The Chesapeake Network is a site for sharing resources, webinars, events, jobs, and more, hosted by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. Join today to stay connected and up to date on watershed wide information.
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added a new Job in Chesapeake Network
Posted November 27, 2023
Campus & Housing Coordinator – Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Salary: $53,105 per year, plus health and retirement benefits and paid leave Deadline: Dec. 11, 2023 Anticipated start date: February 1, 2024 To apply: Visit the official job ad at the Smithsonian Trust Careers site. Questions? Contact SERCcampusmanager@si.edu. Do not send applications to this email. Job Description: The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is a…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted October 19, 2023
Tuesday, 10/24/2023: What’s For Dinner? Reconnecting Our Food With Our Climate
What would a future with sustainable food look like? On Oct. 24, join Dr. Jessica Fanzo, author of “Can Fixing Dinner Fix the Planet?” for a look at how we can mitigate climate change and feed 9.7 billion people by 2050. Our food systems have become increasingly fragile in the face of climate change, ongoing…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted September 15, 2023
Tuesday, 09/19/2023: Earth Optimism Webinar: The Mysterious Migrations of Cownose Rays
Cownose rays are enigmatic and sometimes controversial summer residents of Chesapeake Bay. At the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, marine biologists led by Dr. Matt Ogburn have been tagging these rays and tracking their migrations since 2014. On Sept. 19, Matt will reveal a few discoveries from this 9-year tracking effort—including the rays’ little-known overwintering habitat,…
added a new Job in Chesapeake Network
Posted August 18, 2023
Management and Program Analyst (Human Resources) – Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Job Type: Full-time, federal. Limited telework is negotiable. Compensation: GS-9 ($64,732 per year plus federal benefits plan including: annual and sick leave, group health insurance, retirement and saving plans) How to Apply: Apply through USAJOBS (announcement number 23R-ST-309470-DEU-SERC). We are unable to accept applications directly to SERC. Questions? Contact Brian Coyle (coyleb@si.edu) with the following subject…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted August 10, 2023
Tuesday, 08/15/2023: Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar: Archaeology and the Transformation of Southern Maryland (Edgewater, Maryland)
The landscape of southern Maryland bears little resemblance to what it was 300, 200 and even 100 years ago. Archaeology has uncovered the movement of soils and the creation of new hills and basins. Join Jim Gibb, head of the Smithsonian Environmental Archaeology Lab, for a journey across an ever-changing terrain. Starting at SERC’s historic…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted July 12, 2023
Tuesday, 07/18/2023: Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar: Virginia Working Landscapes
Discover how we can transform landscapes to support people and nature! The Smithsonian’s Virginia Working Landscapes program aims to study and promote the conservation of native biodiversity and sustainable land management, through research that occurs almost entirely on privately-owned lands. In this webinar Dr. Amy Johnson, a conservation biologist and director of the National Zoo’s…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted June 13, 2023
Tuesday, 06/20/2023: Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar: Assisted Reproduction in the Cheetah (Virtual)
The fastest land animal on Earth is quickly running out of time. As cheetah populations in the wild continue to decline, our zoo populations are becoming even more critical to the future of the species. On June 20, learn about the difficulties of managing and reproducing these cats with Dr. Adrienne Crosier, a cheetah biologist…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted January 10, 2023
Tuesday, 01/17/2023: Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar: Mangroves and the Mangrove Finch in the Galápagos
Journey to the Galápagos Islands, with Smithsonian mangrove ecologist Candy Feller! In the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s first Earth Optimism webinar of the year, Candy will introduce you to the mangrove finch, one of the famous “Darwin’s finches” that inspired the theory of evolution. Found only on the Galápagos, mangrove finches are on the verge…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted October 17, 2022
Tuesday, 10/18/2022: Saving the Earth by Exploring the Stars: A Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar
Este evento se traducirá al español! Los participantes podrán leer los subtítulos o escuchar la traducción. (This event will be translated into Spanish! Attendees will be able to read Spanish captions or listen to the translation.) Find out how going to space has helped improve live on Earth, in the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s final…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted September 9, 2022
Tuesday, 09/20/2022: Bioluminescence to Invasions: The Fascinating World of Phytoplankton (Virtual)
