DNR Celebrates Three Years Of Raising And Releasing American Shad
Releases scheduled for May 15 and 17

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ANNAPOLIS — TThe Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Watershed Service and Fisheries Service, in partnership with the Maryland Conservation Corps (MCC), Susquehanna State Park, Tuckahoe State Park, Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation, and Exelon Power, are pleased to announce another successful year of the Shad School project. The Shad School project is designed to give students hands-on activities that teach the importance of restoring migratory species, a current aquatic natural resource management issue.

“This Shad School program is a great success for two reasons: first, because it affords a unique experience for students while teaching them a valuable lesson about resource management,” said DNR Secretary John R. Griffin. ”And second, because it is truly a collaborative effort; strong partnerships like these are essential to Maryland’s Bay restoration efforts.”

The Shad Release Events mark the culmination of months of study for students involved in the Shad School project, which educates teachers and students about the importance of restoring American shad and historic migratory fish spawning habitat. The release presents an opportunity for the students to celebrate what they have learned both inside and outside the classroom. At each release event, students involved in the raising of the American shad will visit several stations where they simulate the life cycle of an American shad to gain a greater understanding of the shad’s migration and the anthropogenic and environmental obstacles they encounter.

The Shad Release Events will take place:

May 15, 2007 at Susquehanna State Park (Harford County), with:

• Bel Air High School (Harford County)
• C. Milton Wright High School (Harford County)
• North Harford Middle School (Harford County)
• North Harford High School (Harford County)
• Harford Christian School (Harford County)

May 17, 2007 at Tuckahoe State Park (Queen Anne’s County), with:

• Chesapeake High School (Baltimore County)
• Gunston Day School (Queen Anne’s County)
• Queen Anne’s County High School (Queen Anne’s County)

The Shad School project is a DNR program that affords teachers and students the opportunity to better understand the scientific process through the collection of valuable scientific information about American shad. This project provides equipment, an activity guide, and American shad and eel larvae to schools. Schools participating in the Shad School project include one middle school and seven high schools in the public and private domain in Harford, Baltimore and Queen Anne’s Counties.

Teachers are required to attend a 6-hour training workshop where they learn about the life history, management, and development of shad and eel larvae. In addition to receiving the American shad larvae from Manning Hatchery and the American eel larvae collected by DNR biologists, teachers will learn to set up and maintain their aquariums, monitor its environmental and chemical conditions, and review lesson plans. The project is open to middle school and high school teachers in Harford, Baltimore, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties.

For more information on the Shad School project, contact Janice Hilliard at 410-260-8775 or by email at jhilliard@dnr.state.md.us.

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May 1, 2007

The 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