Courtesy of Bowie State University
Bowie State University, in collaboration with a local environmental group, will restore forested areas on the north-eastern boundary of the campus for recreational and research purposes.
The university is working with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, which received a $579,576 grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake WILD program to restore hundreds of acres of forests and wetlands areas. Bowie State’s campus contains about 86 acres of the larger forested area, located just beyond Bulldog Stadium and stretches to the Patuxent River. Maryland Park Service will also be a major partner in the project.
“This starts with an ongoing relationship that the Alliance and Bowie State University have fostered,” said Jenny McGarvey, the Alliance’s Capacity Building Initiative director. “This land can not only be a wonderful place for recreation for students, but it’s also going to be a learning laboratory for faculty.”
The project will focus on restoring 255 acres of land near the corridor of Route 197. Activities include clearing brush from overgrown trails and making the area accessible for the campus and broader community. The university would be responsible for maintaining the acreage on its campus, while the remaining land would be managed by the Maryland Park Service.
Additionally, the project will engage BSU students through internships and entry-level jobs, guided field experiences, and course integration with the Department of Natural Sciences.
“Anytime you’re restoring natural habitats, you’re helping the environment,” said Jabari Walker, Bowie State’s energy and sustainability coordinator. “Anytime you allow people to go outside and commune with nature, that’s always good mentally and physically.”