July 2019
In This Issue
Ocean City Surf Club Award
The Maryland Coastal Bays Program received the Ocean City Surf Club's 2019 Community Service Award. The recognition was for the efforts the program provides to the community with leadership and partnership for local environmental stewardship. MCBP's high school intern Izzy Emond was awarded the club's top scholarship thanks to her hard work and dedication she demonstrated throughout the year on environmental projects.
Mark Your Calendars for Bay Day!
Mark your calendars for our 2nd Bay Day event in Ocean Pines on September 8 from 11:30-3:30. Highlights include a workshop pavilion, over 30 environmental vendors, and free bay boat tours.
MCBP Receives WC Health Department Award
Maryland Coastal Bays was one of the recipients recognized by the Worcester County Health Department for their partnership with the Ocean City Green Team and the orchestration of the Butt Hut Campaign on Tobacco and Prevention Control.
Fish Monitoring at Bishopville Concludes!
MCBP staff gathered with adjacent land owner, Krista Rodena, to celebrate the end of the 5-year monitoring program at the Bishopville dam fish passageway project. Migrating alewife, white perch, and gizzard shad have consistently used the project to moved upstream to move to spawning areas upstream of the old dam. This year 90 alewives were caught passing through the project!
MCBP Placed with Two CCC Members!

MCBP is pleased to announce that we have been matched with two Chesapeake Conservation Corps members for the 2019-2020 season. Through this wonderful Chesapeake Bay Trust program, young adults are placed at environmental organizations for a year of hands-on opportunities and career experience in restoration, education, outreach, and sustainability. Stay tuned for our official welcome of Virginia Parker and Chandler Joiner.
Natural History Society of Maryland Coastal Bays Tour
Come on out for a fun-filled day with MCBP and NHSM!

Join the Maryland Coastal Bays Program on Saturday, July 13th for a fun-filled day of touring local restoration projects and hands-on scientific sampling. This is a Natural History Society of Maryland event, to register and for more information, click here
Discover Your Watershed
Thanks to everyone who attended!

The Discover Your Watershed Series held a community event this month at the Lizard Hill Restoration Site. It was a success with over 25 attendees! We held macroinvertebrate and fish sampling stations that allowed us to collect data about the species of critters living in our watershed. Thank you to everyone who participated! Stay tuned for more DYW events coming up October 12th and November 2nd.
EPA Awards Grant to MCBP
Source Reduction Program Receives Grant!

EPA Headquarters recently awarded the MCBP a grant for $25,000 to implement a portion of the Ocean City Source Reduction Campaign - Protect Our Sand and Sea Program.  Funded through the national EPA Trash Free Waters Program, these funds support a Green Team initiative whose partners include the Town of Ocean City, Maryland Coastal Bays Program, Ocean City Surf Club and Ocean City Surfriders.

Spearheaded by the MCBP, this grant provides funding to promote local businesses who agree to reduce single use plastics in their restaurants. A canvas bag promotion touting the benefits of "going green" and reducing the use of plastic bags in the watershed is also part of the campaign.  Look for the promotion to continue through the summer and fall this year.   
The House Passes Appropriation Bill for NEPs
Two local National Estuary Programs, alongside the Chesapeake Bay Program, recently provided compelling testimony for the Congressional Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment: "Protecting and Restoring America's Iconic Waters"
 
MCBP is one of 28 National Estuary Programs, that monitor and protect local estuarine environments through the help of state, local, and federal organizing and funding.
 
On June 26, the House Appropriations Committee passed an appropriations bill which included a $5 million dollar increase for the National Estuary Program. MCBP looks forward to continuing this good work with our partners here in the Coastal Bays of Maryland.
Bay Scallop Found In Sinepuxent
MCBP has something super rare to report; we found a bay scallop in Sinepuxent Bay! This is great news as their populations have remained low since their habitat, eelgrass, was reduced due to disease in the 1930s. In 2017, there was a slight increase in eelgrass after years of decline. This will provide necessary habitat for the bay scallop, so we hope to continue to see more scallops each year.
| Maryland Coastal Bays Program | |  mcbp@mdcoastalbays.org
8219 Stephen Decatur Highway
Berlin, MD 21811