Communications and Outreach

The Chesapeake Bay Program uses many different tools to inform the public about Bay heath, ecological issues and the importance of Bay protection and restoration. Public awareness is a vital key to Bay restoration; through awareness, we can encourage citizens and community groups to make Bay-friendly choices and participate in restoration activities. It is up to all Bay watershed residents to take action to help restore the Chesapeake.

Bay Health and Restoration Assessment

Each April, the Bay Program releases its Chesapeake Bay Health and Restoration Assessment, a report that gives watershed residents a clear and concise synopsis of Bay health and on-the-ground restoration efforts from the prior year.

The report is divided into three parts, allowing Bay Program partners to look at the effectiveness of cleanup actions across the watershed and appropriately prioritize restoration efforts.

• Bay Health uses the most current available data to provide a scientifically based assessment of the health of the Bay ecosystem, including habitats, fisheries and water quality.
• In Restoration Efforts, key restoration actions are measured against long-term restoration goals in five areas: reducing pollution, restoring habitats, managing fisheries, protecting watersheds and fostering stewardship.
• Factors Impacting Bay Health details the significant pollution, land use, fisheries harvest and natural pressures affecting the Bay and its watershed.

Bay Journal

The Bay Journal is a newspaper devoted to the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Published 11 times per year by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the Bay Journal covers the latest Bay news, data and restoration activities, as well as Bay-related events and descriptions of Bay places and wildlife.

The Bay Journal has a circulation of about 50,000. Subscriptions to both print and electronic versions of the newspaper are free.

Chesapeake Currents

Chesapeake Currents is a monthly electronic newsletter covering Bay Program news and data. Each month's issue features:

• Stories about the challenges and successes of restoring the Bay.
• Alerts about new studies and reports on the Bay.
• Profiles of interesting critters that live in the Bay watershed.
• Links to articles from the Bay Journal.
• Tips you can use to help preserve and protect the Chesapeake.
• Highlights of special Chesapeake places you can visit.

Join the over 950 Chesapeake Currents subscribers and get the latest Bay Program news and notes in your inbox each month.

Chesapeake Club

The Chesapeake Club is a social marketing campaign designed to educate Bay residents about nutrient pollution and promote responsible actions by touting the Chesapeake lifestyle—great day trips, fun entertainment and (most importantly) crab feasts! The Chesapeake Club urges Bay residents to “Save the Crabs, Then Eat ‘Em” by skipping spring lawn fertilization until fall, when roots are best able to take up fertilizers.

The Chesapeake Club campaign ran in 2005 in the Washington, D.C., metro area. In 2007, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation brought Chesapeake Club to crab-lovers in Richmond and Hampton Roads. Bay Program partners are now identifying new themes and audiences to market future campaigns under the Chesapeake Club brand.

Enhancement of Heritage Tourism

The Bay and its watershed offer numerous rich cultural, historical, natural and recreational experiences for all people. Creating strong personal connections to the Chesapeake gives people a reason to care about the Bay. Once interested, those people are more inclined to turn their understanding of Bay issues into personal and community stewardship actions. Bay Program partners are working with Bay Gateways, state tourism departments and other interests to more effectively provide and promote public opportunities for high-quality, authentic Chesapeake experiences.