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Governor Ehrlich and Students Celebrate Earth Day in Annapolis
Learning about Pollution and Solutions with Hands-on Environmental Activities
ANNAPOLIS– Demonstrating his commitment to environmental preservation for future generations, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. today celebrated the 35th Annual Earth Day along with Environmental Education Month with students from Samuel Ogle Elementary School and St. Mary’s High School at a demonstration event at the Annapolis City Dock.Governor Ehrlich participated with the students in five hands-on demonstrations including:
Maryland has an internationally known Environmental Education (EE) program. EE has been mandated for grades K-12 since 1990. The overall goal of the demonstrations was to remind the students that everyday actions individuals take can have a big impact on the health of Maryland’s environment.
- water quality, where students demonstrated testing for salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity;
- macroinvertebrates, where educators demonstrated the importance of these water-dwelling animals that feed on algae and bacteria and indicate stream health;
- urban tree canopy cover, where foresters showed that Annapolis has twice the amount of tree canopy cover of nearby cities;
- a watershed model, where students demonstrated how each action we take impacts the watershed;
- grass planting, where agriculture educators demonstrated the value of seeding and turf for erosion control;
“The educational activities I participated in today reiterate the fact that environmental protection, restoration and conservation are a complex challenge with many facets,” Governor Ehrlich said. “This administration is committed to finding effective solutions to our state’s environmental problems and making great strides to implement those solutions for the maximum positive results.”Approximately 35 students from the schools participated in the event, which was held at the Susan Campbell Park next to the Annapolis City Dock. Department of Agriculture Secretary Lewis R. Riley and Natural Resources Secretary C. Ronald Franks, along with Department of the Environment Deputy Secretary Jonas A. Jacobson and State Department of Education Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Colleen P. Seremet also participated.“It takes the best science combined with most practical actions that each Marylander can take at home, at work, on the water, and in the field every day to protect our land and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Teaching our students early about all of these actions will form our next generation of environmental guardians.”
April 27, 2005The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov