News from the FCPS Schoolyard Habitat Program

Submitted by: April Wells,
FCPS Schoolyard Habitat Teacher Specialist ___________________________________________________________

The Frederick County Public School's (FCPS) Schoolyard Habitat Program (SYH) is funded by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Bay Watershed Education Training (B-WET) Grant. The goal of the Program is to create meaningful Bay experiences in Frederick County through schoolyard habitat projects.

Frederick County Public Schools received a new 3 – year  $300,000 grant  through the NOAA Bay Watershed Education & Training Program. This grant will allow the FCPS SYH program; "A Systemic Approach: Schoolyard Habitats as Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences" to be continued and expanded.

Through this program, teachers, students, and community members are working to create outdoor educational environments that will teach students about the important relationship between land use and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed as well as restore areas on campuses to improve water quality and habitat value.

Schools new to the program this year are Brunswick High, Deer Crossing Elementary, and Urbana High.

Schools who participated in the previous 3-year grant program include Myersville Elementary, Oakdale Elementary, Tuscarora Elementary, Valley Elementary, Wolfsville Elementary, Monocacy Middle, Windsor Knolls Middle, Urbana Middle, Middletown High, and Walkersville Elementary, Middle, and High.

Watch for the new FCPS Schoolyard Habitat Website. As part of the new grant, a SYH website is being created and should be online in a few months!

The Schoolyard Habitat Celebration will be held October 29th from 5-7pm at the FCPS Hayward Rd. building (7630 Hayward Rd, Frederick, MD, 21702). Schools will have a display set up and teachers will be present to discuss their projects. Organizations related to water quality and schoolyard habitat projects are invited to attend and set up an information table.

Maryland Green School Award
Urbana Middle, Windsor Knolls Middle, and Valley Elementary Schools received this award June 1st 2009  for excellence in environmental education. Catoctin High School received  recertification. See www.maeoe.org for more information about the award program.

Fall 2009 SYH planting events:
10/1 - Middletown High School - Tree Planting
10/13 – Deer Crossing Elementary – Tree Planting
10/26 – Monocacy Middle School – Native Plant Meadow

For more information contact April Wells at april.wells@fcps.org