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Schools and Streams

The Schools & Streams project is a unique partnership of Howard County Master Gardeners, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Howard County Public School System. Each spring, since 1996, Howard County Master Gardeners guide school children in planting riparian buffers to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.

All 5th grade students in Howard County learn about riparian buffers in a science unit called "Ecosystems". they then take a field trip to the Schools & Streams planting site designated by the Department of Recreation and Parks. There Master Gardeners teach the students about the native trees to be planted along streams as "living filters" to absorb nutrients that otherwise would degrade the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay. They then guide the students in planting the trees. The trees are bought with a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Since its inception the Master Gardener Schools & Streams program has helped some 18,000 5th grade students plant approximately 7200 trees in Howard County. In 2006 alone 41 Master Gardeners contributed 490 volunteer hours during planting dates at the West Friendship Park. They taught 2937 students from 27 Howard County public schools (plus chaperones and teachers) how to plant 1288 trees.

This highly visible project has been the recipient of many awards including:

For more information, contact WebMaster

Last updated: 09/8/2007