Gardeners for the Bay
Chesapeake Bay Foundation

You love your garden, and you love the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams are in trouble. Pollution from many sources is degrading our water and threatening the habitat of fish, blue crabs, and other wildlife. With your support, we can Save the Bay. Lend a hand by joining the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Gardeners for the Bay program. Membership is FREE! ...

In Your Backyard: Bay-friendly Landscaping
Every single person who lives in your neighborhood has a profound impact on the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Help improve water quality in your backyard by making smart decisions in your home and by using Bay-friendly landscaping techniques. Smart landscaping choices can help reduce the Bay's biggest pollutants (sediments and nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus) and restore natural filters ... For More Information

14 Places to View the Chesapeake’s Wintering Waterfowl
Summer may be over, but there are still a number of opportunities to get outside and enjoy the splendor of the outdoors. In autumn and winter, millions of migratory birds visit the Chesapeake Bay region as they follow the Atlantic Flyway during their seasonal flights. ...

5 Great Places ... to walk on the Virginia Peninsula ...

Help the Bay in Your Backyard
We may think the actions we take in our yards are contained within our fences, but runoff from fertilizers, pesticides and pet waste collectively have a big impact on our local streams, creeks, rivers — and ultimately the Chesapeake. A healthy Bay begins in your backyard; so follow these tips to help clean the Bay, one yard at a time. ...

Is it safe to use an organic fertilizer?
Fertilizing your lawn in the fall rather than in the spring is a great step toward protecting the Bay. Many people believe the spring is the best time to fertilize, but heavy seasonal rainfall can actually wash fertilizers off your lawn and carry them into your local creek or stream. ...

WHY AND HOW TO TEST YOUR SOIL
Plants can produce their own energy, but require a fertile soil or growth media to supply needed nutrients. Healthy, well-fed plants are better able to withstand diseases and insects and to compete with weeds. For a few dollars a chemical soil analysis can check your soil's fertility and determine if any corrective action is needed. A soil test is the best tool available for determining the lime and fertilizer needed for the best economic and environmental production of crops, gardens, and more healthy, beautiful lawns. Testing the soil takes out the guesswork and prevents you from under or over liming and fertilizing, either of which will cost you both in dollars and plant growth. ...

Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
explores regional stories, resources and visitor experiences through series of regional workshops. ...

Six Signs of Spring in the Chesapeake Region
March 2010 -- After a long, cold winter full of snow, ice and disrupted plans, many people in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are looking forward to the first signs of spring. Throughout the region, there are plenty of little signs that the season is about to change, from the return of familiar fish and birds to the departure of the region’s winter visitors. ...

2010 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey Results
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have released the results of the 2010 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey. Each winter, pilots and biologists from the two agencies count ducks, geese and swans along Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay shoreline and Atlantic coast. In January 2010, the survey teams observed 787,100 waterfowl, slightly lower than the number of waterfowl observed in January 2009. ...

Bay Backpack the source for Chesapeake Bay education resources
Learn some creative ways to integrate the Chesapeake Bay and environmental issues into your classroom lessons.Source for Chesapeake Bay education resources, field studies, trainings and funding opportunities for educators ...

2010 may mark key turnaround in Bay cleanup
For the Chesapeake Bay, 2010 may well go down in history as the year everything changed. Federal agencies are promising bold new actions to restrict pollution into the Bay while also protecting the region's most valuable lands and habitats. ...

It's easy to keep track of wildlife in winter when one knows how
Now that the holidays are over and winter has set in, many may want to spend the rest of the season inside their house in front of a warm fire. Curling up in a warm den, as much of our local wildlife do, might even sound like a good idea. ...

Virginia Big Tree Program
The goal of the Virginia big tree program is to increase the care and appreciation for trees. Trees are ranked by total points based on a formula using circumference at 4.5 feet, height and crown spread. The top five trees for each species are listed in the database. Volunteers are encouraged to search for, nominate and update current trees every 10 years. ...

Forests by bay growing faster
researchers find Forests by the Chesapeake Bay are growing faster these days, researchers have found, in a growth spurt that seems linked to rising carbon dioxide in the air and warming climate. ...

House finch finds a home no matter where its travels take it
The uncertain rain had given way to a wet, giant-flaked snow that covered everything in a soggy white mantle. The holly and firethorn were heavy with a bounty of ripe, red berries that glistened against the picturesque ivory background. In the yard, juncos had replaced the regular summer fare of warblers and hummingbirds. ...