Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 9h

Intense storms can trigger soil erosion, flooding, and polluted runoff. That runoff carries nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment into our rivers and the Bay, fueling algal blooms and creating dead zones. Learn more: https://www.cbf.org/issues/climate-change/

📷: Chuck Powers

A tornado forming above a green field with a backdrop of dark storm clouds.

A dramatic landscape showing a lush green field under a looming dark storm cloud.

4

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 9h

This is just the beginning 💪🦪 https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/chesapeake-bay-partners-complete-the-worlds-largest-oyster-reef-restoration-project

Chesapeake Bay partners complete the world's largest oyster reef restoration project

Oyster outcome expected to continue beyond 2025

www.chesapeakebay.net

1 4

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 1d

Ever heard an owl ask “who cooks for you-all”? 👁️👁️ Meet the barred owl! These chunky, round-headed owls are the largest and most common owl in the Bay’s bottomland woods and swamps. Learn more: https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/barred-owl

📷: Cindy Boyles

A barred owl perched on a branch in a wooded area.

2 6

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 1d

“The concern is that when the land use changes completely, you lose the infiltration ability of the land,” said Ann Jurczyk, CBF’s VA Urban Restoration Manager. https://virginiamercury.com/2025/09/29/watershed-mapping-project-shows-rapid-loss-of-forests-offers-new-view-of-va-s-changing-landscapes/

Watershed mapping project shows rapid loss of forests, offers new view of Va.'s changing landscapes • Virginia Mercury

The Chesapeake Bay Program's land use and land cover change mapping project compares the landscape across three different snapshots in time, offering a detailed view of the watershed up to as recently as 2021.

virginiamercury.com

3 4

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 2d

This #WorldMentalHealthDay, remember that nature's always got your back. 😌 Studies have shown that spending time outside can improve mood and lower anxiety. Learn more: https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/mental-health/the-mental-health-benefits-of-nature-spending-time-outdoors-to-refresh-your-mind/

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 2d

Shoutout to my forest nerds—this one's for you. 🌳 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e03314cd9f124ae2b86cd74501128f82?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMJ_JpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHr-uNCxcg-_ZYkjmiP5PPsJcJPjqV_VkXM8Yb_lum4aU3fGA2vyx-9NJoqrH_aem_xlXr0BYiiA__5i4s_7dsDQ

Reforestation of Abandoned Mine Lands in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Environmental Council

storymaps.arcgis.com

1

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 3d

Virginians—Election Day is coming up! Sign our petition and tell Virginia’s next leaders that clean water can’t wait: https://cbf.quorum.us/campaign/vagotv/?utm_source=comms&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=take-action

📷: Kevin Caudle

Silhouette of a heron perched on the branches of a bare tree against a vibrant sunset sky.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 3d

Join us this November at Cedar Run Brewery in Prince William County for an unforgettable evening celebrating the Chesapeake Bay! 🦪 Register now: https://events.cbf.org/oystersocial-111125

📷: Yukiko Kanada

A platter of fresh oysters on ice, accompanied by lemon wedges, served on a wooden table with a window in the background.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 4d

Why can you swim in the Seine but not the Potomac? 🤔 A simple question with a not-so-simple answer. https://www.washingtonian.com/2025/09/23/why-can-you-swim-in-the-seine-but-not-the-potomac-river/

Why Can You Swim in the Seine but Not the Potomac?

Paris's river cleanup is much further along.

www.washingtonian.com

1 3

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 4d

At CBF, our mission is simple but powerful: educate, unite, and inspire people to take action for clean water and healthy communities. (We’re not a government agency, and we’re not here to regulate.) https://www.cbf.org/about-cbf/our-mission/

📷: Caroline Phillips, Nikki Davis, Ashley Pope

A humorous comparison image titled "What the World Thinks We Do, What Our Friends Think We Do, What We Think We Do, What We Do." It features four panels depicting different activities including holding oyster shells, advocacy with a banner reading "We all live downstream," canoeing, and a student and educator.

