Governor O'Malley Congratulates Newly Certified Green Schools

Record number of schools recognized for environmental education practices this year

Huntingtown, Md. - A record 70 Maryland schools from across the state have earned certification as Maryland Green Schools this year, and were honored today for incorporating environmental education into their curriculum and using model best management practices on their campuses.

“Being certified a Maryland Green School is a significant achievement, one that will serve our young people and our planet well, as the students of today become the stewards of tomorrow,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “I want to congratulate the students and faculty of Maryland’s 69 new green schools, and thank them for helping to create a smarter, greener, more sustainable future for our state.”
The Maryland Green Schools Award Program was created in 1999 and is administered by the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education. Since then, approximately 270 schools across the state have earned the right to hoist the distinctive Green School flag, which is a map of the state superimposed against a field of green. About 75 percent of schools recertify their status as a Maryland Green School every four years.

To qualify for the Maryland Green School Award, a school must meet rigorous criteria through which students develop the knowledge and skills needed to act on current and future environmental challenges. The program uses the environment as a framework for integrating mathematics, the sciences, reading, writing, social studies and the arts.

Maryland Green Schools practice environmental management techniques such as planting trees to control erosion on school grounds, establishing natural habitats on campus, or conserving water by installing low-flow devices on school sinks. In addition, Green School students get involved in environmental projects in their communities.

At one of the ceremonies, Bronwyn Mitchell, MAEOE’s Executive Director, addressed the students: “You have made significant improvements to your environment. Water is cleaner. Less carbon is being emitted into the atmosphere. Wildlife has more habitat. The trash dumpsters are empty, and the recycling bins are full. You may be the next generation – but you are certainly not waiting to make a difference in this world. Therefore on behalf of the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, and all the residents of Maryland who depend upon its natural resources, I say thank you!”
While many states have green school programs, most of them have a limited scope focusing largely on energy conservation.

“Maryland’s green school program has the unique ability to adapt,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin. “The program is designed to change with the students and community as they move toward an increasingly sustainable future.”

The program is managed by the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources and other state agencies.

To ensure all Maryland young people have the opportunity to connect with their natural world and grow to become informed and responsible stewards, Governor Martin O’Malley established the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature in 2008. Under the initiative, which is now being used as a national model, the Governor created the Maryland Civic Justice Corps, a summer job and environmental education program that employs at risk youth in Maryland State Parks, and recently issued the Maryland Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights. A plan to implement the Partnership’s Report and Recommendations – presented to Governor O’Malley in April -- is under development. During the 2009 legislative session, the O’Malley-Brown Administration secured record funding for Maryland’s #1 ranked public schools for the third consecutive year, with an investment of more than $5.5 billion.

See the list of Maryland Green Schools below. For more information on the program, visit DNR’s Web site: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/education/greenschools.html

Or, MAEOE: http://www.maeoe.org.

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 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 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 12 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