The Eastern Shore Restoration and Education Program (ESREP) was created in 2007 to promote environmental literacy among students and the general public through activity-rich educational and outreach experiences related to the Coastal Bays of Maryland. Currently, 300 middle school students from Stephen Decatur Middle School are conducting an environmental restoration project adjacent to Sinepuxent Bay near Assateague Island, Maryland. The invasive, non-native marsh grass Phragmites, which dominates this site, will be removed and the site restored with native grasses, better able to support wildlife. Led by UMES faculty and students, the participants have, since October 2007, monitored water quality (nitrate, nitrite, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, salinity), measured the Phragmites plants before and after herbicide treatment, and counted birds and wildlife using the site.
ESREP Marine and Environmental Science Summer Camp: ESREP will hold a summer camp in Summer 2008 to introduce high school students to marine and environmental science through hands-on field activities. This is a chance for students to learn more about the creatures which inhabit the coastal environment, make new friends and, most importantly, have fun!
Who: All high school students in Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset Counties, Maryland who are interested in marine and environmental science. Students should be at the 9th grade level or higher by Fall 2008. Up to 20 students can be accepted.
When: July 7 – 18, 2008. 8:00 to 5:00 Daily (Mon – Fri)
Where: University of Maryland Eastern Shore Coastal Ecology Teaching and Research Center located at Assateague Island, Maryland.
Staff: The program is directed by Dr. Andrea Johnson, a UMES faculty member specializing in fisheries biology and marine science. Students are mentored by UMES faculty, science teachers and graduate students in marine science.
Cost: Free!
How to Apply: Click here for an application.
For more information on ESREP, please contact Dr. Andrea Johnson at akjohnson@umes.edu or 410-651-8447.
Supported by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency, the ESREP partners include: The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, National Park Service, Maryland Coastal Bays Program, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources.