Monday, April 21, 2014

MAEOE WEEKLY ROUNDUP APRIL 21



April 21-26


Applications for the 2014 Maryland Green Schools & Centers Programs have been received and are currently being processed. We can't release any information at this time as to specific schools that have been accepted into the program. Many schools have demonstrated exceptional work in the name of sustainable practices in their school and environmental education in their classrooms or in more informal settings. This year's Maryland Green Schools applications featured innovative projects that resulted from teachers, parents, and students uniting in order to accomplish a common goal and lessen their impact on the environment. We're looking forward to announcing the latest additions to the Maryland Green School Program and showcasing some of the great work that they did. 

To celebrate these additions to our Green Schools Program, MAEOE will be holding our 5th annual Green School Awards Ceremony and Youth Summit on May 30, 2014 at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, Maryland. All Green Schools are invited, as is anyone interested in learning more about MAEOE or the Green School's Program. There is a $2 fee per person to cover the cost of the event. For more information and to register, visit MAEOE.org. 

This week on MAEOE's "Weekly Roundup" we have a myriad of job opportunities in different disciplines, as well as a diverse group of professional development events.

5th Annual MAEOE Maryland Green Schools Youth Summit


Every School In Maryland is Invited - Fee: $2 per person (students and adults). Fee helps defer the costs of this event. Questions please email: greenschools@maeoe.org 
May 30, 2014
9:00am - 2:00pm
Sandy Point State Park

2014 Maryland Green Schools Award Ceremony
The ceremony honors schools that successfully fulfilled the areas which form the framework of the Maryland Green School Program:  professional development, curricular integration, best management practices, community engagement, and celebration.  Newly certified schools and centers will receive the Maryland Green Flag, a symbol of their continued commitment to the environment. In addition, schools will be recertified based on their continuing efforts. Since 1999, 425 or 18% of Maryland schools have achieved this significant honor. 

Environmental Literacy Fair
Learn about the many exciting programs and organizations offering environmental learning and resources for schools. With over 50 learning stations for all ages, the Fair is designed to empower youth in short interactive learning sessions.  Participants will learn to apply knowledge at school, home and in their communities to reduce pollution, decrease waste, increase habitat, limit carbon emissions, and create healthy learning and living environments.
Take Action
  • Get inspired and see how Maryland Green Schools take action in the Student Showcase:  My Green School in Action! This showcase will feature student photos and videos throughout the day at the Main Bath House. 
  • Participate in the Youth Leadership sessions on Green Jobs and Environmental Advocacy led by the Alliance to Save Energy at the Osprey pavilion. These sessions are especially for Middle and High school students.
  • Learn how to build a Bottle Brick Bench with recycled materials by helping Davey Rogner (Pick Up America) construct a bench for a local school.
For more information, please contact greenschools@maeoe.org








Data & the Estuary:
Climate Edition

June 23-27, 2014: Specialized for Maryland middle and high school teachers. This 5 day workshop is held at the Maryland Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve sites in Lothian, Upper Marlboro, and Annapolis.

new this year...An opportunity to pilot a new National Geographic curriculum using FieldScope to understand Sea Level Rise in the Chesapeake Bay with a $250 stipend upon completed classroom implementation. 

Register for the course HERE.

Data & the Estuary:
Eastern Shore

August 4-8, 2014: Specialized for Maryland middle and high school teachers. This 5 day/4 night course, held at the Karen Noonan Center in Bishops Head, MD, is a partnership with NOAA, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Maryland's Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. 3 optional graduate credits available. 

Register for the course HERE, click Aug tab.

REGISTER NOW!

Get ready to collect and use estuary-specific data in YOUR Classroom --
Acquire resources, new lessons, techniques to develop environmentally literate students and get OUTSIDE!
 

Data & the Estuary courses provide teachers with the resources, knowledge and experience necessary to facilitate the integration of estuaries and related topics into the classroom. Through hands-on, field-based investigations teachers will have the opportunity to gather authentic data on climate science, water quality, biotic communities, analyze collected and existing data, and ultimately use this information to develop action projects that will have a positive impact on the natural systems of the Chesapeake Bay.  The course is geared toward a middle and high school audience, but all are welcome.  

