The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory invites the public to a free Open House on Saturday, October 15, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme for this year’s event is “Explore the Shore through Science.” Meet the team of scientists and explore the Shore using their research in fun interactive exhibits. Learn about healthy marshes, how oysters clean the water and build resilience to sea level rise and climate change, dive into the largest oyster hatchery on the east coast, and more during a day of FREE activities for all ages. Children will receive a free t-shirt for completing the scavenger hunt.

Observe and touch the critters that make the Chesapeake Bay their home.

“This is the best day of the year for the community to learn about the science of the Bay. Everyone at the lab is on deck to explain their research with activities and displays that make it easy to understand,” said Horn Point Laboratory Director Mike Roman.

From the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, scientists engage in world-renowned research in oceanography, water quality, restoration of sea grasses, marshes and shellfish, and expertise in ecosystem modeling.

Visitors to the Open House will explore the shore through hands-on exhibits created by the Lab’s faculty and students:

• Build a healthy marsh and learn who are our best partners in this effort.
• See an animation of the travels of oyster larvae as they move from the reef where they spawned to their new, permanent home reef.
• Match up a DNA sequence to microscopic creatures important to the food chain.
• Play in a digital sand box to create shorelines and model weather’s impact with laser imaging.
• Meet and talk to graduate students about their environmental career goals.
• Dunk the scientist into the dunk tank.
• Build an oyster castle and learn how these growing living building blocks create habitat for marine creatures and protect against sea level rise and climate change.
• At the children’s activity booth, create eco-friendly animals that live in our waters. Play games that teach fun facts about the Bay.  Go on a scavenger hunt through the exhibits to learn how the Bay’s lasting health starts with each of us making a cleaner environment today.

Play in the digital sandbox.

The open house is for all ages and will take place rain or shine. The Horn Point Laboratory campus is located at 2020 Horns Point Road on Route 343 outside of Cambridge, Maryland. Activities will be outside or open to air.  Masks are strongly encouraged.

For more information, visit http://www.umces.edu/hpl/openhouse or contact Carin Starr at cstarr@umces.edu, 410-221-8408.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu/hpl

A new study from the Delmarva Wetland Partnership has found support for wetland and other habitat restoration among Eastern Shore landowners, but that many also reported not being aware that restoration programs were available for their property and had never been contacted about it before.  The study was conducted via outreach to landowners whose property had been previously identified as a “priority” area through an ecological targeting model identifying areas where wetland and adjacent upland restoration could provide the most benefits without impacting prime agricultural areas. The Delmarva Wetland Partnership consists of representatives from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Ducks Unlimited, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Wetland restoration is considered critical to successfully meeting Chesapeake Bay cleanup goals.  Of the current wetland restoration goal of 85,000 acres, only 9,000 acres of wetlands have been restored on agricultural land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed between 2010 – 2017.  The implementation rate of wetland restoration will need to be accelerated significantly to meet the current goal, and it is critical that restoration be sited in the correct places to provide the most ecological benefit.

To support those efforts, the Delmarva Wetland Partnership is demonstrating a new approach to accelerate implementation of wetland restoration. Using an ecological targeting model, the project team determined where restoration would provide the most ecological benefit without hindering agricultural production on prime land.  Following that, the team surveyed owners of those priority lands to better understand how they view wetland and other habitat restoration, as well as benefits they would personally like to see from it.

Restoration specialist Mike Dryden walks through a wetland restoration site in Parsonsburg, MD

“The ecological targeting work is essential, but not enough in itself. If we are to get wetlands placed on these critical lands, we need to engage the landowners. Social science research helps us understand landowners’ views on wetlands and restoration generally, and this information enables us to craft more effective engagement strategies and programs that will meet their goals and interests” said Matthew Houser, a social scientist with TNC MD/DC and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Laboratory.

To better understand their views and interests, a survey was sent to over 2,000 priority landowners, of which more than 370 completed and returned the survey.  Among the findings:

• A majority of responding landowners (86%) expressed at least some interested in restoring their land, but 65% reported never having been contacted about possible restoration on their property before.
• More than half of landowners said the opportunity to see more wildlife would be a “very motivating” factor in whether or not they decide to restore wetlands on their property.
• Landowners are also motivated to restore wetlands to benefit local water quality and for potential financial payments.
• Younger landowners were more likely to be motivated by the ecological benefits of wetland restoration, but also more concerned about potential impacts on their property values.

Steve Strano, a project partner and State Resource Conservationist for the USDA-NRCS, emphasized the impact of this work in saying, “This type of targeted outreach has demonstrated tremendous success in our Pocomoke Floodplain Restoration project, and I believe it will serve to engage landowners on the Delmarva who are interested in supporting improvements in water quality and wildlife habitat. The study has also helped us recognize that we still have a largely untapped group of potential customers that would benefit from our assistance.”

Ducks Unlimited biologist Chase Colmorgen said, “The resources through the Delmarva Wetland Partnership have allowed us to combine our efforts and experiences to assist landowners with wetland programs. Our partnership has already seen success with outreach, implementation, and project designs. As we continue our outreach efforts and partnerships, it will be exciting to see how we can further grow and reach more landowners throughout Delmarva in the future.”

“What we’ve learned through this project will be invaluable in helping us accelerate wetland restoration and meet our Chesapeake Bay goals,” said Amy Jacobs, Director of the Chesapeake Bay Agriculture Program at The Nature Conservancy. “Farmers and landowners understand the benefits of wetlands, which means we need to create programs and approaches that work for them. This project is helping create a model for that.”

The Nature Conservancy’s Regenerative Agriculture program works to support a thriving agricultural community where farms provide healthy food, clean water and resiliency to climate change, and support a healthy Chesapeake Bay for people and nature.

Additional information about the ecological targeting model and the survey results can be found here.

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 74 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners.  Learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s work in Washington DC and Maryland at nature.org/maryland and follow us @Nature_DCMDVA on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Low Income Solar Grant Program. Through the program, MEA will support the design and installation of solar energy systems for a limited number of low income Maryland households that have received an energy audit and significant energy efficiency upgrades during MEA’s FY18 – FY23 Low-to-Moderate Income Energy Efficiency Grant Program.

“MEA is thrilled to help all Marylanders benefit from solar energy,” said Dr. Mary Beth Tung, director of the Maryland Energy Administration. “Adding these solar energy systems to homes across the state will help lower energy costs to some of the most economically vulnerable Marylanders.”

In FY23, $1 million has been made available for the Low Income Solar Grant Program. MEA anticipates issuing awards for up to 100% of the photovoltaic (PV) solar system design and installation costs, which may include limited funding for roof repair/replacement in the vicinity of the solar array, structural support of the roof (as needed), and mold remediation in areas needed to support the installation of the solar array and supporting equipment. 

Applications will be accepted on a competitive basis until November 15, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Projects must meet all eligibility requirements to be considered for award funding. Full program information and application materials can be found online.

Please contact Low Income Solar Grant Program Manager Abigail Antonini at solar.mea@maryland.gov or 410-537-4064 with any questions.