The Gunston School and the Chesapeake Watershed Semester (CWS) are proud to announce the receipt of grants from the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Educators (MAEOE) and Youth Learning as Citizen Environmental Scientists (YLAES). Gunston’s environmental programs expand beyond the classroom to include the nationally-recognized Chesapeake Bay Studies (a four-year program and graduation requirement for all students), annual Earth Day celebrations, and the Chesapeake Watershed Semester, which is open to the public for any 11th and 12th grade students. CWS offers the opportunity to travel across the watershed over five different learning expeditions. These grants support student research on submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) restoration along our waterfront and transportation to field study locations.
SAV Restoration: CWS student Charlotte Cook, holds widgeon grass, during a field study trip with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
The SAV restoration project allows students to take part in a multi-state effort to restore SAV beds in Chesapeake Bay. By doing so, students collaborate on research methods and experience ecological restoration firsthand. “This project supports Gunston’s efforts to offer real-world research opportunities and climate education to its students,” explains CWS Director Emily Beck. The grant also provides field sampling equipment including salinity probes, Secchi discs, turbidity sensors, sediment sorting equipment, and additional reagents for the school’s Lamotte Colorimeter to allow students to participate in site assessment and data collection.
To learn more about SAV’s and how to become involved, check out ShoreRivers and their work in SAV monitoring and restoration, and Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources Restoration Guide.
Officially integrated into the curriculum in 1994, environmental programming at Gunston continues to outpace and exceed national standards almost three decades later with its immersive and hands-on learning experiences. “For students in the 21st century, learning the skills of preserving and stewarding the natural environment is essential, and Gunston believes that we have an educational and moral responsibility to teach students how to live in a sustainable manner,” said Head of School John Lewis.
Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.
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