Brown School Wetland, by Carolyn Kolstad

Students Creating Wetland at Their School, Carolyn Kolstad

Connecting Children with Nature Through Their Own Schoolyard Wetland 

Under the leadership of Chesapeake Bay Field Office, 650 students planted over 15,000 water loving plants to create a wetland at Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School in Charles County, Maryland.  The once 5-acre black top and trash area is already becoming home to birds, frogs and other aquatic wildlife.

The wetland, part of an outdoor classroom complete with a walking trail and water testing area, not only provides homes for wildlife but will help preserve local streams and the Chesapeake Bay by filtering water that runs off impervious surfaces around the school.

The project is just one of three community wetland projects completed this year through a grant by the Chesapeake Bay Trust to Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Center and Charles County Public Schools.

The Chesapeake Bay Field Office's Schoolyard Habitat Program provides a combination of biological expertise, onsite technical and design assistance and hands-on training for students and teachers. For more information about the program, contact Carolyn Kolstad at 410/573-4545 or carolyn_kolstad@fws.gov.