Stories by Marisa Baldine
Marisa joined the Chesapeake Research Consortium in 2020, as the Environmental Management Staffer to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Communications Office. Marisa will manage the Communications Workgroup, create content for the Chesapeake Bay Program website, and assist with the creation and implementation of social media content. Marisa earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from John Carroll University. Marisa was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and strives to help create healthy, vibrant communities connected to the natural world.
How do road salts impact Chesapeake critters?
January 30, 2023A wood frog visits a vernal pool in Chesapeake Beach, Md., on March 10, 2019. Vernal pools are seasonal wetlands that attract a range of amphibians, which use the fish-free environment to spawn and reproduce. Amphibians that breed early in the year, like the wood frog are particularly vulnerable to contamination from road salts.
Read story![A wood frog sticks it head above the surface of the water. It can be identified by the characteristic black marking on its face that resembles a robber’s mask and white upper lip. The frog is surrounded by water.](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/images/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/jan_27_23_1800-01-20190310-IMG_3385.jpg)
When other plants are losing their leaves, witchhazel puts on a show
January 5, 2023The yellow flowers of witchhazel plant bloom as the final leaves fall. (Photo courtesy of Susan Thomas/iNaturalist CC BY-NC)
Read story![](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/WitchHazelFieldGuide_1800-01-Photo-172619254-c-Susan-Thomas-some-rights-reserved-CC-BY-NC-uploaded-by-Susan-Thomas.jpg)
Chesapeake nonprofit and volunteers plant 3,000 trees in 24-hours
November 23, 2022The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay hosted a 24-hour “Treelay” to plant trees in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Read story![A person uses one leg to push a shovel into the ground in a grass field. In the background, other people are spread out in the field digging and handling tree planting equipment.](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/nov_23_22_1800-02-DSC_3785.jpg)
Four ways owls are superior predators
November 3, 2022Special adaptations help owls successfully hunt in all conditions
Read story![A non-releasable great horned owl lives in an aviary at Tuckahoe State Park in Caroline County, Md., on Jan. 17, 2018. The hearing, sight, wings and talons of a great horned owl make it a fearsome predator. Several such raptors, or birds of prey, travel throughout Maryland as part of the park's Scales and Tales educational program.](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/nov_1_22_1800-01-1.jpg)
These spooky spiders are master engineers
October 14, 2022A female yellow garden spider stands over prey wrapped in in silk in her web. (Photo courtesy of Rik Brittain/iNaturalist CC BY-NC)
Read story![A female yellow garden spider with black and yellow legs and a grey, brown and yellow abdomen stands in her web against a green background of plants. The spider stands over an insect that has been trapped in her web and wrapped in silk.](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/oct_14_22_1000-01.jpg)
An understory tree becomes the main attraction
September 2, 2022Flowering dogwoods are known as one of the most beautiful native trees
Read story![](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/sep_1_22_738-01.jpg)
Eight accessible parks that go the extra mile
August 19, 2022These parks use inclusive design to connect residents with the outdoors
Read story![](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/aug_19_22_738-01.jpg)
Creating a brighter and more sustainable future for Annapolis
June 30, 2022Joe Toolan works to increase the rights of LGBTQ+ community members and to protect the environment.
Read story![](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/jun_30_22_738-01.jpg)
Recognizing Bay Awareness Week by celebrating a brighter future for the Chesapeake
June 2, 2022Learn about how “Restoration Brings Results” this Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week
Read story![](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/jun_2_22_738-01.jpg)
Native to the Chesapeake, common milkweed is a food source for over 450 insects
May 4, 2022Insects use the unpalatable compounds in milkweed plants to ensure their survival.
Read story![](https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/may_3_22_738-01.jpg)