One of Gibson Island Country School’s key goals is to promote and support programs and initiatives in Environmental Studies, which we regard as a fundamental component of young people’s learning in the world today and tomorrow.

At all grade levels, GICS students are involved in environmental learning and other projects that increase their awareness of environmental issues, their partnering skills, and their confidence in people’s ability to effect positive change in the world. Parents and teachers assist them with larger projects, and we use the resources of several different environmental organizations.

Our efforts and initiatives culminated in May 2006 with GICS being named an official Maryland Green School! Recent, current and upcoming student activities include:

• Growing Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in class to then plant in local tributaries
• Growing oysters from spat and helping to revive local oyster reefs
• Monitoring Bay water quality and turbidity
• Studying, recording and drawing fauna and flora along the School’s Nature Trail
• Enhancing the Nature Trail, now equipped with a wetlands observation platform and interpretive Nature Trail signs
• Maintaining a butterfly garden
• Creating habitat for indigenous wildlife and plants with our “No Mow” grassland wildlife and plant species habitat
• In-class projects and off-campus field trips to other ecologically interesting sites
• Sponsoring a school-wide recycling program
• Developing canoeing skills in conjunction with science projects
• Preparing integrated learning activities for our annual Bay Week
• Building artificial reef structures called Reef Balls placed under our pier to conduct a catch and release fishing survey
• Building a multi-stage composting pile
• Raising Terrapin turtles in class for release on Poplar Island
• Constructing and erecting habitat structures for birds including: Wood Duck box, Blue Bird boxes, and an Osprey platform
• Enhancing students’ understanding of environmental issues and ecosystems in science classes taught by the former Co-Director of the Hofstra Marine Laboratory in Jamaica

A multi-constituency Environmental Task Force is currently developing plans for more ambitious projects and other activities that integrate student learning in various disciplines. These will include activities such as:

• Developing a shorebird observation blind
• Adding additional aquariums and terrariums to study marine and dry land ecosystems
• Constructing a “wet lab” extension off the school’s pier
• Raising butterflies to be released into the newly planted butterfly garden
• Participating in the Green Eggs and Sand Program to raise and release Horseshoe Crabs

GICS actively pursues opportunities to involve its families in their children’s learning, and also to partner and share resources with area schools and organizations.

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