Teachers must complete all five days of the course and produce a lesson seed for course credit. 3 credits provided through MSDE.  

The Courses are Tuition-free.  However, there is a $50 NON-REFUNDABLE Registration and Materials Fee required to secure participant registration.  

Data & the Estuary will help teachers increase their ability to:
  • Utilize Estuaries 101, National Geographic FieldScope, and associated curricula
  • Access tools and curricula that support STEM programming
  • Design and implement authentic student-driven investigations
  • Analyze collected information 
  • Develop action projects to manage and address the results of investigations
  • Connect Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core to experiential learning and the use of data
  • Understand multiple literacy initiatives - Ocean Literacy, Estuarine Literacy, Climate Literacy, and Environmental Literacy
For questions about this course, please contact 
Coreen Weilminster,
CBNERR-MD's Education Coordinator.

The DC NoVA MD Green School Summit
The Intersection of STEM and Sustainability
The U.S. Green Building Council – National Capital Region and Maryland Chapters are planning the second annual DC NoVA MD Green School Summit for April 2014. The theme of this year’s summit is The Intersection of STEM and Sustainability. This unique event will once again bring together building professionals and K-12 school personnel to share best practices related to sustainable schools. The second annual Green School Summit will also serve as the culmination of  the DC Green Schools Challenge. Student groups from across DC will be recognized for their work reducing energy consumption at their respective schools.
Advocates of the green schools movement from across the DC and Baltimore metro regions will be in attendance. You can see a list of companies, organizations, schools, and non-profits who will be represented at the Green School Summit here.

Program

The full program for the 2014 Green School Summit has been set! Here is a summary what attendees can expect. See full schedule with times>>
keynote talk by Charles Orgbon, the founder and CEO of Greening Forward, a highly successful non-profit that empowers young people to act as leaders a diverse global environmental movement.
workshop with Stephen Ritz of The Green Bronx Machine, where participants will build Tower Gardens and learn about how they can be integrated into a school setting.
Tours of two innovative green DC schools: Cardozo Senior High School, which is on track to achieve LEED Gold, and LEED Platinum Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
lunchtime panel on “Cross Sector Collaborations and the Green Schools Movement.” The panel will be moderated by Chris Smith, Senior Vice President, Built Environment Division, The Cadmus Group. Panelists will include:
  • Sam Brooks, Director of Energy and Sustainability, DC Department of General Services
  • Elaine Tholen, Director of Environmental Education, Fairfax County Public Schools
  • Regina Schofield, Director of Corporate Engagement and Education Outreach, Battelle
  • Melissa Moritz, Vice President of STEM and Education Initiatives, Teach for America
Breakout sessions on the following topics:
  • Garden Adventures: Grow Your After-School Food Gardening and Health Program
  • Environmental Literacy in Schools: Practical Ideas for Every School and a Case Study in Environmental Learning
  • Two Case Studies on Designing and Building S.T.E.M. Schools: HD Woodson High School and McKinley Middle School
  • Sustainable Schoolyards: Using Your Schoolyard as a Teaching Tool
  • The Building as a Teaching Tool: Successful Examples of STEM Learning Tools for your School
  • Make Your School District a Sustainability Star: The Power of the Uncommon Collaborative
  • - See more at: http://www.usgbcncr.org/event/GSS#sthash.Ooic1abQ.dpuf

Three Training Workshops in Virginia for 2014

The GIC is offering three training workshops in Virginia in May, September and November of 2014. Download the attached form, fill it in and either email it or mail it with your payment. The price is $130 per workshop, but discounts of $30 are available for those who register early. No GIS knowledge is required. The training will include a combination of lectures, hands-on training and discussions. Professional continuing education credits will be offered.
All three Virginia workshops will be held in Charlottesville, Virginia, and will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The dates are:
  • Monday 12th May, 2014
  • Thursday 18th September, 2014
  • Thursday 20th November, 2014
Space is limited to 30 people, so please register early to ensure your place. To register, download the form here.

