Saving the Bay, One Grass at a Time
| School/Organization: |
Global Ecology Program at Poolesville High School
Poolesville, Maryland
USA |
| Grade Level: |
High School/Secondary |
| Group Size: |
2 |
| Project Scope: |
More Challenging |
| Hours Spent on Project: |
82 |
| Category: |
Biodiversity, Water and Wetlands, Ocean and Coasts, Restoration and Protection
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Walden Web Summit Participant |
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The Chesapeake Bay depends on bay grasses to help filter water and provide food and habitat for crabs and other organisms. In our project we grew redhead grasses (Potamogeton perfoliatus) in tanks for transplant to the Bay.
The health of the Chesapeake Bay depends on its bay grasses. The native redhead grass helps filter the water in the bay to make it cleaner. It also provides food and habitat for local organisms such as the blue crab, which is important within the ecosystem and also to the local economy. Fishermen’s livelihoods depend on harvesting the Maryland crab for seafood eaters all over the country. Because of its popularity, the crab population has declined. By restoring the grasses to the bay we are providing the essential habitat for the crabs and the crab industry to recover.
We began with two large tanks for growing grasses in a stable, secluded environment. Some students from our school had used one of the tanks last year, so we started by cleaning out the old algae and dirt. We filled both tanks with water and let them sit for a few days to allow the water to warm and to let the chlorine evaporate. In each large tank we placed 20 smaller trays. Next we mixed a 50/50 combination of play sand and topsoil. We put a plastic bag over the tray to prevent spills as we lowered it through the water and set it in the large tank. The grasses can grow from a small piece or cutting without needing a seed, so we took 8 inch cuttings and planted about 20 of them in each tray. After a few weeks the plants had grown large and sturdy. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation took our fully grown grasses for redistribution to workshop participants who were learning how to grow bay grasses. Eventually our grasses will go to the Bay or one of its rivers. We also use our bay grass to educate the younger students at our high school about its importance in our local community.
How Your Group's Environmental Ethic Changed
We need to save the Bay because it has been overfished and damaged. In the past, grasses could filter the entire Bay in only a couple of days, but now it takes months or longer. It’s cool that we’re able to help save and restore the Bay. If our project helps the Bay, then it also helps the blue crabs, which helps the state economy and the people who depend on the Bay for their livelihood. Protecting the environment is in everyone’s best interest. We met the fishermen whose whole careers and family income depend on the crabs. We learned from that experience about the importance of taking care of the environment not just for the sake of the organisms in it, but also for the people who depend on it.
What We Wish We Had Known Before We Started.
Check your equipment and make sure it’s not faulty. Our heater broke for awhile in one of the tanks which made the grass start to die. The algae came back and we though we’d have to replant everything. Luckily we were able to nurse the grasses back to health. It’s also important to realize how much time this project takes! Even though the project is a big commitment, we are still glad we did it.
How We Made A Difference
We’re helping save the Bay. Eventually our efforts will end up bringing grasses back to the Bay and that helps the whole ecosystem and the crab fishermen. The experimental tanks we worked on will provide useful information to help people who grow grasses in the future so that they can maximize how well and fast the grasses grow. By working with the 10th graders we have given them the opportunity to learn about bay grasses and how to work with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. By reaching out to other people we are spreading the word so that they can be active too.
Next Steps
The 10th graders we worked with now have a vested interest in growing bay grasses and some of them will want to take on the project in the future. There is more work to be done, including possibly researching what makes the grasses grow best. Not everyone will go off and join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation when they graduate, but many people can have environmental careers or volunteer as activists.
Now that we’re aware of environmental issues, even though it’s sometimes a pain and a lot of time to carry out the actual project, we have realized that it’s actually pretty simple to care for the grasses day-to-day. We want to spread the word that it’s easy to help save the Bay; it’s something everyone can do.