Service learning combines academic instruction with service that addresses the needs of the community. This active learning was integrated in Marine Botany course in Fall'99 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The community needs were identified following partnerships with Eastern Shore parks. The service learning project involved preparing brochures for Assateague Island National Park and Pocomoke State Park (Maryland) respectively. These brochures were designed to focus on the lists of both identified and unidentified floras found in different marine and estuarine environments of the parks.Through planning, action and reflection, the students were able to hone some of their academic and life skills. At the end of the project, a survey was conducted for evaluating this experience. Survey results show that more than 90 percent of the students had a better appreciation of plant science and its social impact.

Key words: Service Learning, Action, floras, Preparation, Reflection