Training Workshop in Arkansas for 2014

The GIC is also offering a training workshop in Little Rock, Arkansas in May, 2014. No GIS knowledge is required. The training will include a combination of a lecture, hands-on training and a discussion. Professional continuing education credits will be offered. The date of the workshop is:
  • Thursday, May 29th, 2014
Space is limited, so please register early to ensure your place. To register and get further details on price, etc., please contact info@arkansastrees.org.

Let Us Create a Workshop Specifically for You!

The GIC can also create a workshop for your organization.
Contact the GIC to learn more at 434-244-0322.

An Environmental History of the 20th-Century World

WHERE: Peabody Room, Cathedral of the Incarnation4 East University Parkway, Baltimore, MD, United States

WHO: John McNeill, past president of American Society for Environmental History, is a Georgetown University professor of world history, environmental history, and international history.

WHEN: This Saturday, April 26 from 1:00-3:00pm

He is the author of "Mosquito Empires: Ecology and War in the Greater Caribbean, 1620-1914", "The Human Web: A Bird's-eye View of World History" and "Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the 20th-Century World."

Free admission, parking and refreshments, directions: www.incarnationbaltimore.org

Celebrating the birthdays of both Frederick Law Olmsted and John James Audobon

Contact: joestewart31947@comcast.net

Visit www.baltimorecityhistoricalsociety.org

Note: The American Society for Environmental History (ASEH) will hold a conference in Washington, DC on March 18 - 22, 2015 with the theme, "Turning Protest into Policy: Environmental Values and Governance in Changing Societies."

The program committee invites panel, roundtable, individual paper, and poster proposals especially those engaging the theme in creative ways: environmental justice movements around the world, international or local protests that reveal changing environmental values, policy decisions at the national and international levels, and judicial rulings that have altered policy or resource use.

For information or to send proposals contact Kurt Dorsey, program committee chair,
Kurk.Dorsey@unh.edu or Lisa Mighetto, ASEH director, director@aseh.net.

For more professional development events, check out the professional development calendar on MAEOE.org

And now, for what everyone has been waiting for, this week's edition of MAEOE's...

1. Water Resources and Water Security Program Internship - Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has immediate openings for 2-3 student interns. The interns will be working with COG project managers to perform various duties within the COG’s environmental programs related to the Chesapeake Bay Program, Anacostia Watershed and Water Security initiatives. Applicants should be dependable, hardworking, highly organized, independent and self-motivated individual with strong research and writing skills. 
POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:
  • Drafting outreach materials, data collection and analysis, preparation of charts and graphs, making presentations using PowerPoint;
  • Maintaining water quality and water security project monitoring equipment;
  • Perform stormwater-related project online research;
  • Performing geomorphic stream channel cross-section measurements using professional grade surveying equipment;
  • Performing streambank erosion rate surveys;
  • Performing both land-based and instream trash surveys;
  • Performing baseflow stream flow measurements using a flow meter;
  • Performing instantaneous water quality measurements using a variety of electronic meters; and
  • Performing (with Project Managers assistance) baseflow and stormflow water quality grab sampling;
  • Performing reforestation site evaluation, planting and site maintenance
  • Performing data entry into spreadsheets and databases; and
  • Performing limited Anacostia restoration-related GIS tasks (i.e., new feature dataset creation, digitizing drainage boundaries, updating geodatabases and associated metadata).
Required Skills: Position requires analytical skills; an understanding of engineering and planning principles; a good knowledge of research techniques; and the ability to speak and write effectively. Basic level experience with ESRI ArcMap (and its associated ArcToolbox) and good communication skills and team-player ability are a must. This position demands an individual who works well both independently and in a team environment and who can stay on schedule and meet deadlines. The ability to perform various types of fieldwork, familiarity with the region’s flora and fauna, the Anacostia watershed, and a reliable means of personal transportation are all a plus.
Minimum Qualifications: Applicant should be enrolled in either a bachelor's degree (Junior, or higher)  or graduate student in the environmental, industrial or civil engineering, planning, marketing, natural sciences, public administration or related field.  Course work and/or experience with wastewater, drinking water, water quality management, and related water quality/resources issues are desired.  Intern must have strong quantitative, oral communication and technical writing skills and be proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Internet navigation.  Database software (e.g., Access) and/or GIS applications experience is also desirable.  Flexible scheduling (both time and place work is completed) available; with up to 40 hours per week. 
EEO EMPLOYER
To apply for this position, please click here:  http://www.mwcog.org/resources/opportunities/

