DNR To Hold Women’s History Month Program

Annapolis, MD (March 10, 2010) — In honor of Women’s History Month, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) will hold a program honoring the contributions and achievements of Maryland and U.S. women, with specific emphasis upon early environmental activist Rachel Carson, the author of the 1962 novel, “Silent Spring.”

The program will be held at 12 p.m. Tuesday, March 16 in the C-1-Conference Room at the Tawes State Office Building, 580 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis, MD, 21401.

Ellie Elgin, Director of Outreach for the Maryland Commission for Women and also co-director of the Women’s Heritage Center in Baltimore, will serve as the keynote speaker.

The National Women’s History Project, www.nwhp.org, helped to establish a month of educational/cultural activities to recognize the many contributions of women to the U.S. and the World.

Rachel Carson, who passed away in 1962, made an outstanding contribution to U.S, consciousness of the danger of DDT pesticides. Currently, the Rachel Carson Council of Silver Spring is waging a campaign within Montgomery County to conserve an eco-friendly forested area of White Oak, as a tribute to her contributions to the environment.

Ellie Elgin has 20 years of work experience as a Museum Educator. She has served on the staff of the Maryland Commission for Women, www.marylandwomen.org, for many years, coordinating the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame, the Maryland Women of Tomorrow Awards Program, the Maryland Women’s History Month Program, and the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center. She is also a professional artist.

The public is welcome to attend this free event. For information or to RSVP, please contact Richard W. Allen of the DNR Office of Fair Practices at 410-260-8058.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 467,000 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