Among the places Norton visited in the refuge was an area off Smithville Road where a tornado ripped through 55 acres of forested wetlands in 2001. Since then, more than 40,000 hardwood and pine seedlings have been planted here, including some planted Monday by Norton and other state and federal officials, including U.S. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest. Gilchrest introduced Norton to 20 students from St. Michaels High School who were planting trees at the site Monday morning. The project was made possible by the Secretary of Interior in 2003 through a Cooperative Conservation Initiative grant. Norton said, "This CCI grant was one of the first given by the department to conserve and enhance important habitats like this one. It is great to see the fruits of our efforts."

Norton presented a certificate of appreciation to scout Adam Brooks of Woolford who has been working on an eagle scout project on the refuge. Brooks and his fellow scouts in Boy Scout Troop 2009 of Cambridge worked during the past year at this site to create a walkway and viewing platform overlooking a pond at the reforestation site. Constructed of boards made from recycled plastic, the observation platform enhances a hiking trail which soon will be opened for public use as part of the National Park Service Gateways program.

Norton spoke of a pledge made a year ago by President George Bush, to restore 3 million acres of wetlands during the next five years. She said the task is made possible through cooperative conservation. "We do that through partnerships," she explained. The partners working with the refuge staff range from local volunteer fire companies to the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

Glenn Page of the National Aquarium in Baltimore explained how his organization is working with Blackwater on marsh restoration projects throughout the refuge, including Barren Island. A visit to the aquarium may encourage a greater interest in the environment but the National Aquarium works to take the interest a step further, Page said. The National Aquarium has helped recruit many volunteer groups to spend a day planting wetlands grasses at the refuge.

Norton joined 30 students from Polytechnic High School in Baltimore planting marsh grass under the guidance of National Aquarium staff, who were also overseeing the tree-planting project.

Norton visited a wooded area in Madison that is part of a 900-acre hazardous fuels reduction project at the refuge. Funded through the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, the project is part of the first and largest project undertaken by the Service under the act, thanks to a cooperative effort that also included private land owners and the Maryland Natural Resources Department. Pine saplings have been cut in these forested areas and the fallen trees will be burned, clearing the area of potential fuel for a forest fire. An added benefit is habitat improvement for wildlife including endangered Delmarva fox squirrels.

The entire staff at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge was involved in this event. Thirty students from Polytechnic High School in Baltimore planted marsh grass, 20 students from St. Michaels High School planted trees, and 19 other volunteers from the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland Conservation Corps, and refuge volunteers assisted with both restoration projects.