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The Chesapeake Bay watershed spans 64,000 square miles throughout New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washinton, D.C. To put that into perspective, that’s more than 14 times the size of the Chesapeake Bay itself. This expansive, diverse land is home to more than 18 million people and over 3,000 plant and animal species. There’s a wide range of landscapes and even more life to explore throughout the watershed, so we’re glad you’re here.
BIRD SPECIES
FISH SPECIES
INSECT SPECIES
MAMMAL SPECIES
REPTILE SPECIES
AMPHIBIAN SPECIES
ALGAE SPECIES
INVERTEBRATES
“Animals Upstream” is an engaging four-part video series that unveils the often-overlooked wonders within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. When one thinks of the Chesapeake Bay, images of rockfish, oysters, and blue crabs likely come to mind. While these are iconic to the region, the watershed extends across 64,000 square miles and provides a home to more than 3,600 species of plants and animals.
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For wildlife in the Chesapeake, it’s time to get to work. From the water, to the land, to the sky, summer for many species is breeding and nesting season.
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The Baltimore oriole is a dazzling jewel of Maryland’s forests and woodlands, a vibrant songbird whose presence signals the arrival of spring and the renewal of life in our trees.
From February to May, the Atlantic Flyway — the broad migration super highway that runs through eastern North America from Florida to northern Quebec (and the other way around in the fall) — turns our region into one of the busiest routes of migratory birds in North America.
For many of us, the blankets of snow on our landscapes invoke serene images of mother nature in a deep restorative slumber, but it is actually a surprising hotspot for biological activity.
Are you eager for beavers? Explore the intricasies of these fascinating ecosystem engineers.
Are you scared of snakes? They don’t want anything to do with you either! Many people fear our legless friends, but they play an integral role in our ecosystems and try their best to avoid humans.
Move over Puxatawney Phil, there may be a new furry meteorologist in the Chesapeake Bay watershed! That’s right, the Wooly Bear Caterpillar has been rumored to be able to predict the harshness of the upcoming winter!
North America is home to nearly 300 unique species of freshwater mussels. Southeastern states, particularly those with tributaries flowing to the Mississippi River, host a massive hotspot of freshwater mussel species diversity.
It’s Halloween season! Experience the wild and wonderful abilities of this parasitic fungi that could be in your own back yard.
It’s officially spooky season, which makes it the best time to talk about my favorite misunderstood creature, bats. Although not aquatic wildlife, bats play an important ecological role in the Chesapeake Bay.
