Chesapeake Bay Trust facts for kids
| Formation | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) |
| Headquarters | Annapolis, Maryland |
|
Board Chair
|
Gary Jobson |
|
President
|
Jana Davis, Ph.D. |
The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a special group that helps keep the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland's nature healthy. It is a non-profit organization, which means it uses its money to help a cause, not to make a profit. This organization was started in 1985 by the Maryland General Assembly, which is like the state's law-making group.
Contents
What is the Chesapeake Bay Trust?
The Chesapeake Bay Trust works to make the Chesapeake Bay watershed much healthier. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a specific river, lake, or bay. For the Chesapeake Bay, this includes many rivers and streams in Maryland and other states. The Trust also helps protect other natural places in Maryland.
How Does the Trust Help the Environment?
The main goal of the Chesapeake Bay Trust is to support projects that clean up the Bay and teach people about the environment. They give out millions of dollars each year to different groups. These groups then use the money for things like:
- Planting trees along rivers to stop pollution.
- Restoring wetlands, which act like natural filters.
- Teaching kids and adults about how to protect the Bay.
- Cleaning up trash from shorelines and waterways.
Where Does the Trust Get Its Money?
The Chesapeake Bay Trust does not get money from public taxes. Instead, it gets its funding in a few ways:
- Special License Plates: A big part of their money comes from people buying special Chesapeake Bay license plates for their cars.
- Donations: People can choose to donate money to the Chesapeake and Endangered Species Fund.
- Partnerships: The Trust also works with other groups and foundations that want to help the environment.
Is the Trust a Good Charity?
The main office of the Chesapeake Bay Trust is in Annapolis, Maryland. An independent group called Charity Navigator checks how well charities use their money. The Chesapeake Bay Trust has often received their highest rating, which is four stars. This means they are very good at using their funds wisely to help the environment.
