New Green Schools Network Available

Ecoschools US, is a non-profit and independent advocacy network that promotes the greening of K-12 educational facilities and daycare centers.

The organization’s website, www.ecoschools.us, provides a new and integrated platform to exchange contacts, ideas and resources between green schools experts, advocates and school system employees. The site also features related news, presentations, events, training, sponsorship and grant opportunities. A special resources section provides videos, press articles and interviews.

There is no cost for membership in Ecoschools US, but application is subject to approval by the network. Approved members gain access to a faculty of renowned green schools experts offering presentations and free consultations on the subject of sustainable school design, operations and education.

The Ecoschools network was founded recently by Anja Caldwell, a LEED-certified architect trained in Germany, and an acclaimed expert in green building design and implementation for schools. She calls Ecoschools US an independent pollinator that is spreading green ideas and information “like a busy bee.” Ms. Caldwell recognizes that because of budget and schedule constraints, sustainability has not become a priority in the majority of American school districts.

It is believed that the independent Ecoschools network will make readily available the necessary tools and training desperately needed by school system decision-makers, facility managers, teachers and staff, thereby enabling them to move forward with sustainable design, while further demonstrating sustainable leadership, all without wasting valuable time and resources in an unnecessary learning curve.

For more information about the Ecoschools US network, contact Anja Caldwell, at 240.481.5779 or email info@ecoschools.us. To understand more about the goals, vision, and resources of Ecoschools US, or to apply for membership, visit the network website: www.ecoschools.us.

River of Words Poetry & Art Contest

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources would like to announce the upcoming deadline of the River of Words International Poetry and Art Contest. Opened to students Grades K-12, the contest deadline is December 1, 2009. The theme is Watersheds. All Maryland entries will be entered in a State contest.

For River of Words’ Contest Rules and Guidelines, including information on where to send entries visit the River of Words website or contact Joann Wheeler, Maryland River of Words Coordinator 410-260-8809.

Click here to download a free Teacher’s Guide.

A free classroom poster and Teacher's Guide on CD may be obtained by contacting by emailing Joann Wheeler.

Call for Presentations: 2010 Maryland EE Conference

MAEOE 25th Annual Conference
Many Paths, One Destination: From Knowledge to Action
February 4-7, 2010
Rocky Gap Lodge – Flintstone, Maryland


The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) invites you to submit an Application to Present for consideration for one or more of the following:

• one of the 10 Friday workshops (3 or 6 hours in length)
• one of the 50 Saturday sessions (50 minutes)
• a Sunday Field Experience

MAEOE welcomes applications from professionals representing all levels of education, all content areas, specialists, and business and industry experts.

The annual MAEOE conference, the largest statewide environmental education conference and the only one of its kind in Maryland, brings together more than 600 educators from schools, local and state government agencies, environmental centers, businesses and organizations to develop strategies and skills to develop a citizenry that understands and is engaged in responsible environmental behavior.

Call for Presentation Deadline: September 4, 2009

More detailed information about MAEOE, the annual conference, or submission background is available at: http://maeoe.org/conference/speakers/2010callforpresenters.php

Click on the following link to submit your proposal: MAEOE.ORG/CONFERENCE.PHP

Job Opening: Green Schools Award Program Coordinator

The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE), Maryland’s professional organization dedicated to building the capacity of educators to effectively create an environmentally literate citizenry, is seeking an energetic and creative individual to join our dynamic team as the Maryland Green School Awards Program Coordinator, working part-time (averaging 20-hours a week) to start immediately. The successful candidate will serve as the program director, public spokesperson, and will oversee all aspects of the program’s operations. The coordinator will report directly to the MAEOE Executive Director.

Click here to download the complete Position Description.

Chesapeake Bay Town Hall Meeting - Annapolis - Aug. 11

Following President Obama’s executive order on May 12, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and other federal officials are writing plans for watershed-wide restoration efforts. The EPA is also in the process of developing a regulatory pollution budget for the Bay watershed, known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).

The Chesapeake Bay Town Hall Meeting will provide a forum to show your support for strong standards, enforceable pollution limits, and increased accountability. Details below:

WHEN:
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 6:30-8:00pm

WHERE:
St. Philip's Episcopal Church 730 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401

WHO:
Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator, invited
Chuck Fox, EPA Senior Advisor on the Chesapeake Bay
Will Baker, President, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Dr. Don Boesch, President, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Rev. Rick Edmund, United Methodist Churches, Smith Island
Brad Heavner, State Director, Environment Maryland

CONTACT:
Tommy Landers, Environment Maryland, 410-467-0439
Terry Cummings, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 410-268-8816

Environment Maryland
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Choose Clean Water Campaign
Sierra Club Maryland Chapter
Clean Water Action
Growth Action of Anne Arundel County

RSVP
www.environmentmaryland.org/baytownhall

Reflections on NOAA and B-WET

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) first national B-WET Conference. B-WET (Bay Watershed Education and Training) is a grant program administered by NOAA which funds professional development for educators as well as Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences (MWEE) for students. The program, which began in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, is now offered in seven regions which include Hawaii, California, the Pacific Northwest, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, and the Northeast. The conference provided grant recipients an opportunity to share and learn from each other, gain substantive and current scientific knowledge and data from NOAA scientists, help guide the future of the B-WET program, and understand more completely the people and programs that make up NOAA.

NOAA has a treasure trove of information that educators can use to supplement and enhance their curricula. Here is a sampling:

Data for your Classroom
Climate Change Reports
Lesson Plans
Activity Books
Monitoring Procedures
Teacher at Sea Books
Curriculums - Elementary and High School
Coastal Population Trends
Nutrient Data from your Watershed

Want something, but can't find it? The scientists and other professsionals at NOAA are accessible and responsive. The Administration just completed a 20-Year Education Strategic Plan. That is a testament of their commitment to getting data into the hands of the public. I encourage you to visit www.noaa.gov and take advantage of the wonderful resource.

Submitted by Bronwyn Mitchell

Put Your Best Foot(wear) Forward

Donate Your Shoes
Reduce the Waste Stream
Help Someone in Need

MAEOE and Soles4Souls are teaming up at next year's conference with an easy way to help reduce the strain on our environment: donate your "gently worn" footwear to people in need instead of throwing them away.

Last year alone, Americans discarded more than 300 million pairs of shoes. When these shoes break down in our landfills, the toxic glue that holds the shoes together can leak into our water supply and atmosphere.

Soles4Souls will clean the shoes and ship them to needy people around the world, who will treasure the gift for years to come. Since its inception following the Asian tsunami, Soles4Souls has distributed over 4 million pairs to people in 125 countries, and our efforts have been publicized in thousands of articles, including the Green Guide by National Geographic and Runner's World.

For more information, visit the special Shoe Drive Page on the MAEOE website.