2. Facility Leader I at Robinson Nature Center
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Howard County Recreation and Parks operates the Robinson Nature Center. This position performs intermediate level recreation services work ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the Center. This position provides support to the Community Facility Leader II and to fulltime staff of the Center. This position will assist in providing customer service and support for center operations. Position is 38 hours a week, includes weekend and evening work. 
DUTIES:
• Assist with Activenet membership and program registration
• Assists customers in completing room reservation requests
• Performs opening and closing duties as assigned
• Set up and take down of equipment
• Answers a multi – line phone and directs calls to the appropriate coordinator
• Provides marketing and program promotion to walk in customers
• Performs data processing as assigned
• Assists with gift shop sales and inventory
• Maintains cleanliness of interior and exterior appearance of the center
• Makes phone calls as directed
• Communicates clearly and courteously with the public and coworkers
• Performs other duties as assigned to ensure the smooth operations of the center
• File permits and other paperwork
• Assists with completing center forms
• Monitors center patrons and enforces center rules
• Wear Recreation and Parks shirt and nametag
• Be trained in the use of the AED, CPR and First Aide 
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Must have basic knowledge of nature center operations
• Possess good communication skills
• Be flexible, reliable, responsible and enjoy working with the general public
• Must be able to lift 40 pounds
• Must be at least 18 years of age and possess a high school diploma or GED equivalency
RATE OF PAY: Contingent – Paraprofessional - $9.00-13.00 / hour
Salary commensurate with experience.
Position will remain open until filled.
Please send resume and application to Emily David edavid@howardcountymd.gov.
For questions please call 410-313-0402

3. Research Assistant/ Lab Coordinator - Hood College Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies

The Hood College Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies located in Frederick, MD is a new center of excellence in the Department of Biology. The Centers areas of concentration include research, water quality monitoring, watershed assessment, education and outreach.  We are seeking a one-year full-time (40 hrs / week) Chesapeake Conservation Corps (CCC) Intern beginning August 25, 2014.
The Chesapeake Conservation Corps is supported by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Constellation Energy, and the state of Maryland.  The program pairs young adults with organizations that provide hands-on environmental, leadership, and technical training opportunities for a one-year term of service.
More information about the CCC position can be found here.
Duties
If successful, you will be involved in many aspects of the Center’s operation.  Currently, we are working on several local projects in which we combine science education, service-learning, and citizen science with restoration activities in the central Maryland region.
The internship will involve such activities as:
·         Assisting with environmental monitoring, data analysis, and interpretation of mitigation strategies being implemented for nuisance algal blooms in local watersheds
·         Assist with research of the native brook trout
·         Helping to develop protocols for implementation of citizen science water quality assessment activities and helping to train citizen scientists
·         Assisting in the prioritization and presentation of restoration plans for local urban streams
·         Organizing events for Frederick area residents to learn about low impact stormwater retrofits that can be accomplished by homeowners
Qualifications
The successful applicant will:
  • Be between the ages of 18 and 25 years at the start of the internship
  • Preferably have completed an undergraduate degree in biology, chemistry, or environmental science
  • Possess interest, enthusiasm, and experience in environmental research, education, water quality monitoring, and community outreach
  • Have the ability to speak and write clearly and effectively
  • Possess the ability to work productively with Center staff, volunteers, and members of partnering organizations 
Compensation and Benefits The Chesapeake Conservation Intern will receive a stipend of $15,500 plus health insurance provided by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.  In addition, the intern will be able to enroll in one course per semester at Hood College tuition-free.  Our Master’s degree program in Environmental Biology may be of special interest to applicants.  For details, consult the college’s web site at www.hood.edu.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should apply directly through the Chesapeake Bay Trust by following instructions atwww.cbtrust.org/chesapeakeconservationcorps. Applicants also are encouraged to contact the Center if they have specific questions about this position. Please contact Dr. Drew Ferrier at dferrier@hood.edu or 301-696-3660.  The application deadline is April 18, 2014.
Claire Hudson
Coastal Studies Program Coordinator
Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies
Hood College
401 Rosemont Avenue
Frederick, MD  21701
Office: HT 146
E-mail: hudson@hood.edu

