Camp Woodlands Living Shoreline Planting

Last week, the South River Federation partnered with the National Aquarium to bring four different school volunteer groups over the course of three days to our Camp Woodlands living shoreline project.  The schools involved in the planting efforts were Western School of Technology and Environmental Science, Gateway School, St. Andrew’s United Methodist Day School, and Westport Academy.  Now that construction on the restoration project has been completed and the weather has gotten warmer, it was time to plant the restoration site with marsh vegetation.

Two of the schools volunteering at the planning were a part of the National Aquarium’s Wetland Nursery Program.  Over the course of the school year, students raised native wetland plants as well as native fish.  The students were then able to plant the smooth cordgrass they grew and release the rockfish they had raised.

By having four different schools participate in the planting efforts, a diverse group of students ranging in age from the 4th grade to the 11th grade were exposed to our living shoreline project.  During the course of the day, we were also able to give tours of the multiple erosion control projects in place at Camp Woodlands. Many of the students volunteering live in inner-city Baltimore, and do not usually get the opportunity to spend the day outside interacting with the environment.  While planting marsh grasses, children told me that they were enjoying working outside for the day.  Everyone was excited about the abundant wildlife at the site, and encountered a water snake capturing and eating a catfish from the nearby waters.

It was wonderful to see so many children engaged with the project.  Not only were these school groups given great exposure to nature, they were also provided hands-on learning experiences.  Their environmental awareness reflects the interest of others in their generation, and gives a promising hope for the future of our waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.