of the semester, students plant their bay grasses in select areas of the Chesapeake Bay. Students gain a sense of stewardship of the Bay by studying the biological importance of bay grasses and actively participating in restoration.

The Bay Grasses in Classes (BGIC) program began its twelfth season in 2009. Twenty new teachers attended a two-day training in January and learned how to grow bay grasses. This year, a total of 100 teachers from 15 counties and Baltimore City raised wild celery, redhead grass and water stargrass.

Photos from bay grasses in classes


Most classes had an opportunity to participate in a meaningful bay experience by attending a BGIC planting field trip. In addition to planting the grasses grown in the classroom, students will use seine nets to survey the aquatic life and learn to test the local water quality with the help of Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologists. Over 1,667 classes and 43,946 students participated in BGIC since it began in 1998. During this time students have planted over 3.0 acres of bottom surface in the Bay with the 500,000 plants grown in their classrooms. Surveys taken each year by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) continue to map healthy grass beds planted by students in the program..

Chesapeake Bay Foundation logo - htpp://www.cbf.org

Maryland Department of Natural Resources logo

Chesapeake Bay Trust logo

Chesapeake Bay Program Logo
“This publication was developed under Assistance Agreement No. 52-6002033 awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed in this documents are solely those of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication.”
NOAA logo Financial Assistance provided by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amend, administered by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  A publication pursuant to NOAA Award No. NA070Z0118Maryland Coastal Zone Management Program, Department of Natural Resources
DNR Home > Bays & Streams > SAV Home > Restoration & Projects > Bay Grasses in Classes