Save the Bay Blog - 2024

  • Save the Bay News: A Blue Crab Mystery, Striped Bass in Trouble, and Our Amazing Volunteers

    October 24, 2024

    This month, we’ve compiled highlights from our fall Save the Bay magazine, including stories on blue crabs, volunteers, and the future of the Bay partnership.

  • The Watershed’s Grand Experiment

    October 21, 2024

    After 40 years at the cutting edge of environmental restoration, can the Chesapeake Bay Partnership again reinvent itself in time to save the Bay in the 21st Century?

  • Choose to Make a Difference

    October 18, 2024

    CBF Maryland Oyster Restoration Coordinator Kellie Fiala shares her experience pursuing a career in the environment. Find out more about environmentally focused education.

  • A Blue Crab Mystery

    October 17, 2024

    The population isn’t crashing, but it isn’t exactly thriving either. What’s going on?

  • All for Clean Water

    October 15, 2024

    Our volunteers are the backbone of everything we do. From growing oysters to planting trees to speaking with legislators, CBF volunteers are committed to saving the Bay in any way they can. Take a look at these six individuals who tirelessly work to do their part for clean water. We're grateful for all they do.

  • Save the Bay News: Voting for the Bay

    September 27, 2024

    Stories, resources, and other things you need to know to vote for the Bay

  • The Bay Watershed's 11 Most Unexpected Places to Vote

    September 24, 2024

    What's it like to cast your vote at a whiskey distillery, nature center, or Pennsylvania Dutch Smorgasbord?

  • All for an Oyster

    September 18, 2024

    This past year, CBF and our partners added millions of baby oysters into Chesapeake Bay waters. Take a look into their journey. You may be surprised the lengths we’ll go to, all for an oyster.

  • This Is the Moment—To Think Big for the Chesapeake Bay

    September 12, 2024

    CBF President and CEO Hilary Harp Falk addresses why it's important the members of the Chesapeake Executive Council meet in December and recommit to a clean Bay.

  • Counteract Screen Time with Outdoor Learning

    September 9, 2024

    Time and again, research shows that spending time outside boosts material learned, improves attention and focus, and strengthens social skills.

  • Restoring a Spring on Family Land

    September 6, 2024

    Motivated by memories of the past and the desire to leave a legacy for the future, a West Virginia landowner's decision to restore a spring that starts on his family's farm has revived the brook trout population and made the water there and downstream cleaner in the present.

  • Maryland Has a Clear Path for Cleaner Waterways

    September 5, 2024

    Progress and potential. That is how the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) described current Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts in its latest two-year milestone report. But with Maryland reporting 83 percent to 100 percent achievement toward its goals for nutrient and sediment pollution reduction, some might wonder—why aren’t we seeing more improvement in Bay water quality?

  • Bringing Back Brook Trout

    August 29, 2024

    How restoring West Virginia's native brook trout also restores water quality, and the critical partnerships making this important work happen.

  • Save the Bay News: Restoration at a Crossroads, a West Virginia Success Story, and What Happens to Fish in a Dead Zone

    August 23, 2024

    This month we look at the importance of recommitting to the Bay’s restoration and the consequences for current and future efforts.

  • Between a Dead Zone and a Hot Place

    August 20, 2024

    Rising water temperatures and low-oxygen areas are yet another stressor for striped bass—especially young striped bass—in the Chesapeake Bay during summer. While management actions are the most immediate way to help striped bass, addressing chronic problems like the dead zone remains critical to the species’ long-term prospects.

  • Keeping West Virginia's Water Wild, Woolly, and Wonderful

    August 15, 2024

    A West Virginia couple's dedication to protecting the headwaters of the Lost River and reforesting part of their farm are helping downstream brook trout and improving water quality from the headwaters of the Potomac River to the Chesapeake Bay.

  • Youngkin Can Help Sustain the James River

    August 2, 2024

    This year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin must commit to continue working with other states in the region to ensure future generations can enjoy clean waterways.

  • Power Plant Emissions Limits Mean a More Climate-Resilient Watershed and Cleaner Air for Everyone

    July 30, 2024

    CBF has been working tirelessly for strong federal safeguards to fight climate change and protect vulnerable communities from dangerous NOx emissions.

