Bay Bus

2000 Bay Bus Program
SeaWord requested and obtained assistance from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to help the fledgling Bay Bus Partnership Program (B2P2). During June 2000, through a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund, Seaword helped pay for transportation costs, a student teacher stipend and other expenses to allow more than twenty (20) students to obtain hands-on experience working in the local Chesapeake Bay habitat area. The students were from McDonough School. The first day the students located, removed and replaced treeshelters at the Loch Raven Dam, while on the second and third days, the students improved a wetlands habitat by setting trap lines and removing brush piles. The final two days the students participated in the Oyster Restoration Project on the Chesapeake Bay where they learned about water quality, oyster habitats and the movement of oysters, and worked in the Oyster Nursery. During the bus rides each day to and from the participation sites, a recent graduate of Washington College familiarized the students with the topics in forestry and marine biology. Seaword obtained a second grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to provide the B2P2 with work gloves, hip boots and a first aid kit. Seaword helped obtain funding for the B2P2 to provide a service-learning opportunity for teachers in Frederick and Carroll counties. BGEÕs generous contribution to Seaword gave 27 teachers the opportunity to participate in an oyster restoration effort at Horn Point.
	The participants were given instruction on the bus about future B2P2 activities, how to seek funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust fund and how to run an effective service-learning program. After their arrival at Horn Point, the participants visited the oyster restoration hatchery and spent several hours making hundreds of 40 lb shellbags.	Reef maintenance was performed by the participants in the later afternoon. The Frederick County Board of Education service-learning coordinator presented reflection activities and exercises on the trip home.

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