4. Manager of Public Funding & Grants - The Chesapeake Bay Foundation 

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest regional non-profit conservation organization working solely to restore the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams. CBF is working towards a restored Bay through legislative advocacy at the national, regional, and state levels; habitat restoration on land and in the water; strategic public communications and engagement throughout the watershed; and comprehensive environmental education for students, teachers, and principals of the region. Established in 1967, CBF has a staff of approximately 185 employees working in offices in Annapolis and Easton, Maryland; Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C., and in 15 field education program locations. CBF's headquarters office is in the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the world’s first LEED platinum building.
CBF has an annual budget of approximately $21 million and is supported by more than 200,000 members and e-subscribers. For more information on CBF, please visit www.cbf.org.
CONTEXT OF THE POSITION
The Manager of Public Funding & Grants is responsible for raising government funding to support CBF’s operating goals. Primary responsibilities include the solicitation, management, and stewardship of all public grants, and select private foundation grants, by working collaboratively with an interdepartmental team of field staff, scientists, policy experts, budget managers, and accountants.
The Manager of Public Funding & Grants is a fundraising position in the Development Department and is a member of the department’s Foundations & Grants team, reporting to the Associate Director of Foundations & Grants. The position involves close working relationships with many of CBF’s programmatic departments. A successful Manager of Public Funding & Grants will be able to balance being responsive to program department needs while staying consistent with fundraising goals.
Essential functions include:
1. Raise public funds in support of CBF’s annual operating needs, campaign initiatives, and supplemental activities:
  • Identify new and recurring sources of public grant funding to maintain average annual revenue of at least $1 million.
  • Develop and submit proposals by working with CBF program departments to obtain proposal information such as project work plans, budgets, methodology, timelines, and evaluation procedures/outcomes.
  • Secure approval for public grant proposals from appropriate senior management. 
  • Utilize relational database to manage public grant portfolio.

2.  Steward each public grant and agency, overseeing grant management activities throughout the grant period and cultivating the donor for future support:
  • Maintain calendar of required reports.
  • Work creatively with program staff to write programmatic reports.
  • Submit all reports on time and as required by working closely with program financial managers and the finance department, including during heavy reporting periods.
  • Serve as official CBF liaison to donor/granting agency, communicating any changes or challenges, as well as successes, under the grant to the donor.
  • Cultivate donors by creating appropriate stewardship plans - providing supplemental reports or articles, inviting participation in grant-related activities, meeting face-to-face to build relationships, and other stewardship actions as appropriate.

