An

Ecosystem Restoration Partnership

Welcome to Critter Release Day!

Explore PWEC Buffer Garden
Once upon a time, the Chesapeake Bay was naturally clear
water, full of healthy, happy critters, including lots of Fish, Turtles, Crabs and Oysters. The shorelines were lush with native grasses, bushes and trees, which provided food and shelter for critters. There were towns along the shore, and boats that fished or traveled on the waters, but plants, animals, and people lived in pretty good harmonious balance. Gradually with more towns, cities and people, things got out of balance. The critters started to die because their water home was being polluted! On Tilghman Island some people decided to do something about it! So they started the PWEC to help others learn about the Bay, and Inform, Inspire & Involve friends and neighbors to help save the Bay Critters! Phillips Wharf Environmental Center offers hands-on learning and community connection to Bay Life to celebrate and care for our Chesapeake Critters, including turtles, crabs, fish, and oysters. Univesity of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Program - Talbot County are volunteers invested in learning, applying and teaching best practices in horticulture and ecology to help cultivate healthy gardens, landscapes and communities through educational programs and services. Working together, we have created a beautiful, functional and accessible garden that will provide a happy habitat for our Bay Wildlife, and demonstrate how plants, critters and people are part of an interdependent community.

I. Demonstration Garden
Gardens Help Critters! Reduce Water Runoff Beauty, Food & Filtration

II. Earn a PWEC Badge!

Get to know the Natives Adopt a Plant to Grow Try the Word Jumble Color a Garden Picture Or Draw a Rain Garden!

Thanks to the Maryland Environmental Trust (Margaret Rosch Jones Award) and Chesapeake Bay Trust for funding support!

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What

Do You See?

How many different plants? What insects can you find? Which plants have flowers? Do you see any new seeds?

What DONt You See?

Where are the roots? Where does the water go? How do plants get food? Where do birds go when you dont see them?

Gardens Help Our Chesapeake Bay Critters to Thrive!

Did you know?
Rain & Storm Water that runs off of our rooftops, parking lots, or through lawns collects junk (like oil, gasoline, household chemicals) that gets in our Bay and poisons our critters! FACT: 20%-25% of nutrient, toxin, and sediment
pollution in our Bay comes from ways we use land.

Fertilizer and Pesticides will mix with runoff water and spill nutrients into the Bay. When algae dies it takes oxygen away from the water where Bay Critters live and breathe (even if it is by way of fish gills). Gardens can help reduce runoff, and filter out the impurities from water before it reaches the bay, plus gardens are beautiful! Native Plants are the best choice, because they are adapted to our Chesapeake Bay region (without extra fertilizer) and provide the favorite
2 for our critters in both land and sea! food

Buffer Gardens

are located between land

Rain Gardens, Roof Gardens and YOUR Garden can also help clean the Bay! Make A Rain Garden:
Find an area in your yard that is near your drains, streets or streams. Dig down about 8-12 inches to create a bowl to capture & slow down runoff water before it reaches the drains. Mix fresh soil with the soil you dug out, to create a nutritious area for plantings. Select Plants from the list here, or other natives (considering the amount of sun you have) Plant them in any design that you like! Place mulch, pebbles or stepping stones for pathways to allow water to soak in to soil, and to guide visitors.

and water to help filter pollutants and improve water quality. Buffers absorb excess runoff and reduce erosion, while providing beautiful landscapes and food for bees, butterflies and birds. Rain Gardens bring the same, and can be created anywhere rain drains!

Can you identify these Native Plants in the Garden?

Eupatorium dubium (Joe-Pye Weed)

Eupatorium coelestinum (Mist Flower)

Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass)

Baccharis halimifolia (Groundsel Bush) Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress) Calamagrostis canadensis (Bluejoint Grass)

You can also make a Native Rain Garden at home! at home to help the Bay!

 PWEC Activity Pages

Your Name ______________Email______________

PWEC Garden Word Jumble

Can you rearrange the letters below to spell words or names from our Bay Community?

sttroeio __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ rlbeeohnu __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ybrfutetl __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ vntaei __ __ __ __ __ __ ekehacaspe __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ wuslfreon __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ nurfof __ __ __ __ __ __ nragiandr __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ eloepp __ __ __ __ __ __ True or False ?

All plants that grow in local gardens are native. ________ You have to have special training to grow a raingarden. ____________ The Bay has more crab, fish, and oysters today than 20 years ago ____________ There is more pollution now than 20 years ago _________ All Rain Water that flows into the Bay is clean__________ Gardens only provide shelter to land critters. ___________ About 25% of Bay pollution comes from suburban/ urban land use ____________ I learned something today __________
Name 3 things that you can do to help the Bay Critters: 1) 2) 3) Draw or color a critter in the garden picture J 4

Want to learn more?

Wed love to have you visit us again, or you can also keep learning by visiting other gardens and ecology centers around the Chesapeake Bay. There are also lots of activities that you can do as a family to enjoy nature, or create a garden home for nature to come to you! Here are some good websites to explore:
http://www.raingardens.org http://www.nwf.org http://www.natureexplore.org http://www.mastergardener.umd.edu http://www.childrenandnature.org

We are part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, joining our neighboring communities, associations and states at work to save the Bay!