Where can you find algae that glow? In some coastal waters, when the water gets agitated, thousands of microscopic phytoplankton produce a greenish-blue flash of light, creating “bioluminescent bays” and lagoons. On Sept. 20, join Smithsonian marine ecologist Dr. Brenda María Soler-Figueroa to hear about the importance of these unique ecosystems, and their current status…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted August 10, 2022
Tuesday, 08/16/2022: Maryland’s Native Bees: A Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar (Online, Zoom)
Maryland is home to roughly 450 different bee species. Their numbers and ranges are driven by their deep and often very specialized relationships with flowering plants. In this Earth Optimism webinar, biologist Sam Droege of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center will decode some of the patterns to those relationships, and how they shape where,…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted July 21, 2022
Tuesday, 07/26/2022: Elevating Women in Science: A Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar
On the journey from student to scientist, there are pivotal moments where women stop pursuing STEM careers—a phenomenon that researchers have dubbed “the leaky pipeline.” Stephanie Stack, chief biologist with the Pacific Whale Foundation, has first-hand experience balancing motherhood with a fulltime career in science. In this webinar, she explains the barriers that exist to…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted July 18, 2022
Tuesday, 07/19/2022: Hope for Humpbacks: A Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar (Online)
Humpback whales are a conservation success story, having largely recovered from the threat of commercial whaling. But they still need our help. In this webinar, biologist Stephanie Stack of the Pacific Whale Foundation will share tales from her 10 years of research on humpback whales. She will discuss the most urgent threats to whales today, why whales…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted June 23, 2022
Saturday, 06/25/2022: Smithsonian Amateur Radio Group Field Day (Edgewater, MD)
Join the Smithsonian Amateur Radio Group, for a 24-hour broadcast at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)! On the fourth weekend of June of each year, thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from the great outdoors, for an event known as ARRL Field Day. This year,…
added a new Job in Chesapeake Network
Posted June 23, 2022
Grants & Administration Specialist – Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (Edgewater, MD)
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) seeks a motivated Grants and Administration Specialist to serve as an integral member of the SERC Admin Team. SERC is a research institute of the Smithsonian Institution dedicated to ecological and environmental research and education. Its Edgewater, Maryland, campus consists of 2,650 acres of forest, farmland and wetlands, and 15…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted June 13, 2022
Tuesday, 06/21/2022: Earth Optimism Webinar: Advancing Equity in Urban Greenspace (Online – Zoom)
Ancestral wounding and historical trauma are key players in the lack of diversity in nature-based programs. Atiya Wells founded the nonprofit Backyard Basecamp to help communities of color in Baltimore City reconnect with nature, starting with their own backyards. With the BLISS Meadows project, Backyard Basecamp has also reclaimed 10 acres of vacant land in…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted May 11, 2022
Tuesday, 05/17/2022: Earth Optimism Webinar: Following African Mammals with the Movement of Life
For over 100 years, the Smithsonian has been a leader in wildlife tracking, using the latest technologies to better understand animal movement and conserve their populations. Today those efforts have come together under a single network: The Movement of Life Initiative. On May 17, join wildlife ecologist Jared Stabach of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute,…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted April 14, 2022
Tuesday, 04/19/2022: Earth Optimism Webinar: A Forest Restoration, Reimagined
What happens when you take acres of abandoned farm fields and plant a forest on top of them? In spring 2013, scientists and volunteers planted 20,000 trees as part of a massive experiment known as BiodiversiTREE, at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. Now starting its tenth year, the project has become the…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted April 14, 2022
Tuesday, 04/26/2022: Earth Optimism Webinar: Changing the Future Landscape of a Watershed, One Policy at a Time (Edgewater, Maryland)
The science has been clear for a long time: To protect streams—and the Chesapeake Bay—from pollution, it’s imperative to reduce impervious surfaces like roads and parking lots. While science can define our problems and point us in the right direction, policy is a critical player in delivering solutions. On April 26, join us for a…
added a new Job in Chesapeake Network
Posted April 8, 2022
Webmaster & Digital Content Specialist – Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (Edgewater, MD)
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) seeks a Webmaster/Digital Content Specialist to join its Communications Office, to help share the wonder of science and the natural world with its online communities! The Webmaster will work with a dynamic team of researchers and public engagement specialists at SERC, including environmental educators, citizen science coordinators, ecologists and science…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted March 8, 2022
