Chesapeake Bay Foundation offers hands on learning for students

BALTIMORE, Md. - It's an exciting day for the Green School of Baltimore Public Charter School students.  A work boat called the Snow Goose with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is their classroom.

It's part of the Baltimore Harbor Program to educate students on the environment and the Bay.

"I think it's really fun. It's going to be really interesting because on this trip we are going to be putting our oysters on oyster reefs," said Sade Johnson, fourth grader.

The fourth grade students raised baby oysters and planted them out on the oyster sanctuary reef around Fort Carroll, where they will serve as filters and habitat near the mouth of the Patapsco River.

"Oysters are not doing well in the Bay right now, but with efforts like what  the students are doing, we can turn them around," said Jocelyn Tuttle, Environmental Field Educator with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Teachers love the partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which gives their students a chance to help reverse the Bays decline.

"They need to get out and see what we are talking about instead of staying in the classroom all the time.  We find these shared experiences in our school and in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation helps build a sense of community with the kids.  These are things you cannot learn in a book," said Diana Weller, Environmental Science Teacher.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation educates students in the fourth grade to college level and teachers as well.  It provides inner city youth with the opportunity to explore their urban environment in a different way.

Educators want students to realize the Bay is resilient  and they can do something to help it become a healthy balanced system again.