The NOAA BWET grant program works to educate students about the important connections between the water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and their local watersheds and land use on their school campuses.

Monocacy Middle School meadow planting

Schoolyard Habitat Projects Planned for this Spring (2010)

2/11 – 5/15 - Monocacy Middle School – Growing and Planting Native Plants
3/1- 3/12  – Windsor Knolls Middle School – Bluebird Boxes
4/1- 4/30 – Urbana High School – Native Plant Meadow and Tree Planting
4/15 – Deer Crossing Elementary School – Tree Planting – Rain Date – 4/19
4/16 – Brunswick High School – Tree Planting – Rain Date – 4/20
4/22 (3/29- 5/15) – Walkersville Middle School – Native Plant Meadow & Tree Planting
4/22 –  Oakdale Elementary School – Earth Day Celebration
4/28 – Middletown High School Native - Plant Meadow – Rain Date 4/29
5/10 – Wolfsville Elementary School – Native Plant Meadow – Rain Date 5/11

In addition to doing projects this spring, schools in the Schoolyard Habitat Program are maintaining existing projects and using them for educational activities.

Summary of Fall 2009 SYH projects

• Brunswick High School
  Five teachers and 50 students planted 70 native plants in two areas. The plants are sensitive to ground level ozone and will be used to measure the impact of ozone on plants in the two areas. One area was in the middle of the parking lot next to where the buses drive. The second area is the “control” area and is on the back side of the building far from car exhausts. The gardens will be used to generate activities and discussions on the effects of are pollution (mainly Nitrogen Oxides) on water pollution. The plants and use of the tools were donated.
  
  The Brunswick SYH team participated in a National Fish & Wildlife Service (NFWS) SYH training workshop. Approximately 25 NFWS workshop participants came form all over the country and met for a week long workshop at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC). They used the Brunswick HS campus as the location to develop their plans. The NFWS participants met with staff and students at the beginning of the week to discuss possible uses of their campus. They completed a campus survey. The 4 teams of NFWS participants each developed a SYH project plan for the BHS campus and presented the plans to the entire BHS staff at a faculty meeting at the end of the week. The BHS SYH team reviewed the plans and met after the presentations and decided to incorporate several parts of the plans into their overall project plans. They will be receiving $2000 from the NFWS to do their SYH project this fall which will be a tree planting of 125-150 trees.  
   
• Deer Crossing Elementary School
  Six teachers and their 160 students planted 70 3-5 gallon trees on 10/13/2009. Twenty five parents volunteered during the 4hr. tree planting. The day before the planting, the teachers and 6 volunteers marked the area, organized supplies and partially pre-augered the holes. The use of the auger was donated by the PTA. The trees, mulch, soil amendment, hoses, and the use of some tools were provided by the Potomac Conservancy at a cost of $1374. The rest of the tools were donated by parents. After the planting all the participants received a bottle of water and snacks provided by the PTA.

  
  April Wells demonstrating proper tree planting techniques at Deer Crossing Elementary
  
  Deer Crossing ES students and volunteers planting trees
  
  
• Urbana High School
  Two teachers and their 95 students planted 800 wetland plants in a retention pond through a project funded by the Frederick County Dept. of Public Works. They supplied the plants and all the planting supplies as well as planning and staffing for the event. The students completed a watershed education activity then planted the plants at a cost of $6,000.

  
  Wetland planted by Urbana High School students
  
  
• Middletown High School
  Three teachers and their 170 students planted 70 3-5 gallon trees on 10/19/09.  Students assisted with marking the area before planting and watering the trees after planting. The trees and other planting supplies were provided by the Potomac Conservancy.

  
  Trees planted by students at Middletown High School
  
  
• Monocacy Middle School
  Six teachers and their 465 students planted approximately 1000 native perennial plants and grasses and 20 shrubs in a native plant meadow in October. The SYH team wrote a grant to the Chesapeake Bay Trust for $2,000 for the perennials and grasses. The Potomac Conservancy paid $122 for 10 of the shrubs and some mulch. The rest of the shrubs came from their tree grow-out station. The Saturday before the planting, student and parent volunteers tilled the planting area with a borrowed tractor/ tiller, spread the mulch in the area, and  labeled and placed forestry flags where the specific plants were  to be planted. The PTA donated the $110 to pay for the flags. Student volunteers stayed after school to organize the plants and supplies for the planting and clean-up after the planting. Students participating in the planting completed a native plant activity developed by one of the SYH team members.
  
  They also planted approximately 150 perennials in the courtyard which had been paid for through a separate CBT grant received the previous year. They applied for and received a $500 grant to purchase supplies from Stadler Nursery which will be used for maintenance and expansion of the meadow.

  
  A Monocacy Middle School student holding a meadow plant
  
  Monocacy Middle School students planting their meadow
  
  
• Windsor Knolls Middle School
  WKMS worked with the Fredrick County Dept. of Public Works to complete the retention pond/ wetland renovation project on 9/15. Due to the heavy rainfall through the end of the school year last year, part of the planting was done after school was out for the year and the rest of the planting was completed this fall. One teacher and their 60 students planted 1,500 wetland plants in a retention pond through. They supplied the plants and all the planting supplies as well as planning and staffing for the event at a cost of $9,000.

  
  Windsor Knolls Middle School students planting wetland plants
  
  
• Urbana Middle School
  One teacher and 60 students planted 50 trees to expand the planting area and replace trees that had died from a tree planting done 2 years ago. The trees came from the grow-out station or were donated. Teachers and students continue to develop their trail in the wooded riparian area along their stream. They are continuing to maintain their tree plantings, tree grow-out station, and wildflower meadow. They collected seeds from the perennials in their meadow to grow and add to the area in the spring.