  • Clean the Bay RVA Volunteers Remove Litter and Make Art at Pony Pasture

    July 22, 2024

    Chesapeake Bay Foundation volunteers filled ten 30-gallon trash bags with litter at Pony Pasture Saturday, improving local waterways and raising awareness of the impacts of pollution as some volunteers transformed the litter into art.

  • A Bay Champion Lost

    July 15, 2024

    CBF mourns the tremendous loss of Doug Myers, Maryland Senior Scientist, staunch environmental advocate, compassionate friend.

  • Planting Roots in the Bay

    July 9, 2024

    CBF Student Leader Brianna Akuamoah-Boateng reflects on her Bay experiences and looks to the future.

  • Everybody’s Fish: Striped Bass on the Move

    July 5, 2024

    Their impressive annual migrations from estuarine nurseries to summer ocean feeding grounds make striped bass a cultural icon along the Atlantic Coast. But with populations struggling, the fish need many helping hands along the way.

  • Legislators, Governor Must Build on Clean Water Momentum with Greater Investments in ACAP

    July 2, 2024

    The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is calling on Pennsylvania’s Governor and legislators to step up to the plate again, by including increased and sustained investments in the Clean Streams Fund and Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program that help farmers reduce pollution.

  • Save the Bay News: Blue Crabs Abroad, Osprey, and a Summer Vacation for Striped Bass

    June 29, 2024

    This month, we explore all the incredible wildlife our Chesapeake Bay has to offer, the threats these critters face, and what we can do to help.

  • The Osprey Garden: A Chesapeake Eden at Risk

    June 25, 2024

    In the 1960s and ’70s, osprey almost entirely disappeared from the Bay region. The reason? The harmful insecticide DDT. After the chemical was banned, the Bay's osprey population rebounded. But today, in one portion of the Bay, osprey have plummeted to even lower levels.

  • A Rising Tide for Climate Literacy

    June 24, 2024

    Over the past school year, CBF partnered with Anne Arundel County Public Schools to develop classroom investigations studying climate resiliency and the local impacts of climate change. The new program lead to the first field experience in Annapolis in May.

  • Blue Catfish Conundrum

    June 21, 2024

    While invasive blue catfish continue to eat the Chesapeake Bay alive, the voracious predators are being released and welcomed into parts of Pennsylvania, where they are native.

  • To Thrive in the Chesapeake Bay, Striped Bass Need a Summer Vacation

    June 20, 2024

    The hot days of summer are when striped bass are most vulnerable. With the right steps now, we can rebuild a healthy striped bass fishery for the future. Anglers, find out what you can do this summer to give striped bass a boost.

  • Bonjour Blue Crabs: Low in Chesapeake, On the Rise Elsewhere

    June 14, 2024

    While the recent blue crab survey showed numbers remain low for blue crabs in the Chesapeake, this iconic Bay species is showing up in wildly unexpected places across the globe, including France, Croatia, and Maine.

  • Marvelous Macros: Tiny Aquatic Creatures With an Important Message

    May 29, 2024

    By looking at the 'bugs' below the water's surface, we can all learn more about the health of rivers and streams.

  • Maryland’s Future Depends on Outdoor Learning

    May 28, 2024

    Research shows that outdoor learning helps students improve resilience, problem solving, critical thinking, leadership and teamwork and leads to higher test scores and stronger engagement in school.

  • Save the Bay News: Places to Explore, Richmond's Lorax, and Striped Bass Spawning

    May 24, 2024

    This month, we're highlighting some of our favorite stories from the spring edition of Save the Bay magazine!

  • The Year of the Tree

    May 21, 2024

    CBF backed nine tree conservation bills in Virginia in 2024, and a historic number of them made it all the way to the governor’s desk. CBF's Ann Jurczyk is one reason advocacy is paying off.

  • Portrait of a Watershed

    May 20, 2024

    At any given moment, a seemingly endless number of variables are interacting across our 64,000-square-mile watershed. Scientists and researchers use two primary tools to paint a picture of the Bay, its rivers and streams, and the progress being made to restore them.

  • Places to Go, Things to Do in the Chesapeake Region

    May 14, 2024

    11 magical Bay watershed destinations to explore this spring and summer.

