Maryland is the first State to enact

Baltimore, MD, June 21, 2011 - "This is what the Chesapeake Bay has been longing for for years-- a plan to make sure it's future leaders know, understand and love the Bay so they can make good decisions now and tomorrow with its health in mind," says Mark Scallion, Director of Pickering Creek Audubon Center.

In an historic vote, the Maryland State Board of Education provided specific guidance to all public schools to require that each student be environmentally literate before he or she graduates from high school. The vote cements Maryland as the first state in the country to approve a graduation requirement in environmental literacy, a credit to Governor O'Malley, to board members, and to Dr. Nancy Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools.

Audubon has been a major player in Maryland in making sure students of all walks of life have the opportunity to get outside and learn form the natural world around them on a regular basis. School programs written in cooperation with Talbot County Public Schools which directly correlate with state and school curriculum have been offerd by Pickering Creek Audubon Center for over 15 years. In Baltimore City, Patterson Park Audubon Center has been offering environmental education programs for schools in walking distance from the park since 2007, tying students to the natural resources right in their own 'backyard'-- connecting them with the bay and the ecosystmes beyond the perceived walls of the city.

"We're looking forward to sharing our experiences with Baltimore City and Eastern Shore school systems as they work to formulate their plans to carryout this new graduation requirement," says Jacquelyn Bonomo, Executive Director of Audubon Maryland-DC.

 To read more about this historic vote, click here.

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Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world.