October 2023 WSA Newsletter

Master Watershed Stewards Help with BMP Makeover

Eric Buehl

The stormwater best management practice, or BMP, located near the pavilion at the Cecil County Administration Building in Elkton got a makeover in late May, thanks to the help of several Master Watershed Stewards. The micro-bioretention facility treats stormwater runoff from part of the parking lot and was a Cecil County Watershed Stewards Academy project. Over time, almost all BMPs like this need maintenance and with the help of the Master Watershed Stewards, it got a fresh new look with the removal of overgrown plants and replanting it with a variety of native plants including Goldenrod, Coneflower, Blazing Star, and New York Ironweed, just to name a few.

 

Winter Care for your Well and Septic System Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 12 – 12:40pm   Cold temperatures and high rainfall can cause freezing issues with well water supplies and also may affect septic system performance. Learn about some basic tips to keep your well and septic system protected from winter impacts.   For more information or to register, click here.

                                                                

Center for Watershed Protection – 2023 Agriculture & Watershed Symposium – Fulton, MD

October 18 & 19, 2023

This is a forum for watershed and resource conservation professionals, agricultural practice specialists, engineers, and researchers to collaborate and share ideas on the role of agriculture in improving watershed health and water quality. The topics at the in-person symposium will range from Agricultural Best Management Practices for pollutant reductions, innovative practices, urban farming and urban watershed resilience, stakeholder engagement, and planning for project implementation including funding resources.  

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Clean Water Act Self-Paced Trainings-New River Network Resource  

Based on our transformational Clean Water Act Owner’s Manual, this 9-part training series is an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the Clean Water Act, understand each of the Act’s programs, and discover ways you can use the tools of the Act – and your local knowledge – to advocate for your streams and rivers. With each module, you will learn concrete ways in which you can use the tools of the Clean Water Act and your voice to influence decision making and take action for the health of your waterways. 

For more information or to register, click here.

 

2023 Maryland Land Conservation Conference, “Changing the Future, Now!”

Wednesday and Thursday, October 4th and 5th, 2023

Location: Crowne Plaza Annapolis, Annapolis

In addition to essential land conservation practitioner seminars, this two-day conference will focus on ways in which landowners, community leaders, governments, and average citizens can utilize land conservation to enhance water quality, sequester carbon, increase native species, and help transform communities for the better.

For more information and to register, click here.

 

Become a Chesapeake Steward with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation!

Thursdays, October 5th thru November 9th, 2023  6 – 8 pm

REI Flagship Store, 201 M Street NE, Washington, DC

You’ll hear from speakers about a variety of topics impacting the DC metro area and the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed, with a focus on our diverse, urban environment. There will be at least one optional field trip where participants will have the opportunity to get outside and learn more about clean water in-person. Participants who attend all six classes and one field experience will receive CBF’s certification as a Chesapeake Steward.

For more information or to register, click here.

 

2023 Chesapeake Watershed Forum

Friday thru Sunday, November 3-5, 2023

National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV

The annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum is the Alliance’s largest conference of the year. We gather over 400 restoration and protection practitioners to inspire and empower local action towards clean water.

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Anne Arundel County WSA Stormwater Success Course is open for registration!   Since 2009, new developments are required to manage their stormwater by using Best Management Practices (BMPs). BMPs are required to be maintained by the property owner and are inspected every three years by Anne Arundel County inspectors. Older communities have stormwater ponds. Oftentimes, residents and HOAs leaders do not understand the maintenance requirements and are failing these inspections which can lead to significant financial penalties. WSA partnered with HOA leaders, development professionals, property managers, environmental experts, and Anne Arundel County staff to develop a seminar, Stormwater Success, to help county residents and HOA leaders to navigate the inspection process.   2023 Stormwater Success Seminar Options Stormwater Success 101 - $25 (Price also includes Stormwater Success 201) Self-Guided Course available through November 15, 2023   In this introductory-level, self-guided course, participants will review a suite of online resources that introduce them to stormwater runoff, stormwater best management practices (BMPs), BMP maintenance, and County expectations for BMP inspections.    Stormwater Success 201 - Environmental Site Design (ESD) Communities In Person Course: November 16, 2023   This “higher level” course is aimed at newer communities who are navigating the county inspection process. In addition to the online suite of resources from Stormwater Success 101, this course offers more in-depth instruction at an in-person seminar that culminates in a question and answer session with County Inspectors and stormwater experts.   Stormwater Success Field Tour - $25 In person: November 18, 2023   This self driven tour will show participants a variety of stormwater facilities, including retention and detention ponds and a community with Environmental Site Design. Participants will see well and poorly maintained practices and discuss the inspection process with County Inspectors.

 

Enhance Your Land for Wildlife Workshop - UME Thursday, November 9, 2023, 8:40 am - 1:30 pm 23000 Wells Point Lane, Bozman MD 21612   This is a one-stop-shop for farmers, foresters, landowners, and land managers interested in learning more about a diverse array of practices to enhance your land for wildlife. You will have a chance to meet and converse with the speakers to get advice from and to learn about funding available to improve natural resources. Complimentary breakfast and lunch included.   For more information or to register, click here.

 

Want to learn about Grants Gateway?

Tuesday, October 3, 2023, 9:30 – 11 am

Chesapeake & Coastal Service will host a webinar discussing the varying funding opportunities that are a part of Grants Gateway. Come learn about general requirements, the application process, and past successful projects.

