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New this year: Enjoy the sounds of ,
a bluegrass band that has a style all their own!!!
During this annual family festival, held each each year on the first Saturday of June, the
Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center invites guests to celebrate the magnificence of the Chesapeake Bay! Come explore native watershed habitats with guided canoe and kayak tours, trail hikes, seining, children's programs and more. The event is free, thanks to support from local organizations.
Guests are invited to bring picnic baskets and dine under the big tent at Lake Knapp. From 11 to 2 p.m., the tent is spirited, with music from the Bay Country Gentlemen!
Mid-day, local politicians lead guests to the Salt Panne, where we all wade-into the bay together to examine the condition of our region’s greatest natural resource.
While on campus, be sure to visit the education pavilion, where river keepers, tributary teams, oyster gardeners, native landscapers, and others are on hand to answer questions about the health of your nearest tributary. Learn what you can do to advance environmental health to benefit us now, and for future generations.
The objective is for guests to have a marvelous time exploring the bay watershed, leaving with a greater awareness of how they can improve bay health, so that we pass along natural resources to the next generation enhanced, not impaired, in value.
2007 Wade-In Photo Album
Guests enjoy seeing live birds of prey, like hawks and owls, and learning
about the forest and meadow habitats that sustain these species.
Conservation is less costly than restoration--preserve native habitats today.
Guests love hearing about horseshoe crabs by CBEC's volunteer biologist,
Anna May Hansen. Horseshoe crabs pre-date the dinosaurs! Anna May
conducts horseshoe crab spawning studies on CBEC's campus each year--volunteers are invited to participate! Horseshoe crabs spawn on sandy
beaches, a habitat that is rapidly disappearing.
Conservation is less costly than restoration--protect native habitats today.
Children discover what it's like to be a waterman, tonging for oysters,
at ORP's Little Nipper booth. ORP planted over 330 million oysters in 2006. A mature oyster can filter up to 60 gallons of water each day.
Underwater robots, fitted with video cameras, help us collect data on a variety of species that reside within the bay. Here, students learn how to operate them by underwater robotics specialist, Doug Levin.
Over 60 people enjoyed kayak tours during this year's festival, led by CBEC volunteer Chris Warren, the English Chair at Kent Island High School.
Many of the guests had never been kayaking before.
You never know what you'll find, seining from CBEC's sandy beach.
Seining helps visitors discover the species that share our Bay,
so they'll want to help keep it clean. Guests can borrow seining
nets anytime, from CBEC's Visitor's Center.
Dip nets are also fun to use. A tidal pool at CBEC's sandy beach
shoreline brings in a variety of species. The shallow water is kid-friendly.
You can borrow dip nets anytime, from the Visitor's Center.
This guest discovered a recently sluffed juvenile crab shell, completely intact.
Do you know what kind of fish these are? You will, if you come visit us!
Guests meet up with old friends, or make new ones during this festival that celebrates the magnificence of the Chesapeake Bay
from our 510 acre waterfront campus of preserved native habitats.
A variety of bay artisans exhibit one-of-a-kind creations, like Wendy Gordon who operates a stained glass and jewerly shop in Historic Stevensville. They make great, one of a kind gifts that you wont find at the mall!
Many of the works of art, like these decoys by the Kent island Carvers,
capture likenesses of the species that share our environment--leaving behind
a record of the species that exist in the Bay watershed today.
While on campus, guests can visit a variety of bay stewardship booths,
like this one from the Master Gardeners, who encourage landscaping with
native plants that don't require a lot of fertilizers.
Fertilizers, pesticides...everything you put on your lawn ends up in the bay.
Tributary team members and riverkeepers are happy to talk to guests
about the health of their local rivers and streams. You can receive a list
of ten things you can do to improve Bay health--like plant a rain garden
to curb run-off, carpool, recycle, and pick-up behind your pet.
Guests can enjoy fresh-off-the-grill hot dogs and chicken, or bring
your own cooler and picnic under the big tent at Lake Knapp,
while listening to live music.
You'll be amazed by the talented musicians of the Bay Country Gentlemen. Watching them is almost as much fun as listening.
Mid-day, guests are led into the bay by our regional Delegate, Richard Sossi. This year, Delegate Sossi supported legislation to advance stormwater management; last year, he sponsored a bill requiring retailers to post warnings about the hazards of overusing fertilizer.
In a tradition started by Senator Bernie Fowler, guests wade out into the bay until they can no longer see their sneakers, raising awareness of the importance of water clarity. When the water is clear, sunlight stimulates the production of underwater grasses. Grasses help oxygenate the water, and provide species with places to feed and hide from predators.
After the wade-in, these volunteers from KIHS enjoyed a refreshing dip.
Before you know it, you're smiling because the Bay is so spectacular!
High school volunteers earn community service hours, helping us set up and clean up the festival. Call us if you'd like to volunteer!
At the welcome booth,
guests are greeted by KIHS volunteers.
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After everyone goes home, the beach gets quiet again and wildlife--like this Killdeer--returns to enjoy native habitats in the magnificent Bay watershed.
Join us next June, when we celebrate the splendor of the Chesapeake Bay during the 10th Annual Wade-In Festival!
Oyster Recovery Partnership
Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Oyster Gardening Program
MD Department of Natural Resources "Casting for Kids"
Maryland's Upper Eastern Shore Tributary Team
Corsica River Conservancy
Sassafras River Keepers
Queen Anne's County Master Gardeners
Legacy Leadership Institute for the Environment
CBEC Reef Restoration & Fish Tagging
CBEC Volunteer Programs
Doug Levin Underwater Robotics Specialist
The Kent Island Carvers
Jean Higgins Wildlife Pottery
Wendy Gordon Stained Glass & Photography
Dale Hall Chesapeake Photography
Robert Taylor Portrait Arts
Adventure Outfitters
What's Up Eastern Shore Magazine
Atlantic Broadband
WCEI Radio
Kent Island High School 9th & 11th Grade Students
+ English Chair Mrs. Chris Warren
CBEC Volunteers: Barb Schmeckpeper, Rose Rowdon,
Walt and Barb Trela, Marilyn Schuler, Rene'e Verney,
Michael Rossbach, Downes Warren, Denny Murphy and
Chrissy Aull, Headmistress of Wye River Upper School.
During the 2007 Wade-In Festival, we were able to open our entire campus
and offer all activities and food for free, thanks to the following businesses, working to unite the community in bay restoration.
Thank you sponsors, we couldn't do it without you.
The Wade-In Festival is a joint collaboration of Maryland's Tributary Team
and the Wildfowl Trust of North America, Inc.
Thank you for helping us unite the community in Bay restoration!
Together, we are passing along natural resources
to the next generation enhanced, not impaired, in value.
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