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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is committed to enhancing the natural resources stewardship ethic of all Maryland citizens. That is why we offer a variety of services for K-12 students, teachers, and other Maryland residents:
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Feature Story
Earth Science Week 2008
What is “Earth science”? Very broadly, Earth science means sciences related to planet Earth. Earth sciences include geology, soil science, oceanography, and meteorology, which focus on earth systems, rock and mineral types, natural hazards, weather, water resources, and energy.
“No Child Left Inside” will focus the nation on learning about the earth sciences in their natural setting, outside. Schoolchildren across the nation will turn off the TV and step away from their computers to discover the rocks, soil, watersheds, and weather patterns in their community.
“The best earth science classroom, any geoscientist will tell you, is the outdoors,” says Ann E. Benbow, AGI Director of Education and Outreach. “We’re encouraging students, teachers, and everyone interested in earth science to learn by experiencing it firsthand during Earth Science Week 2008. That means hiking over and digging into the Earth, taking water samples, making cloud observations, and more.”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Earth Science Week. Since the beginning, the event has grown dramatically, enabling more students to focus on the many aspects of the earth sciences and the various careers within the field.
The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 44 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.
Explore other Earth science links
The Maryland Geological Survey has compiled a web page of links to Earth science resources for our state and beyond (http://www.mgs.md.gov/beyond.html#club).
Earth Science Week contests and materials
For more information on Earth Science Week for teachers, students, the general public and the media, see http://www.earthsciweek.org.
Upcoming Events
Compost Workshop
Projects Wet, Wild, and Learning Tree Facilitator Training Schoolyard Habitat Aquatic Grants Bike Hike ACT-WET Halloween Paddle on the Pocomoke
The Earth Science Week 2008 theme, “No Child Left Inside,” encourage young people to learn about the geosciences by getting away from the television, off the computer, and out of doors.
Who: Everyone
Where: Tawes Building, Room C1
When: October 3 at noon
Cost: Free
Contact: Amy Henry
Get your spring garden started with compost from your very own backyard! Learn the ins and outs of composting and how to get great results in your garden. Free compost bins are limited to the first 30 registrants.
Who: All Environmental Educators
Where: Harford Glen Environmental Education Center
When: November 14-16
Cost: $50 -- includes materials, meals, and lodging
Contact: Cindy Etgen or call 410-260-8716
Looking for a unique and creative project to do with your students? Create a
schoolyard habitat in any setting. Find out how by visiting:
Need funding for your aquatic education related project? Whether you need
substitute funds to attend a water-related professional development opportunity,
equipment, plants that benefit the bay, or aquatic field trips, this may be your
solution. Simple, quick application form. Visit
Aquatic Resources Education for more
details.
Contact: Cindy Etgen
Meet at the main gate at Fairview at 8:00 am. Then we will drive to the
Western Maryland Hike Biker Trail parking lot next to the Exxon near Fort
Frederick State Park. We will bike from this location to Hancock Maryland, about
12 miles west, eat lunch, and then return via the same route. Please bring along
a friend, lots of water to drink, and a lunch to eat in Hancock.
When: Saturday, October 18th at 8:00 am
Where: Fairview Outdoor Center, Spring Hill, MD.
Contact: call 301-766-8138 with any questions concerning this event.
Join us for the Halloween Paddle on the Pocomoke to benefit the Assateague
Coastal Trust (ACT) and the Wicomico Environmental Trust (WET)! Paddlers will
enjoy a floating social gathering under the stars while floating along the
beautiful black water of the northern-most of the southern swamps. Organization
of the ACT-WET Halloween Paddle is provided by Delmarva Low-Impact Tourism
Experiences (DLITE). Most paddlers
will leave the canoe company dock shortly after 5:00 p.m., and head north into
the cypress swamp. After some time exploring under the stars and calling for
barred owls, we will turn around and paddle south to return by 9:00 p.m.
Date and time: Saturday, October 25; 5:00-9:00 p.m.
Location: Pocomoke River Canoe Company, Snow Hill, MD
Cost: $15 canoe or kayak rental (includes paddle & PFD), plus a $5/person
donation - proceeds to be split evenly between ACT & WET. If you use your own
canoe or kayak, the $5/person donation still applies. The canoe company has
canoes, tandem kayaks, and single kayaks - the $15 rental fee is per boat,
regardless of size. Paddlers are encouraged to bring Halloween-themed treats to
share with friends, and to safely illuminate their boat with a small
Halloween-themed decoration.
Contact: For more information and to RSVP, please contact DLITE Director Jim
Rapp at dlitedirector@comcast.net.
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Updated August 27, 2008