Bay Backpack

Bay Backpack provides educators with the tools they need to support Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences, or MWEEs, for their students. Explore Bay Backpack for teaching resources, action projects, field experiences, and funding opportunities related to the Chesapeake Bay.

An adult and child planting in a wetland restoration.

What is a MWEE?

Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences, or MWEEs, are the cornerstone upon which the region’s environmental literacy efforts have been built. MWEEs connect standards-based classroom learning with outdoor field experiences to create a deeper understanding of the environment. Through MWEEs, students of all ages develop a sense of environmental ethics and stewardship that will be essential to the long-term sustainability of our local watersheds and will serve as the foundation of a lifelong relationship with the environment.

Learn more about MWEEs

Loading video.

Watch directly on youtube.com.

Popular MWEE Resources for Educators

Teaching Resources

Discover a wealth of environment-related books, multimedia, curriculum guides, individual lesson plans and data sources.

Search Resources

Action Projects

Effectively plan, utilize & sustain a wide variety of school environmental projects.

View Projects

Field Experiences

Find a field trip that gets your students' feet wet and hands dirty.

Explore Field Experiences

Need funding for your MWEE?

Find grant programs in your state.

The Latest Blog Post

Three young student plant trees in a field on a sunny day.

Sharing Climate Change Knowledge, Inspiring Action in the Chesapeake Bay

NOAA Fisheries is helping teachers and students understand climate change—and take relevant action—in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Read full article View all articles