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Tools of the Trade: Water Quality Sondes

Department of Natural Resources scientists monitor Maryland’s waters to determine the habitat health for fish, crabs, oysters, and other aquatic organisms. Results from our monitoring programs measure the current status of waterways, tell us whether they are improving or degrading, and help to assess and guide resource management and restoration actions. Information is collected on  Read the Rest…



The Canvasback Still Graces the Chesapeake

Science writer Cheryl Lyn Dybas and wildlife photographer Ilya Raskin visited Maryland DNR biologist Donald Webster along the Chesapeake in January 2020. Webster and his colleagues annually count canvasbacks and other wintering waterfowl on the Bay. They came back,” says biologist Donald Webster. “This year.” His voice has a wistful note, wondering if the king  Read the Rest…



What’s New in Maryland State Parks?

With record levels of investment in recent years, Maryland State Parks are expanding, with new parks and facilities being opened and existing properties undergoing upgrades. Statewide, landscape restoration projects are also underway to improve wildlife habitat, restore streams and shorelines, and plant trees. These efforts are designed to ensure that Maryland’s award-winning state park system  Read the Rest…







Rutherford’s Travels

In late 2018, I read a newspaper article where Virignia’s then-governor, Terry McAuliffe, stated that his goal was to visit every park in his Commonwealth during his tenure as governor. I never found out if he actually completed his mission, but the idea caught my attention. I was already planning to participate in Maryland State  Read the Rest…



Outside Perspective

Congratulations to Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, who completed his State Park Bucket List challenge, having officially visited all 75 Maryland Park Service properties with his October visit to St. Clement’s Island State Park in St. Mary’s County. We are grateful for his leadership in highlighting the importance of our public lands and outdoor recreation!





The Year of Harriet Tubman

March 2022 marked the bicentennial of Harriet Tubman’s birth, and the fifth anniversary of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center in Church Creek, Dorchester County. Through the weekend of March 12-13, more than 1,500 people attended the events celebrating Tubman’s bicentennial, despite cold and snowy weather. It was obvious people were  Read the Rest…


Tools of the Trade: Midwinter Wildfowl Survey

Each winter, aerial survey teams of pilots and biologists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service make visual estimates of the ducks, geese, and swans along the state’s tidal shorelines. This survey helps wildlife managers collect information on waterfowl habitats and populations in Maryland, and is part of  Read the Rest…


Outside Perspective

While the Maryland Department of Natural Resources may be best known for its conservation of Maryland’s treasured natural resources, our mission also includes the preservation and interpretation of Maryland’s historical and cultural resources. That’s why this spring we have been proud to celebrate all our public lands and the important historical figures that are tied  Read the Rest…



Rutherford’s Travels: Fly Fishing at Morgan Run Natural Environmental Area

On a beautiful autumn day in October Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio and I traveled to Carroll County, Maryland to explore the nearly 2,000-acre Morgan Run Natural Environment Area. Natural environment areas are typically 1,000 or more acres and are home to significant geological or ecological resources. Development is typically limited to  Read the Rest…



Harriet Tubman in Baltimore

Today, Harriet Tubman is known for her heroic exploits on the Underground Railroad, where she rescued 70 people from slavery and guided them to freedom. While most of her time in Maryland was spent on the Eastern Shore, Baltimore figured centrally in several of her daring rescue missions.


Traveling in the Footsteps of Harriet Tubman: Celebrate Tubman’s Bicentennial in 2022

Two hundred years ago, an American hero named Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County, Maryland. An Underground Railroad conductor, abolitionist, suffragist, veteran, and small business owner, Tubman overcame arduous odds to accomplish great feats. Today, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway follows in her footsteps from her home in Dorchester County to freedom  Read the Rest…


Tools of the Trade: Remote Easement Monitoring with Lens

Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) had nearly finished preparations for its spring easement monitoring season. The pandemic put a serious dent in executing MET’s plans for monitoring, which usually involves visiting properties, meeting with the property owners, and observing the landscape and land uses, all to verify adherence to conservation easement requirements. In some limited circumstances,  Read the Rest…


Outside Perspective

This year Maryland commemorates the 200th anniversary of when experts believe that Araminta Ross–later to be known as Harriet Tubman–was born in Dorchester County. The Maryland Department of Natural Resource is proud to partner with the National Park Service at our Harriet Tubman State Park and Visitor Center, which is also celebrating a milestone fifth  Read the Rest…


Ahoy, Maryland! A Guide to Responsible Boating

Anyone who lives in Maryland knows we are a water state. With 623 square miles of inland waterways plus the Chesapeake Bay, coastal bays behind barrier islands to the Atlantic Ocean, and three miles offshore of the ocean itself, it’s no wonder that 160,000-plus boats were registered in Maryland last year.


