Governor O’Malley Proclaims May 27 “Rachel Carson Day”

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ANNAPOLIS – In honor of the 100th birthday of the “Mother of Environmentalism,” Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has proclaimed Sunday, May 27 as “Rachel Carson Day.” Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Deputy Secretary Eric Schwaab presented the proclamation on behalf of the Governor at a ceremony honoring Carson on Saturday, May 19, at the U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel. The event was part of a month-long celebration of Carson’s life and work being sponsored by the center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Patuxent Research Refuge, and the Rachel Carson Council of Silver Spring.

“With eloquence and insight, Rachel Carson helped people around the world understand the most simple of truths: that we are part of our natural world, and that what we do to that world we do to ourselves,” said Governor O’Malley. “Today, a century after her birth, our collective ability to address the challenges facing our environment is only limited by our willingness to take responsibility for our actions and preserve our natural world.”

Carson was a 35-year Maryland resident, a biologist and pioneer environmentalist. Born May 27, 1907, she spent most of her career in the state, where she received her M.A. degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and taught at the University of Maryland. She later worked with the Bureau of Fisheries (now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) in Washington, D.C. as Chief of Publications. Carson died in 1964.

"Rachel Carson is one of ours,” said Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Montgomery County). “I'm delighted that Governor O'Malley set aside a day to honor her. She lived most of her adult life in Maryland and wrote Silent Spring at her home in Montgomery County. We owe her a debt of gratitude every time we see an osprey, or a great blue heron or a bald eagle."

Since taking office in January, Governor O’Malley has demonstrated a strong commitment to Maryland’s environment by fully funding Program Open Space, adopting the Clean Cars Act, signing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and establishing the Commission on Climate Change.

View the Rachel Carson Day proclamation.

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May 21, 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