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Join us this fall for Southern Maryland VoiCeS - Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Wednesday, October 4 thru Saturday, November 18, 2023

Have you ever wished you could learn more about the Chesapeake Bay and how to protect it? Well, now is your chance! Join the for the Southern Maryland edition to learn from experts across the board, including scientists, city planners, and local government officials in sessions that will cover a range of Chesapeake Bay issues through a community focused lens including fisheries science, urban and rural pollution pressures, environmental policy, and more!

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Life in Chesapeake Bay From a Skipjack Boat - Natural History Society of Maryland

Friday, October 6, 2023, 10 am – 1 pm

Location: Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, 1417 Thames Street, Baltimore

Sail the Chesapeake Bay with as we trawl for plankton and marine life on a skipjack, the traditional oyster boat of Maryland. Test the water quality of the Patapsco River; peer in a microscope at tiny plankton you just caught; marvel at the fish, crabs, and jellyfish hauled up in our nets; dissect an oyster to learn its anatomy and its role in the health of the Bay; and learn how to set sail and steer the boat using basic handling techniques.

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Native Plant Open House

Saturday, October 7, 2023, 10 am - 2 pm

Rosaryville State Park - 9640 Rosaryville Road

Our nursery is lush and ready to welcome you all to our Fall Native Plant Open House Sale. Fall is the perfect season to plant, giving roots a strong start for spring. Our available inventory will be posted on our website the week of October 1, 2023.

For more information, click here.

 

Of Rice & Rails: The Delicate Ecology of Wild Rice Marshes on the Patuxent River

Saturday, October 7, 2023, 7 – 10 am

Location: Patuxent River Park, 16000 Croom Airport Rd., Upper Marlboro

Join Naturalist Greg Kearns in a remarkable opportunity to learn about our Sora rail population and its tight link with the wild rice in the Patuxent River marshlands. Out in a pontoon boat, we may have the opportunity to help band a few individuals, depending on the weather and the amount of rail in our vicinity. Also, we will learn about wild rice as it will just be ending its seasonal bloom.

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Environmental Archaeology Dig Day - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Saturday, October 7, 2023, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Join us for this year's first Dig Day with the SERC Environmental Archaeology Lab! Help us excavate sites on our campus in Edgewater, Maryland, where you'll have the chance to work together and with researchers to do a variety of tasks, including sieving sediment and washing/sorting artifacts.

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake: Faithful Green Leaders Training Program - Virtual

Thursdays, October 12, 19 and 26, 2023, 7 – 8:30 pm

You will learn:

• How to establish and grow a green team at your congregation
• About exciting environmental education programs to engage your congregation
• How to develop an action plan for your Green Team
• Ways to enhance your communication skills to help spread the word

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Wildlife Wednesday Webinars! (Virtual) 12 - 1 PM

October 18, 2023: Forest Health Update: Pests and Diseases, featuring Heather Disque, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Management

November 15, 2023: Wild Turkey Population Research and Habitat Management Practices, featuring Bob Long, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Goucher Environmental Dialogues: Can We Predict the Climate?

Thursday, October 19, 2023, 12 – 1 pm

Join host, Jenn da Rosa, EdD, for a discussion with climate modeling expert, Dr. Dan Barrie. In this webinar, Dr. Dan Barrie will discuss the rewards and challenges modeling climate change to better inform decision makers and other stakeholders. Dr. Dan Barrie is a program manager in the Climate Program Office at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where he manages a climate modeling program as well as a program that supports the National Climate Assessment (NCA).

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Chesapeake Oyster Science Symposium

Thursday, October 26, 2023, 10:30 am - 4 pm

The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance (COA) with support from Chesapeake Bay Foundation invites oyster practitioners of all types—early career professionals, graduate students, researchers, restoration experts, growers and watermen. The Symposium will be focused on emerging science and innovative approaches to advance the oyster population of Chesapeake Bay.

For more information or to register, click here.

 

The American Chestnut Foundation 40th Anniversary - Maryland Chapter

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Location: Jefferson MD

The celebration will include a screening of TACF’s new documentary film CLEAR DAY THUNDER: Rescuing the American Chestnut.

For more information or to register, click here. 

 

What is Hidden in Our Waters: Exploring the Historical, Cultural and Environmental Connections to our Marine World - Mid Atlantic Marine Education Association (MAMEA)

Friday thru Sunday, November 3-5, 2023

Hilton Garden Inn in Solomons, MD

Please note that the conference rates at the hotel end on Oct. 3, 2023!. Please pass the conference and hotel information on to anyone you think would be interested in attending! Thank you! 

For more information or to register, click here.

 

Implementing the IRA and Accelerating the Energy Transition:

Legal and Policy Challenges on the Road to Net Zero

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Full Day Event in Washington, D.C. and online

The Inflation Reduction Act included $369 billion to tackle climate change, offering an unprecedented chance to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. But reaching net zero will require innovative legal and policy frameworks to guide such an economic and societal transformation. In other words, realizing the promise of the IRA will require new approaches, new levels of collaboration, and a forward-looking, equity-focused vision of what a lower carbon future could be.

For more information or to register, click here.

 

PAXCON 2024 (Patuxent River Conference)

Thursday, February 1, 2024, 9 am - 3:30 pm

Location: Patuxent Research Refuge, Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel

This is the premier forum uniting scientists, environmental educators, natural resource managers, and anyone passionate about the health and future of the Patuxent River. To know and understand the Patuxent River is to take one more step towards its protection.

For more information or to register, click here.