Tuesday, 03/15/2022: Earth Optimism Webinar: When & Where To Find The Most Jaw-Dropping Birds, Blooms and Beasts in the Mid-Atlantic
Este evento se traducirá a español! Participantes podrán leer subtítulos o escuchar la traducción. Learn when and where to find some of the Mid-Atlantic’s most jaw-dropping plant and animal life, with nature photographer and Virginia Master Naturalist Barbara Saffir. In this joyful spring jaunt, she’ll reveal wildflowers worthy of Monet; a bounty of beasts; and…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted February 4, 2022
Tuesday, 02/15/2022: Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar: The Comeback of the Chesapeake’s Underwater Grasses
Discover how the return of seagrasses is transforming life in the Chesapeake, at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)’s next free Earth Optimism webinar! Over the last century, the mid-Atlantic’s underwater grasses have gone from one disaster to another—from wasting disease to hurricanes to nutrient pollution. But in the past few years, the Chesapeake Bay…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted January 10, 2022
Tuesday, January 18, 2022: Tuesday, January 18, 2022: Nature’s Role in Future Climate – A Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar (Virtual)
Note: Due to a family emergency, we had to cancel Dr. Cynthia Gilmour’s originally scheduled talk on mercury pollution on Jan. 18, and are replacing it with the climate change talk at the same time below. Virtual Earth Optimism lectures are back for the new year at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)! The 2022…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted January 4, 2022
Tuesday, January 18, 2022: Earth Optimism Webinar – Topic Change! Nature’s Role in Future Climate
Note: Due to a family emergency, we had to cancel Dr. Cynthia Gilmour’s originally scheduled talk on mercury pollution on Jan. 18, and are replacing it with the climate change talk at the same time below. Virtual Earth Optimism lectures are back for the new year at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)! The 2022…
added a new Announcement in Chesapeake Network
Posted November 19, 2021
Winter Photo Challenge: 12 Nights of Solstice
Where do you find life and beauty in the dead of winter? Share your inspirational winter photos for the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)’s 2021 Winter Photo Challenge. A panel of judges will choose 12 winning photos to feature on SERC’s social media for a 12 Nights of Solstice celebration starting Dec. 21. This year’s…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted October 14, 2021
Tuesday, October 19, 2021: Earth Optimism Webinar: From Global Change to Local Action, with Katharine Hayhoe (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (online))
Are we still able to act on climate? In the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s last evening lecture of the year, join Dr. Katharine Hayhoe as she untangles the science connecting our choices today to future impacts, and highlights climate solutions that are already happening here in the Chesapeake and around the world. Katharine Hayhoe is…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted September 14, 2021
Tuesday, September 21, 2021: Webinar – Stories from the Smithsonian’s “Wetland of the Future”
Fast forward to the year 2100, with a sneak peek at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s “wetland of the future.” On Sept. 21, Smithsonian ecologists James Holmquist and Genevieve Noyce will reveal the latest findings from the Smithsonian’s Global Change Research Wetland. Here, scientists are running futuristic climate change experiments that raise temperature, carbon dioxide…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted August 24, 2021
Tuesday, August 31, 2021: A Return to 1774: The 21st-Century Restoration of the James Brice House (Annapolis, MD) (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center)
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the James Brice House, a 5-part colonial mansion in Maryland dating back to 1774. Walk through the house on a prerecorded virtual tour with Historic Annapolis preservationist Michael Day, as he explores the daunting task of restoring the mansion to its original 1774 appearance. Mostly shrouded in mystery for decades,…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted August 16, 2021
Tuesday, August 17, 2021: Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar: Sea Turtle Rehabilitation at the National Aquarium (Online – Zoom)
Discover what goes into rescuing endangered sea turtles, with Animal Rescue Director Jennifer Dittmar of the National Aquarium! All seven of the world’s sea turtle species are either threatened or endangered, though some are common, seasonal visitors to the mid-Atlantic and New England during warmer months. The National Aquarium has been rehabilitating sick and injured…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted July 14, 2021
Tuesday, July 20, 2021: Through Ebony Eyes – Preserving the Legacy of Blacks on the Chesapeake (Online – Smithsonian Environmental Research Center)
