Books in Exploring the Chesapeake Bay series

Chesapeake Bay is bursting with life. Schools of silvery menhaden dart around under the waters surface. Waterfowl call to each other and dive for delicious seafood snacks. More than 2,000 kinds of plants wave in the ocean breeze or grow in the swamps and shallows nearby. Readers will learn about some of the many plants and animals living in and around Chesapeake Bay, and the habitats they live in. Vivid photographs will invite readers to plunge the bays depths for oysters, while sidebars introduce the effects of global climate change and overfishing, and the importance of conservation. A colorful cutaway map of the whole bay ecosystem will help readers consider the links between the plants and animals there as the main content complements the social studies curriculum.

The historical significance of the Chesapeake Bay region stretches from the United States founding through the Civil War to the present day. Home to important research institutions, busy ports, and a growing population, the bays past has helped it build a bright future. Readers will follow the growth of Chesapeake Bay, beginning with its earliest settlements such as Jamestown. Sidebars add to the main contents discussion of significant events, while readers travel through the bays past with the help of vivid photographs and historical images. Maps of the region will show readers where history happened and introduce the regions major rivers, states, and landforms.

Since the 1970s, conservation in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has been a major focus of local environmental groups as well as the federal government. The health of the estuary has been evaluated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, among other organizations, for years and still needs a lot of help. Readers will delve into the important task of saving the Chesapeake Bay through statistics about the bays health and engaging sidebars full of even more information. Vivid photographs reveal the dangers of pollution and urban sprawl as the main content introduces readers to endangered animals and plants, troubled habitats, and the problem of population growth. The struggles of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay will engage seafood lovers and conservationists alike to take action, even if only in their daily lives.

The many streams and rivers that are part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed provide the freshwater that helps make the bay such a unique ecosystem. The brackish waters are home to lots of plants and animals that are a factor in keeping the bay healthy. However, the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay can also have negative effects on the health of the bay if the water they feed to the bay is polluted. Readers will learn about the interconnectedness of the bay watershed as well as the importance of this estuarys tributaries. Including a map of the key rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, the main content will engage readers with the conservation conversation surrounding the bay in addition to its geography. Vivid photographs and detailed sidebars will further draw readers into the growing region surrounding the Chesapeake Bay.

Early in US history, the Chesapeake Bay region became home to many people. Its navigable waterways, abundant natural resources, and beautiful scenes drew first Native American tribes, and then settlers by the thousands. Today, it continues to grow! Through historical facts, maps, and detailed sidebars, readers will learn all about the growth of the Chesapeake Bay region. Including demographic and population statistics and a close look at the major industries, the book will immerse readers in the people of this unique estuary. Vivid photographs will introduce the basic geography of the region, while readers take on conservation concepts that come with a growing population.