1 1

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 5d

The door is that way ➡️

1 5

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 5d

Stay tuned, oyster fans 👀🦪 https://www.capitalgazette.com/2025/09/22/galesville-oyster-restoration/

Chesapeake Bay's oysters set to stage a comeback from this seafood processing site

A Galesville seafood processing site will nurse sea life restoration: the Truman T. Semans Center for Oyster Restoration and Innovation.

www.capitalgazette.com

1

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 6d

🍂 Fall into nature’s wild side! From cuddly to slimy, the Chesapeake Bay region is crawling, swimming, and soaring with unforgettable creatures—and now they’re starring on our newest merch from the CBF Store! Shop now: https://www.cbfshop.com/?a=fall2tbs25

📷: CBF Staff

A blue cap with a white seahorse in the foreground on a wooden walkway, leading to a modern red building surrounded by greenery under a clear blue sky.

Three t-shirts hanging on a wooden wall, each with different environmental messages: "Save the Bay," "Hellbender Defender," and a design of the Bay.

2

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 6d

"Natural gas was pitched as a stopgap between fossil fuels and renewables. Instead, it has derailed Pennsylvania’s energy transition." https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22092025/pennsylvania-derailed-renewable-energy-transition/

Pennsylvania Was Once a National Leader in Renewable Energy. What Happened? - Inside Climate News

Natural gas was pitched as a stopgap between fossil fuels and renewables. Instead, it has derailed Pennsylvania's energy transition.

insideclimatenews.org

2 4

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 7d

Eat more blue catfish! A win for native species and a win for my belly 😋 https://www.thecooldown.com/sustainable-food/blue-crab-population-decline-chesapeake-bay-restaurants-blue-catfish/

Chef urges people to eat harmful fish that's eating everything in its path: 'We're pushing hard to try and get this fish out of the water'

Restaurants are serving blue catfish to protect Maryland's iconic blue crab population.

www.thecooldown.com

2 5

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 7d

Here to serve you your regularly scheduled oyster appreciation content 🫡

We are smack dab in the middle of Oyster Week RVA! This event is designed to showcase the world-class oysters grown locally in Virginia. Learn more: https://www.oysterweekrva.com/

📷: Lauren Winther-Hansen

A person holds a heart-shaped oyster shell in front of a beach backdrop.

2

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 8d

Some excellent choices

1

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 8d

Happy World Animal Day! Do you have a favorite Bay critter?

📷: Bill Portlock

A great egret in flight against a clear blue sky, with wings fully extended and beak pointing upwards.

1 3

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 8d

The MD Park Service is developing Freedman’s State Historical Park to tell the story of Enoch George Howard, his family, and the Black community he nurtured. 👏👏 https://www.thebanner.com/community/local-news/enoch-george-howard-freedmans-state-historical-park-PPNYJ5IL5JAYPOVXO4ROL5JSEY/

Unearthing history: Maryland's new state park celebrates Black triumph

A historian digging around land records rediscovered the Howard properties and built excitement among other state workers. Around the same time, the executive director of Afro Charities came across a 100-year-old scrapbook that set her on a journey to s...

www.thebanner.com

2

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 9d

Reporting with your Friday dose of good news from around the Bay 🫡

📷: Zachary Gleiter, CBF Staff, Fritzi Newton

Two bald eagles in flight with the top one looking towards the camera, and the lower one reaching out with its talons, set against a blurred water background. Overlay text reads 'The News Cycle' at the top, 'Me' near the lower eagle, and 'So here's some good news from around the Bay' at the bottom.

A crane hoists buckets overflowing with oysters over a dock at the Chesapeake Bay, with text overlay discussing ambitious goals for oyster restoration in the area by 2035.

Scenic view of a serene shoreline in Virginia with text overlay discussing the state's investment in wetlands and shorelines, highlighting the economic and resilience benefits.

An individual participates in the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, planting a tree in Pennsylvania, with text overlay stating the initiative's goal to plant 10 million trees by 2025.

1 5

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 9d

Did you know that you can help save Bay and local waterways by donating your car, truck, or boat? 🚗 Benefits include possible tax deductions and a fast, secure process. Learn more: https://www.cbf.org/join-us/more-ways-to-give/donate-your-vehicle.html

Donate Your Vehicle

Donate your vehicle to support CBF's work to save the Bay.

www.cbf.org

1

Chesapeake Bay Foundation @chesapeakebayfdn.bsky.social · 10d

Could dogs help sniff out spotted lanternflies? 🤔 A recent study looks at whether pet dogs could be successful at sniffing out lanternfly eggs as one way to combat the infestation. https://www.whro.org/2025-09-17/could-dogs-help-combat-the-spread-of-spotted-lanternflies