  • An Uncertain Nursery

    May 13, 2024

    The Chesapeake Bay is a famed spawning ground for Atlantic striped bass. But changeable—and changing—conditions are likely contributing to the species’ troubles.

  • Our 5 Favorite Things About Spring on the Chesapeake

    May 7, 2024

    The locusts are blooming, the ospreys are cheeping, and the calendars are filling up! Now's the time to savor everything there is to love about spring on the Chesapeake.

  • Oyster Reef Thrives Below Abandoned Harbor Fort

    May 4, 2024

    Even in what might seem like the unlikeliest of places, oysters have proven themselves resilient and will help us grow a better future.

  • Innovations in Oyster Aquaculture

    May 1, 2024

    Oyster Girl Oysters works to create a novel, low-cost system for flipping oyster cages and advancing the aquaculture industry.

  • Save the Bay News: River Revitalization, Ticks, and a Bay for Everyone

    April 26, 2024

    Despite the vast scale of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, restoration is often hyperlocal and deeply personal. Read on for stories of people and communities connecting to clean water and working to save the Bay.

  • Does the Chesapeake Bay Get Allergies?

    April 24, 2024

    Every April, pollen becomes an inescapable part of life in the Chesapeake region. Trees, following their age-old instinct to reproduce, release puffs of this fine yellow-green dust. What does it mean for the Bay?

  • Shaped by a Salamander

    April 23, 2024

    Five years after their triumphant campaign to crown the Eastern hellbender as Pennsylvania’s state amphibian, former CBF student leaders are taking on the world of conservation, education, and law.

  • A Minuscule Pest with a Powerful Impact

    April 18, 2024

    Lyme disease cases have nearly doubled in the United States over the past two decades. What is behind these numbers, and what does it mean for our environment and our health?

  • Bay Foundation Equity Director Wants Advocacy as Diverse as Nature

    April 16, 2024

    Carmera Thomas-Wilhite is the first vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in CBF's history, and a leading regional voice on the critical topic.

  • Maryland’s 2024 General Assembly: What Happened for the Bay?

    April 9, 2024

    The past 90 days have been a whirlwind of legislative activity in Annapolis. We take a look back at both the wins and losses for clean water.

  • Standing Up for the Environment and Green Schools

    April 8, 2024

    Anna Saderholm spent much of her early educational days in the outdoors and learning about our environment through valuable experiences, including growing baby oysters with CBF in the 4th grade. Recently, she reflected on her journey from environmentally conscious child to advocating for green education in the Maryland General Assembly.

  • Reconnecting with Their Ancestral Land and River

    April 5, 2024

    Last month, CBF, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and volunteers joined the Nansemond Indian Nation for a tree planting that deepened their connection to their ancestral riverfront land

  • Dire Need of Conservation

    April 4, 2024

    There’s a hard truth we must accept when it comes to Chesapeake stripers. There will be no future for striped bass, or the charter captains and watermen who rely on them, if we stick with the status quo.

  • Cultivating Community

    March 20, 2024

    Smithsburg, Maryland farmer Matt Harsh discusses the value of locally grown produce, regenerative agriculture, and community engagement at his 78 Acres Farm.

  • The Chesapeake in Pictures

    March 18, 2024

    For close to 20 years now, thousands of photographers have shared with us what makes the Chesapeake region so special. Here are just a few of their views of the watershed.

  • For Thriving Farms in The Future, Congress Must Fully Fund Conservation Programs Now

    March 14, 2024

    For a future with healthy farms we need to fully fund federal cost-share programs today that help farmers adopt conservation practices that improve their soil.

  • In Pennsylvania, I See Hope for Our Environmental Future

    March 11, 2024

    Hope can be elusive in the world of environmental restoration. To move beyond the status quo, we need a paradigm shift. It might very well resemble some of the quietly momentous work underway in Pennsylvania.

  • Save the Bay News: Menhaden Misstep, Oyster Report, and Striped Bass Latest

    March 7, 2024

    From our latest oyster report to an update on striped bass and yet another setback for menhaden, take a look at this month's newsletter featuring the Bay's beloved fisheries.

  • Secrets of the Striper

    March 6, 2024

    As pressures mount for striped bass, scientists are broadening the window on the hidden lives of these celebrated fish—while managers race to save them.

