On September 27, the Environmental Law Program sponsored a field trip in Baltimore Harbor with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) Education Program aboard the vessel Snow Goose. Each year we try and schedule a class outing with the Foundation as an opportunity for law students to see firsthand the impact human activities have on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Last year’s trip was cancelled due to the Key Bridge collapse, but CBF is back this year with Captain Ben Carver, Alyssa Crogan, a CBF educator, and the Foundation’s Maryland Staff Scientist, Gussie Maquire.
This year, 20 students joined us on a tour from the Downtown Sailing Center out to Sparrows Point and back. The trip is usually inspiring; however, this year we travelled past the remnants of Key Bridge, reminding us of the tragic freighter collision that destroyed the bridge and killed several people.
We made it out to Sparrows Point, the site of the former Bethlehem Steel facility which has been in the news due to plans to dredge the contaminated sediment offshore and to construct facilities to manufacture wind turbine parts.
Upon our return to the Harbor, we also experienced the sight and smell of the “pistachio” tide that plagued the inner harbor for weeks, killing fish and other aquatic life.
Each trip proves to be an adventure and rewarding educational experience. This year’s trip lived up to its reputation!