With another school year wrapping up, thoughts turn to summer fun and what could be better than playing and relaxing outdoors? It’s a great way to unwind, find new interests, stay active, and even continue and reinforce the learning. Here are some resources to help give you ideas for where to go and what to do outdoors in Maryland this summer - or any time, all year.

June 1-9 is Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week! Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week is a time for us to celebrate the culture, history and natural beauty of the Bay and its surrounding lands, rivers and streams. From upstate New York to southern Virginia, and West Virginia’s panhandle to eastern Delaware, we all share a piece of the nation’s largest estuary and our daily actions have a direct impact on the Bay

On May 18, 2019, celebrate Kids to Parks Day—a nationwide celebration of the great outdoors organized by the National Park Trust designed to connect kids and families with their local, state, and national parks and public lands.

Teachers on the Estuary (Tote) is a workshop designed to support teachers’ understanding of Chesapeake Bay issues through participant-driven field experiences and authentic research.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Water Resources Mission Area is excited to announce the launch of a new, mobile-ready water.usgs.gov website. The new site is mobile-friendly, features the latest USGS Water activities and priorities, and includes the highly popular Water Science School in a new, easy-to-use format.

Each year, the USA celebrates National Environmental Education Week. This year, we recognize the week of April 22-26. See how Bay Backpack can help you to build new programs or strengthen existing programs to keep the celebration going!

Wild at Schools were free, in-school programs tailored to meet curriculum requirements. Program were presented by staff or trained volunteers, but at this time, the program now consists of online lesson plans and resources. Lessons target elementary students (grades K-5) but will be expanded for middle and high schools.

This compelling story by Cheryle Franceschi tells about Roosevelt’s reforestation army and the tribute made by the boys in Maryland’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) honoring those men who improved, restored, and enhanced our national public lands. Included in this story is a downloadable Universal Design Learning Plan. The material is tied to STEM & Humanities curriculum.

This summer NOAA, DE Sea Grant, MD NERRS, and DE NERRS are partnering to offer the 2019 Climate Change Academy for Educators. This includes both online and in-person components in addition to implementation of climate topics into your class/programs.

The Bay Backpack eNewsletter is a quarterly newsletter that is mailed across the four seasons. This resource is intended for both educators and anyone who has a deep appreciation for environmental education. Content is comprised of recent news happening in schools, upcoming events, professional development, and funding opportunities. To subscribe, visit baybackpack.com and enter your email address in the bottom box. Thank you for reading and we appreciate all of the work you do each day to support this important cause.