Bay Grasses Take Root in Jug Bay

Nearly two-thirds of KCI’s 500 employees live and work in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. They enjoy its many beauties, sail its waters, fish along its tributaries, and feast on its crabs and other seafood. And although they may live miles from its shores, they recognize a common responsibility for its health and protection.

In May, KCI joined the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to restore dwindling beds of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), commonly known as bay grasses, to the Chesapeake. The grasses filter water; absorb nutrients; produce oxygen; and provide food and shelter for waterfowl, fish, blue crabs, and other inhabitants. KCI’s employees cultivated wild celery in large tubs and then transported the grasses to the scenic Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Prince George’s County, southeast of Washington, DC. KCI, CBF, and DNR representative joined area school children, who also brought homegrown bay grasses.

Planting parties boarded a pontoon boat and headed south through beautiful wetlands, observing fields of arrowhead vegetation, waterfowl, and an Osprey nest. DNR & CBF staff planted the grasses in knee-deep waters and marked the protected area with poles. Natural Resource officers have been monitoring the new plantings in recent months.

These efforts are a living memorial to KCI’s Joseph E. Machin IV, who passed away suddenly in July 1997 at the age of 26. Joe’s family designated CBF funds donated in Joe’s memory to the Bay Grasses in Classes program. KCI employees already have contributed more than $1,200 to the project through several fund- raisers.


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