Maryland DNR 2021 Photo Contest Now Open

Entries for Annual Contest Taken Until August 5 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting entries for its annual photo contest. Photographers, novice or professional, can enter for the chance to win cash, park passes, and other great prizes.







Tools of the Trade: Telemetry

Here’s a tough question. How do we know where fish go or which underwater habitats they prefer when they are out of sight? Biologists have developed some special techniques to monitor fish and track their whereabouts. One method that helps biologists monitor fish populations is telemetry, which is the process of obtaining data remotely by  Read the Rest…


Outside Perspective: Fall 2020

Autumn is a time marked by cooling weather, falling leaves, and, of course, elections. While the pandemic has initiated an important discussion on how to hold elections, historically, Marylanders gathered in election houses to cast their votes. Election houses were small, purpose-built structures constructed specifically for voting. Today only a handful of them survive. One  Read the Rest…


Earth Day 2020: Love Letters to Earth

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 marked the birth of the modern environmental movement. In response to the movement, the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts were all created and Congress authorized the Environmental Protection Agency. On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we continue to focus our concern on sustaining  Read the Rest…


Fishing for Conservation: Rules and Commonsense Tactics Protect Striped Bass

Here in Maryland’s section of the Chesapeake Bay, gamefish such as striped bass are under constant pressure both from fishing and large fluctuations in environmental conditions like high temperatures and low oxygen. Striped bass, known colloquially as rockfish, are Maryland’s state fish. Pursuing this fish for sport is a time-honored tradition, as is protecting them,  Read the Rest…



Estuaries by the Sea: Maryland Coastal Bays Program Builds on Partnerships

Dedicated to protecting the five coastal bays behind Ocean City and Assateague Island, the Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) conducts research, restoration, monitoring, and education and outreach opportunities thanks to powerful partnerships. Maryland’s coastal bays make up one of the richest, most diverse estuaries on the eastern seaboard. For more than a century, agriculture, forestry,  Read the Rest…


Tools of the Trade: Electrofishing

It’s electric! Electrofishing is a technique used by fish biologists to collect fish in freshwater streams, rivers, and lakes. This tool uses an electric field, emitted from a pulser, to temporarily stun fish. The fish can then be collected via dip net for identification. Data collected from electrofishing can be used to determine abundance, density,  Read the Rest…


Outside Perspective

As we conclude the 50th anniversary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, we head into commemorating more important milestones. This April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Throughout this edition of The Natural Resource, we highlight the important work our staff, volunteers, and partners are doing on behalf of our mission to  Read the Rest…


The Nature of Change

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day; a time to renew our commitment to the responsible stewardship of our environment. Maryland is fortunate to be home to countless natural assets, and our administration has made it a top priority to protect them.


Flow of Information: Surveying the Health of Maryland Streams

Maryland has more than 10,000 miles of freshwater streams—an extensive system of waterways flowing downstream where (depending on their geography) they ultimately contribute freshwater to the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic Coastal Bays, the Ohio River, or the Delaware River. The condition of these streams is vitally important to downstream waters. But these streams also possess  Read the Rest…




Investing in Resilience: Trust Fund Shores Up a Successful Decade

For decades, environmental advocates have been working to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Recognizing the detrimental impact of impervious surface and forest loss on the watershed, this group of passionate scientists, engineers, fishermen, and others pulled together shoestring budgets and devoted hours to lay the groundwork for a restoration economy in  Read the Rest…



Restoration Update: Status Report on the Chesapeake’s Essential Bivalve

The 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement committed Maryland and Virginia to restore native oyster habitat and populations in 10 bay tributaries by 2025—five in each state. The five Maryland tributaries containing these sanctuaries are: • Harris Creek, a tributary of the Choptank River, Talbot County • Little Choptank River, Dorchester County • Tred Avon River,  Read the Rest…



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