An updated second edition of the classic and captivating book that encourages elementary and middle school children to take interest in ecology of the Chesapeake Bay by introducing them to the creatures and plants around the Bay’s 2,500 square miles The Chesapeake Bay is an amazing body of water—the largest estuary in North America, and Amazing Chesapeake, 2nd Edition encourages students to discover and explore it through the interesting traits of the plants, animals, birds, and fish they're likely to find in and around it. Concepts such as watershed, airshed, and food web are explained in concise, understandable terms. A new "Citizen Science" guide to water quality empowers children and adults to monitor the health of local streams and creeks. And a "Fun-dex" game with Bay facts provides an entertaining and educational review of what they've read. This fun and educational book will appeal not only to students, but teachers for classroom use, and it makes a great gift for any elementary or middle-schooler who lives or vacations in the area. "(An) exceptional contribution to multicultural and ecological awareness in children's literature."-- Skipping Stones Magazine, 2022 Honor Award "I learned a lot from just reading this book and I liked that the end of the book focuses on watersheds. If you get a chance, add this book to your wish list- you won't be disappointed." -- The Science Educator, Virginia Association of Science Teachers "Certificate of Excellence in Literature," Environmental Issues category winner. -- Story Monsters Since the first printing of Awesome Chesapeake more than 25 years ago, good citizens throughout the watershed have been helping to reduce pollution in the estuary and its tributaries, but with the population having increased by five million people, progress is slow and fragile. Although agricultural runoff is the main source of pollution entering the Bay, burning fossil fuels to run automobiles and provide electricity to homes and businesses contributes significant amounts, along with runoff from lawns, sidewalks, roads, and driveways. This means each of us can help improve the health of the Bay by taking simple, everyday actions. See pages 17 and 38 to learn what you can do. How much do you really know about the Chesapeake Bay? Can you name something living in the Bay that is also found in candy bars? A prehistoric arthropod used to fight cancer? A fish more often found in a paint can than on a dinner plate? A male creature that hatches its young from eggs? An animal easier to see at night than during the day? Can you define a bay? An estuary? A watershed? An airshed? Find the answers to these questions and more in Awesome Chesapeake. Warning to Kids: Don't let your teachers see this book. They'll want to use it in the classroom! Warning to Teachers: Don't let your students find out that this book is not only fun, it's also educational! David Owen Bell is a ship captain with a background in oceanographic research, marine education, and sail training with young people. Capt. Bell is an avid writer and consultant who enjoys visiting schools to share his enthusiasm for writing and the Chesapeake Bay. His titles include Awesome Chesapeake, Chesapeake Bay Walk, and Dockmanship. As an outdoor education teacher, he has taken school groups out on the bay to experience how an estuary works. As a licensed Master Mariner, Capt. Bell has captained tugboats, sailing ships, excursion boats, and research vessels. He has extensively traveled from Canada to South America and from the Galápagos Islands to the Aegean Sea. An artist and longtime illustrator of children’s books, Marcy Dunn Ramsey is a graduate of Emmanuel College, where she received a BA degree. She lives with her family on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Ramsey has been painting and drawing all her life, and since beginning her illustration career in 1988, has produced more than 50 books, including Awesome Chesapeake, Counties of Central Maryland, Counties of Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore, Counties of Northern Maryland, Counties of Southern Maryland, It’s Up to You, Griffin!, Leonard Calvert and the Maryland Adventure, Oyster Moon, Rosie’s Posies, Santa Claws: The Christmas Crab, Secret of Belle Meadow, Suppose, The World Turned Upside Down, Osprey Adventure, and Beetle Boddiker. Ramsey’s long experience with children has helped her keep in tune with their likes and dislikes. Her greatest efforts are directed at communicating a sense of humor, excitement, and spontaneity in her work that encourages children to continue their discovery of the magic of reading.