  • One-on-One with The General Assembly

    March 1, 2024

    Advocates take a ‘rare opportunity’ to meet with legislators on the importance of tree conservation, water quality, and climate resiliency bills.

  • Testifying on Behalf of Living Shorelines

    February 28, 2024

    Maryland student Leader Kate Johnson recently spoke on behalf of critical legislation in front of the state General Assembly.

  • Little Fish, Big Trouble (Again)

    February 26, 2024

    Despite its importance to the Bay's ecosystem, menhaden face substantial pressure from the commercial fishing industry. And in yet another legislative setback, critical science needed to make informed decisions about "the most important fish in the sea" has been delayed once more.

  • Hope on the Half Shell

    February 22, 2024

    The Chesapeake Bay is now home to the world’s largest oyster reef restoration projects—and they’re showing incredible success. What comes next?

  • In Virginia, Hope Grows on Trees

    February 21, 2024

    Virginia’s trees are disappearing. A tree planting in Norfolk—and conservation efforts from state lawmakers—offer signs of hope.

  • Journey into the Heart of the Bay

    February 20, 2024

    CBF’s inaugural Middle School Bay Eco-Camp offered salt marsh and island explorations, star-lit hikes, and life-changing learning experiences.

  • Let's Go Outdoors!

    February 15, 2024

    Tarsha and Keisha Scovens' Let’s Go Outdoors (LGO) program is increasing family engagement in outdoor recreation, and teaching diverse youth and adults in under-represented communities in Lancaster and Philadelphia about the environment and conservation.

  • Lawmakers Must Prioritize Conservation, Climate Legislation

    February 8, 2024

    When it comes down to it, environmental policy is about people. In 2024, our elected officials can leave a legacy of supporting a healthier environment and improving Virginians’ well-being.

  • Climate Resiliency Demands Resilient Funding

    February 6, 2024

    Climate change is no longer knocking at Virginia’s door; it’s inside the commonwealth’s house—with no plans to leave. Protecting Virginians from this urgent situation requires resilient solutions. And resilient solutions need consistent investment.

  • When It Rains It Pours — With Road Salt It Creates a Bad Brew

    February 1, 2024

    It's that time of year when we're all looking for ways to manage the snow that falls on our streets, walkways, and driveways. Road deicers are most often some forms of salt, which create an unsavory, salty situation in our streams.

  • Save the Bay News: Industrial Sludge, Living Shorelines, and What’s Ahead in 2024

    January 26, 2024

    Advocacy efforts are in full swing this month as legislators return to state houses and the Capitol. Take a look at our top priorities for the Bay in the coming months.

  • Are Toxic Chemicals in your Neighborhood?

    January 24, 2024

    The Virginia General Assembly is considering a bill that would ban cancer-linked products. Here's why they should pass the ban.

  • Five Ways We’re Advocating for the Bay in 2024

    January 23, 2024

    Legislative sessions have kicked off around the watershed. Here’s what we’re fighting for in 2024.

  • For Family, Farming, and Clean Water

    January 19, 2024

    Cost-share funds available through Pennsylvania's Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) help Greg Strayer keep his family farm going, so that someday he can pass it to his children.

  • Don't Leave Lakeside Planning up to Chance

    January 3, 2024

    Talbot County officials should closely monitor the development's growth and ensure sewage discharge and other plans are not harming Talbot's way of life.




Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in the media or articles on this site are those of the speakers or authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions held by CBF and the inclusion of such information does not imply endorsement by CBF. CBF is not responsible for the contents of any linked Website, or any link contained in a linked Website, or any changes or updates to such Websites. The inclusion of any link is provided only for information purposes.


The Bay Needs You

The State of the Bay Report makes it clear that the Bay needs our support now more than ever. Your donation helps the Chesapeake Bay Foundation maintain our momentum toward a restored Bay, rivers, and streams for today and generations to come.

Donate Today

Stay Up-to-Date on Bay News

Want to stay up-to-date on all news and happenings in your region and across the Chesapeake watershed? Join our digital community.

Sign Up
x
This website uses cookies to tailor and enhance your online experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more information, including details on how to disable cookies, please visit our Privacy Policy. Close