Contents
Self-Led Student Action Projects Schoolyard Habitat Volunteer Opportunities Additional ProgramsCBF's Student Leadership team advises students and connects them with available resources and opportunities. Please contact us if you have a project underway.
Self-Led Student Action Projects
Fix Your Schoolyard Bare Spots (PDF, 12 pgs, 1.2 MB) Bare spots are places where vegetation (such as plants, shrubs, grasses, flowers) no longer exists in the soil. Bare spots come in all shapes and sizes. The outcome of having any type of bare spot is the same: storm water hits the ground and is not able to soak in to the land. Use this step-by-step guide to fix the bare spots in your school or home yard.
Build Your Own Rain Barrel (PDF, 4 pgs, 612 KB) Capture rain water from downspouts to reduce runoff and have a water source during droughts using this easy step-by-step guide. Or watch our student video.
Build Your Own Rain Garden (PDF, 8 pgs, 627 KB) Add colorful habitat to your schoolground while keeping sediment from choking local streams by using this easy step-by step guide.
Storm Drain Stenciling—Many people are not aware that most storm drains lead directly to waterways that dump into the Bay. You can help clean up the Bay by stenciling a message that will help members of your community remember that nothing but rain water should enter the storm drains. Storm drains are not trash cans: whatever is dumped into them ends up in the Chesapeake Bay. Learn more about how to participate in this important project.
Stream Cleanup—Watch our student video, grab some friends, and pick a day to keep trash out of our streams.
Bay-Friendly Living Tips—How can my behavior at home impact the Bay? Make sure you are being a good steward by reviewing these simple hints (Adobe PDF).
CBF Oyster Restoration—The Oyster Corps is a diverse collection of citizens and students dedicated to the common purpose of restoring oysters to the Chesapeake Bay. There are many ways people can help rebuild the Bay's depleted oyster populations, and participation in any of these activities makes you part of this grassroots movement. Learn about oyster gardening and explore our programs in Maryland and Virginia.
More Student Actions and Projects
Create a Schoolyard Habitat
Download our Schoolyard Habitat Kit (all files are Adobe PDF documents):
- Steps to Create a Schoolyard Habitat - 61K
- Schoolyard Report Card -134K
- Timeline Tips - 54K
- Perc Test Investigation - 78K
- Restoration Project Ideas - 45K
- List of Outdoor Centers, Maryland -29K
- List of Outdoor Centers, Virginia -8K
CBF Volunteer Opportunities
Depending on the season CBF's local offices have a wide range of volunteer activites available from tree planting to oyster restoration projects. See what's available in your area.
Additional Programs
Bay Journal
Subscribe to receive the printed version of this monthly publication with updates on volunteer opportunities within the watershed.
Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education
Has a fantastic schoolyard habitat resource page on every project imaginable with helpful guidelines and tips.
Maryland State Department of Education
Has a great resource for teachers and parents about service learning.
Virginia Naturally
Virginia Naturally provides citizens with "one-stop" shopping to programs and information to learn about Virginia's environment.
