4 GES alumni in current Chesapeake Conservation Corps cohort

Mon, 07 Nov 2016 10:20:07 -0500

This year (2016-2017), four of our recent graduates are currently working as Chesapeake Conservation Corps members, each with a placement in a different organization working throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. More details on their specific CCC postings is provided below. We have had several other GES alum be part of this wonderful program in the past, including Alexa White. We're proud of our GES alumni!

(From left-to-right: Rachel Denby, Ellen Woytowitz, Jake Leizear, Corinne Griffith)

Rachel Denby is at MD DNR in the Monitoring and Non-Tidal Assessment Division. As part of her job, Rachel is a crew member that assists with the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS), all over the state. Through MBSS, they collect data on stream biota (mostly fish), water and physical habitat quality, and geomorphology. Rachel also assists with mussel surveys that take place largely in Harford County and with processing macroinvertebrates with microscopes. During her CCC year, she will also focus on restoring the Blackbanded Sunfish in Maryland, an endangered fish, by developing partnerships and assisting with stream data entry, analysis, interpretation, and presentation.

Ellen Woytowitz will provide support for the USGS MD-DE-DC Water Science Center with the Baltimore Urban Waters Partnership (BUWP), a federal initiative that aims to reconnect urban communities to their waterways. Her capstone project will determine if a relationship exists in the Gwynns Falls watershed between water quality constituents, specifically bacteria and total suspended solids, and proposed factors of influence including climate, land use, sewer overflows, infrastructure repairs, Best Management Practices (BMPs), and socio-economics & demographics. This analysis will help BUWP stakeholders determine if investments in restoration and compliance for stormwater permits, sewer overflow consent decrees, and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) have produced desired improvements in water quality. Additionally, Ellen will assist with fieldwork and data processing for the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) and Baltimore Streamflow Gage Network and Water Quality Real-Time Networks in greater Baltimore and D.C.

Jake Leizear will work with the Chesapeake Conservancy for the next year, focusing on improving access to green spaces and the Patapsco River in Baltimore and raising awareness of and engagement in the Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition. Through this Coalition, the Chesapeake Conservancy works with partners such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks to advance urban wildlife conservation, public access, and environmental opportunities in Baltimore.

Corinne Griffith is working with the Prince Georges County Public Schools, over at the Schmidt Outdoor Education Center. Her role is to facilitate and lead school groups in a unique outdoor education experience. This includes taking children out into the elements and educating them on a diversity of topics, including: stream ecology, forest ecology, and pollination. She is a specialist in the first grade program, but also helps across grade levels.