Speaker: Vince Leggett, Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation For over 200 years, Black men and women have kept the seafood and maritime industries alive on the Chesapeake Bay. Yet few history books have recognized their contributions. The Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation, created by Vince Leggett, has amassed a rich collection of artifacts, oral histories…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted June 10, 2021
Tuesday, June 15, 2021: Landscaping for Biodiversity, A Plant-Insect Perspective (Online – Smithsonian Environmental Research Center)
While insects often get a bad rap in gardens, a wide array of insects are quietly performing essential functions for food webs and ecosystems. On Tuesday, June 15, University of Maryland researcher Karin Burghardt will introduce you to some of the fascinating insects that dwell in spaces we occupy every day: our gardens, yards and parks. She’ll…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted May 14, 2021
Tuesday, May 18, 2021: Smithsonian Webinar: Lessons for Addressing Climate Change from the COVID-19 Pandemic (Online – Zoom)
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a crisis unlike any other in living memory. It has also exposed the consequences of failing to prepare for catastrophic risk on a global scale. Both pandemics and climate change act as threat multipliers that amplify risks to global political stability, economic security and social welfare, while generating profound uncertainty…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted April 12, 2021
Tuesday, April 20, 2021: Earth Optimism Webinar: The Hidden Workings of Forests And Their Future (Virtual)
On April 20, join three Smithsonian forest scientists for a special pre-Earth Day virtual panel. Discover how trees store and move carbon, from the level of microscopic cells to the sweeping canopies of America’s woodlands. The scientists will share decades of knowledge from the forests of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland. They’ll also…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted March 10, 2021
Tues. March 16: Webinar: The Quest To Understand (And Manage) Invasive Phragmites (Online – Zoom)
Since the 1970s, the invasive reed Phragmites australis has been taking over wetlands across the U.S. In this webinar, Smithsonian ecologists Melissa McCormick and Dennis Whigham will explore what set the stage for its explosive invasion, and share discoveries from over a decade of Phragmites research at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. They will also highlight efforts to…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted February 10, 2021
February 23, 2021: Game Camera Workshop: How to Track Wildlife in Your Own Backyard (Virtual) (Online)
Did you get inspired by SERC’s evening lecture on river otters? Are you interested in learning more about using game cameras to look at the wildlife around you at night? Join SERC education specialist Karen McDonald for a two-hour introductory workshop on how to use game cameras for tracking some of the common wildlife found in and around your…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted February 10, 2021
Tuesday, February 16, 2021: Things You “Otter” Know: Smithsonian Webinar (Online, Zoom)
Learn about river otters in the Chesapeake Bay, in a two-part event for kids and adults! Once you sign up online, you’ll be able to enter the webinar any time after it starts. You can participate in the otter sketch event at 6pm, the lecture at 7pm, or both. This event will be recorded. By…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted January 11, 2021
January 19, 2021: Webinar – Beyond Pandas: The Wildlife of Southwest China (Online – Zoom)
Join Smithsonian wildlife ecologist Bill McShea, and discover some of China’s rarely seen animals! China has created an impressive array of reserves to conserve giant pandas. These reserves also harbor many unique mammals in one of Earth’s biodiversity hotspots. At the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s first virtual science talk of the year, get to know…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted October 18, 2020
October 20, 2020: Smithsonian Webinar: Spying On Whales (Online – Zoom)
The first whales on Earth were certainly not like the ones that you see today: They lived on land, had four legs and were roughly the size of a dog. How do we know about the deep past of whales, and what does that tell us about how evolution works? In the finale of the…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted September 11, 2020
September 15, 2020: Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar: Living Bird-Friendly (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (online))
Birds and bird watching have become increasingly popular these past few months. In our Sept. 15 webinar, join Scott Sillett of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center for an update on the latest research and outreach about migratory birds in eastern North America: climate change, space-based bird tracking and sustainable consumer choices. Can’t join live? A…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted August 14, 2020
August 18, 2020: Smithsonian Webinar: Building Climate-Resilient Communities on the Coast (Online – Zoom)
Discover how three major cities are adapting to sea level rise, as scientists from Annapolis, San Francisco and Seattle come together for a live panel discussion. They’ll share ideas and solutions their communities are putting into place, and there will be plenty of time for audience questions. Register online to watch live on Tuesday, Aug….
