Page 20 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 5 - 2022

[18] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 5 / 2022
EcoPort Environmental Management at the Port of Baltimore
Aaryaman Singhal developed a method to estimate greenhouse gases at Poplar Island, along with recommendations on next steps to increase the accuracy of the estimates and inform choices for future wetland restoration project designs for the MPA.
EDF Climate Corps Fellow
Develops Greenhouse Gas
Estimates for Poplar Island
Every year, the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) — with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — maintains the depths and widths of the shipping channels in the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal through the dredging
of nearly 5 million cubic yards of sediment. Dredged material has been used to restore eroded islands and develop wildlife habitats, such as Poplar Island, which has the potential to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise.
To gain a better understanding of the potential for Poplar Island to serve as a carbon sink, the MPA enlisted Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Climate Corps Fellow Aaryaman Singhal to study the methodology. Singhal developed greenhouse gas (GHG) estimates for different land-use types, using site-specific and reference data. This work improved the understanding of key uncertainties in the GHG estimates, especially due to methane fluxes. 
Port of Baltimore’s
Environmental Education
E-Portal Receives Award
The American Association of Port of Authorities (AAPA) recognized the Port of Baltimore for its outstanding Environmental Education E-learning (E3) portal, an environmental education and outreach tool that has successfully brought the Port closer to local communities, while inspiring next generations of scientists and environmentalists.
Developed by the Port’s Environmental Education Team for lessons, programs, and to make activities more accessible to the community, the E3 portal also informs on the Port’s activities, its mitigation and habitat restoration projects, and the benefits of innovative use of dredged material.
The E3 initiative has received great feedback from community members, such as: “This program connects perfectly with our curriculum. It is such a great engaging and informative session for our kids. Thank you!!” (2nd Grade Teacher, Westowne Elementary School). 
The E3 portal features multiple kinds of environmental lessons and informative virtual games. It also streamlines request services for tours and programs.
FIND MORE AT www.portofbaltimoreeducation.org.
CYNTHIA HUDSON / MPA