The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recognizes the importance of students learning through service activities within their community. That is why we offer several opportunities for students to earn their service learning credit while working to improve their environment.
For detailed information about service learning and the graduation requirement, please visit the Maryland Student Service Association at:
http://www.mssa.sailorsite.net/index.html
What is service learning?
Service learning is a mandatory requirement for students in the state of Maryland. Service learning credit through Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers students the opportunity to perform a valuable service within their community while learning about the science behind their service.
Service Learning Opportunities at Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Bay Grasses in Classes
The Bay Grasses in Classes program is a hands-on interactive education project that enables students to play a role in the restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. Students from more than 300 schools across the watershed grow bay grasses from seeds or cuttings and monitor growth data throughout the semester. In late spring, students and teachers take part in transplanting them into select areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Teachers attend a training in January or February where they learn how to set up the aquariums and use the curriculum to educate students on bay grasses. For more information on the Bay Grasses in Classes program, click here, or contact Mark Lewandowski at mlewandowski@dnr.state.md.us or call 410-260-8634.
Fish Passage
Since 1990, the Maryland Fish Passage Program has constructed fishways throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. These ladders were built to reopen historical spawning habitat to six target species that migrate in Maryland waters: white perch, yellow perch, American Shad, hickory shad, alewife and blueback herring.
Stocks of American Shad began to decline in the early 1900's, while stocks of river herring and hickory shad have been on the wane since the 1930's. Loss of spawning habitat, both in quantity and quality, as well as over harvesting probably contributed to the decline in the abundance of these species. Providing passage at stream blockages can provide access to miles of valuable spawning habitat, once available to these important commercial and recreational fish species.
Service learning projects can include cleaning debris from the exit of the fish ladder, cleaning surrounding areas, taking air and water temperature and observing the presence of fish. Students can earn approximately 12-30 hours, mostly March-June.
Treemendous Maryland
The few hours we spend improving our community forests can make our neighborhoods better places to live not only for ourselves, but for generations to come. Your school, club or organization, can work with your local Department of Natural Resources Forester planting native trees on public land in your community.
For more information, visit:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/treemendous/
Be Part of Something BIG
Be Part of Something BIG! teacher's guide is designed for Grades 3-8 and
provides educators and students the opportunity to gain hands-on experiences
with water quality monitoring. This series of activities is designed to help
your class or student group learn more about the Chesapeake Bay and its
tributaries. It does not need to be conducted in any particular order; however,
some activities do build on one another.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/education/are/big/big.html
For a list of service learning coordinators in each county, visit: http://www.mssa.sailorsite.net/lea.html
Updated March 9, 2005