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted July 17, 2020
July 21, 2020: Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar: “Working Landscapes” That Help People And Nature (Online – Zoom)
What does it mean, to create a “working landscape”? In our July 21 webinar, Kim Komatsu, a scientist with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, will highlight new research that’s helping preserve the critical services our landscapes give us. She’ll focus on two projects in the Chesapeake Bay region: how soil bacteria can help soybeans—the second…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted June 23, 2020
June 24, 2020: Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Beyond the Mall! (Online)
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is going all-digital! The celebrations kick off June 24 at noon, with an Earth Optimism webinar “Conservation & Communities from the Kachemak Bay to the Chesapeake Bay.” Ruth Stolk, the head of the Smithsonian’s Conservation Commons, will join scientists and community leaders working to preserve the environment in Chesapeake Bay and…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted June 15, 2020
June 16, 2020: Smithsonian Webinar: Bay-Wise Gardening for the Environment (Online (Zoom))
Get inspired with ideas to make your garden even more environmentally friendly, at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s next Earth Optimism webinar with Master Gardener Cyrena Simons. At our June 16 virtual science talk, Cyrena will share tips from the University of Maryland’s Master Gardener Bay-Wise Program, which strives to improve land and waterways by…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted May 12, 2020
May 19, 2020: Smithsonian Earth Optimism Webinar: Global Trade and Invasive Species on Ships (Online (Zoom))
Keep the spirit of Earth Day alive, with free Earth Optimism-inspired talks from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. On May 19, marine biologist Greg Ruiz will offer an inside look at the science to control the spread of invasive species. Global trade is enabling invasive species to cross borders at unprecedented speeds, but it’s also…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted March 10, 2020
CANCELED – March 14, 2020: Frostbite 5K (Edgewater, Maryland)
Update: As a public health precaution, the Smithsonian is postponing or canceling all public events, programming and gatherings through May 3. Please consult our calendar of events, museum websites and si.edu for the latest updates. We appreciate your understanding. At this time, all Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center campus…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted March 10, 2020
CANCELED – March 17, 2020: Smithsonian Evening Lecture: Global Trade, Ballast Water and Invasive Species on Ships (Edgewater, Maryland)
Update: As a public health precaution, the Smithsonian is postponing or canceling all public events, programming and gatherings through May 3. Please consult our calendar of events, museum websites and si.edu for the latest updates. We appreciate your understanding. At this time, all Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center campus…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted February 12, 2020
February 18, 2020: Smithsonian Evening Lecture: Getting A Clearer Picture of Stream Restorations (Edgewater, MD)
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day all year, with a free series of Earth Optimism-inspired lectures at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center! Stream restorations, especially in urban watersheds, are a popular strategy for reducing nutrient loads to Chesapeake Bay. However, the latest research suggests their effectiveness can vary. In this talk, SERC nutrient ecologist…
added a new Event in Chesapeake Network
Posted October 8, 2019
(Annapolis, MD) The Ocean: Our Future
Discover how the ocean’s health is tied to ours, with marine biologist and ocean advocate Jane Lubchenco! Dr. Lubchenco made history in 2009 as the first woman to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In this free evening science talk, she’ll take stock of the challenges facing our global ocean, while highlighting some…