3. Serve as a resource to other departments on public grants:
  • Work pro-actively with CBF program departments on work plans and public grant fundraising strategies.
  • Serve as liaison between the Development Department and program staff, identifying fundable opportunities to facilitate fundraising from public and private sources.
  • Strategically utilize public grant non-federal matching requirements to raise new and additional private support.
  • Work as needed with CBF’s Federal Affairs office in Washington, D.C. to provide information on current and proposed public grant programming, and to help inform program staff on the status of federal appropriations.
4.  Assist the Foundations and Grants team in maintaining relationships with and fundraising from a select group of assigned private (foundation or corporation) prospects as appropriate (including private sources that meet public grant match requirements):
  • Develop and write letters of inquiry and/or full proposals under strict deadlines.
  • Assist in drafting general proposal templates as well as specific donor materials.
  • Maintain positive relationships with private donors through cultivation and stewardship strategies, including required reports as well as telephone calls, personal visits, written proposals, donor events, and/or field trips.
  • Lead, coordinate, or assist with specific projects as needed and as assigned.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree with 3-5 years of experience in public grant fundraising, particularly the procurement and stewardship of public and reimbursable grants is necessary. A degree in biology, ecology, environmental science, sustainability, or other environmental sector is preferred. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate a successful track record in securing competitive grants and experience in writing grant proposals and stewardship reports. Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to translate complex projects and programs into targeted fundraising requests, is required. Exceptional time-management and organizational skills are needed to plan, prioritize, and coordinate multiple concurrent projects with strict deadlines. Thorough knowledge of Development department functions combined with a knowledge of Raiser’s Edge or similar fundraising software is preferable. Experience with federal grant management systems and other online proposal and report systems is also desirable. Familiarity with OMB requirements is a plus. Experience working with environmental programs and policies would be helpful.

To apply, please send cover letter, resume, and salary history and requirements no later than April 21, 2014 to:
Human Resources/FY14-32-MPFG
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
6 Herndon Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21403
Cbf_employment@cbf.org

5. Environmental Educator and Stream Monitor - Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin Seeks a Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer
The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin Seeks a Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer

Are you looking for work experience that combines environmental education, as well as stream field work?  Are you especially interested in working to protect and enhance water quality?

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) is recruiting for a Chesapeake Conservation Corps (CCC) volunteer with a recent college degree in environmental sciences, studies, or policy for the CCC year 2014-15.  The CCC program is offered through Chesapeake Bay Trust to educate and train young environmentalists, ages 18-25, for a variety of environmental jobs. Corps Volunteers serve a term of 12 months and receive a stipend of $15,500 per year plus health benefit options administered by the Trust. Please see ICPRB's position description below.

ICPRB Position Description:  The ICPRB's mission is to enhance, protect, and conserve the water and associated land resources of the Potomac River and its tributaries through regional and interstate cooperation. (http://www.potomacriver.org/).  The CCC Volunteer will:
1.  Assist in preparing, coordinating, and teaching Watershed Connections Workshops for teachers.  During these popular workshops, teachers (grades 5-12) learn watershed curriculum, student activities, and build unique land-use watershed models representing the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
2.  Perform outreach to schools to support the installation of student-driven low-impact- development practices, such as rain gardens, or stream restoration practices on the school grounds.
3.  Promote and assist with teacher stream-monitoring workshops. Provide follow-up support to teachers who need further assistance in conducting stream monitoring or restoration projects with their students.
4.  Assist ICPRB's Aquatic Ecologist with ICPRB summer field research programs on rivers of the Upper Potomac and Shenandoah basins, including monitoring for SAV, algae, and aquatic life, and with collaborative programs with citizen monitoring networks (transportation provided).
5.  Participate in Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Educators (MAEOE) activities and events, so as to be able to coordinate with schools, volunteers, students, and collaborators in achieving Green School Certification.

For a more detailed position description, go to http://www.potomacriver.org or to the Chesapeake Bay Trust Host Organization information.

To Apply:  Interested individuals, submit your CCC application to the Chesapeake Bay Trust by April 18, 2014.  Information on the Chesapeake Conservation Corps Program is available here.

To learn more about ICPRB or to apply for this opportunity, contact Rebecca Wolf, ICPRB Watershed Coordinator,bwolf@icprb.org.  Applications to ICPRB are appreciated before May 19, 2014.  ICPRB is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

CCC Position Start Date:  August 26, 2014

That's all we have for this week here at MAEOE, stay tuned for more opportunities and some big news coming from our Green School's program.