Lessons from Chesapeake Bay Watershed Forum 2025

Micaela Ada and Jenny Smeltzer from our Landscape Design & Environmental Resilience team headed to Shepherdstown, WV, last year to present at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Watershed Forum 2025, and they came back inspired.

Their presentation highlighted the Stormwater Management & Green Infrastructure Design for High School Students Lesson Plans & Toolkit, which was piloted at Central High School in Spring 2024 in collaboration with IB Environmental Systems and Society teacher Ms. Anupama Mahajan. Micaela and Jenny walked attendees through the full arc of the curriculum: the design process, community engagement strategies, maintenance considerations, and honest reflections on lessons learned along the way.

Beyond their own session, the Forum offered a rich look at the broader ecosystem of watershed advocacy from education and environmental protection to community building and active stewardship. It was a powerful reminder of just how many dedicated groups are working to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay region.

And in true Chesapeake fashion, the 25th anniversary was celebrated with oysters freshly shucked from three distinct Bay regions. Let’s just say, Micaela may need to polish her shucking skills before next year’s Forum.

We were proud to see so many of our partners, neighbors, and funders represented at the event, including: