the Maryland
natural resourceVol. 11, No. 4 I Fall 2008 Martin O’Malley Governor Maryland Department of Natural Resources John R. Griffin Secretary The Maryland Natural Resource ...Your guide to recreation & conservation in Maryland Darlene Pisani Director Office of Communications John Cornell Managing Editor Wiley Hall Editor
Peter Lampell Art Director/Layout & Design Tabitha Contee Circulation Editorial Support Donna Jones-Regan Barbara Rice • Kara Turner Darlene Walker Contributors Steve Bittner • Mike English Ross M. Kimmel • Steven W. Koehn Dana Limpert • Keith Lockwood Paul Peditto • Doug Wigfield
The Maryland Natural Resource 580 Taylor Avenue, D-4 Annapolis, Maryland 21401 Toll free in Maryland: 1-877-620-8DNR ext. 8009 Out of state call: 410-260-8009 Website: www.dnr.maryland.gov E-mail address: [email protected] ISSN 1521-9984 Tell us what you think! Please write or e-mail us at the above address, or fax us at: 410-260-8024
Observations, conclusions and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department.
The facilities and services of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are available to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin or physical or mental disability.
This document is available in alternative format upon request from a qualified individual with a disability.
© 2008 Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ocean City Inlet Worcester County Mark Odell the Maryland natural resource
On the cover: Sunrise at Battery Point Features Jason Schlosser 4 The Battle of North Point A Little-Known Battle from a Scarcely Remembered War
10 Maryland Hunters A Legacy of Support for Wildlife Conservation 12 Junior Wildlife Field Days Young People enjoy Buffet of Outdoor Activities 14 Tree Stand Safety A Simple Knot Can Prevent a Bad Fall Page 4
16 What’s Killing the Bats? Investigating Causes of Population Decline 18 Autumn Fishing on the Chesapeake Bay Anticipating the Annual Ballet of Nature 20 The Future of Maryland’s Working Forests Sustaining One of Our Most Precious Resources
Page 10 22 River of Words® The Winners 25 Children in Nature National Coalition Supports Maryland Partnership 28 A Picture Perfect Finish The 2008 Maryland Fishing Challenge
In Every Issue Page 12
2 The Common Good
3 Consider the Elements
24 Outdoors Maryland
26 Short Takes Page 18 Ocean City Inlet 29 DNR@Work Worcester County Mark Odell
DNR-01-9292008-345 Printed on recycled paper 9/08 Fall 2008 I The Common Good
e have made significant progress project through which pier owners along the Tred in meeting the challenges that lay Avon River in Talbot County are becoming caretakers before us on our path to a restored for thousands of young oysters during their first year WChesapeake Bay, but we also recognize that to reach of life. This project, which we plan to expand to that sustainable future for our natural and living other areas of the Chesapeake Bay next year, is the resources, our State government will not be able to first of several initiatives that bring citizens, State solve these challenges alone. agencies, and environmental groups together to Fortunately, as Marylanders, we share a belief that help us reach our natural resources goals. each of us has a personal responsibility to protect the The program will be managed by the Maryland health of our land, our air and our water and to pass Department of Natural Resources in collaboration on those precious resources to future generations in with the Oyster Recovery Partnership and the better condition than we received them. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Every day, we see ordinary people taking Science. This year, nearly 250 Talbot County extraordinary measures to support conservation in our residents will help grow thousands of oysters until State. All across Maryland, our neighbors and families they are large enough to be planted on local, are working hand in hand with both government and permanent sanctuaries. Talbot County has been private groups to improve our waterways and public a critical partner in helping us identify interested land. Together, we are moving towards sustainable homeowners. I’m also pleased to note that the lifestyles, and embracing energy efficiency to reduce 1,000 oyster cages for this project were built by our carbon footprint. individuals at the Eastern Correctional Institution So as we’ve worked together to secure the future in Somerset County. we prefer – a future where our streets are safe; a Through their action and commitment, our future where a quality education is a right and neighbors are setting a vital example of stewardship not a privilege; a future where we practice fiscal for our fellow Marylanders. Not only will more responsibility and make our government work for oysters be placed in the Chesapeake Bay as a result the people; and a future where our natural world of these efforts, but rejuvenated oyster reefs will thrives – we are relying on every Marylander to naturally become critical underwater ecosystems for help us build that better, more sustainable a rich diversity of aquatic life. future and to protect the resources that Working together, as One Maryland, we can real- support life on our planet. ize our shared goal of bringing about that cleaner, In September, we kicked off greener, more sustainable future all of us prefer – both Marylanders Grow Oysters, a pilot for ourselves, and for future generations.
Martin O’Malley Governor Governor’s Office
2 I IThe The Maryland Maryland Natural Natural Resource Resource Consider the Elements
fter 16 months of study, the Maryland extremes and degradation of fishery, farm and forest Commission on Climate Change resources could wreak havoc on our economy. recently issued an action plan outlining Fortunately, these dire forecasts were offset by 60 Aa comprehensive strategy for reducing our State’s concrete steps that Maryland can – and must – take vulnerability to the effects of global warming. today to reduce not only greenhouse gas emissions Governor Martin O’Malley appointed the 24- but also, as importantly, our vulnerability to climate member panel in April 2007, charging agency heads change and its impacts. and legislators with addressing three questions. What Harnessing nature’s ability to adapt and heal itself, can the State’s scientists tell us about how and when we must plant more trees to help capture excessive climate change will affect Maryland’s citizens and carbon pollution. Restoring more wetlands and living natural resources? What can Maryland do to adapt to shorelines will help shield us from flooding and coastal the consequences of climate change? And, what can storms. And careful planning can help us reduce the Maryland do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vulnerability of our homes, our investments, and our the state’s carbon footprint to begin reversing global living resources from the impacts of sea level rise. warming trends? The Maryland Department of Natural Resources The commission found that, with our 3,000 is already working, both internally and with our miles of coastline, we are indeed “poised State agency partners, to implement many of the in a very precarious position.” Commission’s key recommendations. These include Along with the changing climate, crafting sea level rise planning guidance for Worcester, contributing to our vulnerability is Somerset and Dorchester Counties, and creating a the prospect of episodic storm events Climate Change Insurance Advisory Committee. We such as hurricanes and Nor’easters, are also developing standards to guide the location which can result in shore erosion, coastal and design of our facilities in vulnerable coastal areas, flooding, storm surge and sea level rise. and working to reduce our footprint by sequestering After careful analysis of the most carbon, planting trees, and improving the efficiency current scientific data available, the of our vehicle fleet. commission warned that Maryland Under the leadership of Governor O’Malley, could face an increase in dangerous Maryland is setting an example in the management summer heat waves by mid-century, of state lands and facilities and setting the stage for endangering a number of native other public and private entities to follow. Together species and vital habitat. Further, we can combat the causes of climate change and continuous blows from climate prepare for its consequences.
John R. Griffin Secretary Governor’s Office
Fall 2008 I I The Maryland Natural Resource Don Troiani is a military history artist who painted the 5th Infantry at the Battle of North Point at the Battle of North Don who painted the 5th Infantry artist Troiani history is a military
The Battle of North Point A Little-Known Battle from a Scarcely Remembered War By Ross M. Kimmel
ost people can make a pretty good guess when the War of 1812 started. Some know about the bombardment of Fort McHenry, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner. AndM movie buffs no doubt recall mustachioed Yul Brunner as the pirate chieftain Jean Lafitte coming to the rescue of silver-haired, heavy-browed Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson in The Buccaneer, an account of the Battle of New Orleans. Not as well known, perhaps, is the pivotal role that Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay played in the war. And even less well known is the Battle of North Point, a fierce engagement on the outskirts of Baltimore that helped turn the Chesapeake campaign against the British. But the Battle of North Point was a clash that pitted a disciplined, yet untested militia against battle-hardened British veterans. It saved Baltimore and helped boost the self-esteem of a young nation that had just seen its Capitol and many of its national buildings burned to the ground.
FallFall 20082008 II Major General Samuel Smith (left) was in overall command of the American defense of Baltimore. Brigadier General John Stricker commanded the American force at the Battle of North Point. Acclaimed American artist Rembrandt Peale painted both these portraits between 1817-1818.
And although military historians would count the battle a draw, it The British were interfering with American merchant shipping bloodied the nose of the Troops Who Whipped Napoleon, dealing and impressing American seamen into service on Her Majesty’s a blow to their morale that they never regained. A day after their ships. Such depredations were affronts to American national advance on Baltimore was stymied at North Point, the British tried sovereignty. In the war’s first great irony, the British had decided unsuccessfully to bomb Fort McHenry into submission, inspiring to stop seizing American merchantmen the day before Congress’s Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner. declaration, although impressments continued. Influential Americans had ulterior motives for war: seizure of Remembering Our Forgotten History British Canada, neutralization of Indian tribes resisting American The heroes of North Point were once celebrated in Maryland on expansion into the Old Northwest, and the possibility of seizing at Defender’s Day. Visiting dignitaries made a point of visiting the least some of Spanish Florida. There was a strong anti-war move- battlefield and presidents lauded their feats in speeches. But other ment, especially in New England. But 1812 was an election year, battles and other heroes eventually pushed North Point, and the and President Madison sensed sentiment was running in his favor. war itself, into the background of the national consciousness. Unfortunately, the country was woefully unprepared to take on But with its bicentennial approaching, the story of the War of one of the world’s superpowers. 1812 is reemerging. Most of the fighting occurred on the Canadian-American bor- Two years ago, Maryland purchased the nine acres that represent- der, around both sides of the Great Lakes, into Michigan. Neither ed the only undeveloped remnant of the September 14, 1814 North side could sustain the upper hand, though the American navy Point battlefield for preservation under Program Open Space. established supremacy on the Great Lakes. In June, Congress established the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, marking the British campaign on the Chesapeake, Every Man’s Turnip Patch including the Battle of North Point and the Battle of Baltimore that In 1813, the British sent a squadron of naval vessels into the followed. Chesapeake Bay, hoping to draw American forces from the war in Maryland is planning a statewide commemoration of the war’s the north. But Madison refused to divert resources from the fight- bicentennial in 2012. ing on the Canadian border and Chesapeake residents were left to Now at least we have a chance to remember, and learn from, an fend for themselves. important era in our nation’s history; a point in time that helped “It can’t be expected that I can defend every man’s turnip patch,” shape us as a people, a state, and a country. President Madison said dismissively. The British raided at will up and down the Chesapeake. They Eyes on British Canada burned towns, settlements and plantations that they deemed Rallying the nation with the cry “Free Trade and Sailors’ Rights,” offered resistance, including the land that is now Point Lookout President James Madison wrung a declaration of war out of State Park. They helped themselves to supplies and offered Congress on June 18, 1812. freedom to enslaved men if they would fight their former mas-
I The Maryland Natural Resource ters. Many enslaved men jumped at the Napoleon, but fighting far from home. The chance. Marylanders who faced them had special The Colonial Marines In the summer of 1814, after the defeat incentive – they were defending hearth When the British arrived in the Chesa- of Napoleon in Europe, the British sent and kin. peake Bay in February 1813, enslaved an army of 4,000 men to augment the The British commander, Major General men and women made their way to His naval forces in the Chesapeake. Landing at Robert Ross, planned to be in position Majesty’s ships searching for freedom. Benedict, on or near DNR lands at Indian that evening to assault the defenses of Most were sent to Bermuda or Nova Creek, the British force marched past the Baltimore which stretched along hills to Scotia. Some stayed to serve as guides site of today’s Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, the east of the city. Unknown to the British, on the shallow waterways of the Bay. brushed aside a hastily formed force of the Baltimore City Brigade under General Many men found employment as sol- Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, John Stricker waited at the intersection of diers to the King. marched into a nearly deserted District North Point and Trappe Roads, predeter- Known as Colonial Marines, they of Columbia, and burned the Capitol, the mined to be the best spot to counter and were clothed and accoutered in the White House and other public buildings. delay an attack on the town. same manner as Royal Marines, and
Maryland Historical Society (2) Society Historical Maryland Re-embarking at Benedict, the British next Just south of the American line, in a trained on Tangier Island where the set their sights on Baltimore. surprise encounter, skirmishers inflicted British had established a base of a mortal wound to Ross. Forcing the operations. skirmishers back, the British met the A Nest of Pirates Their first action was at Pungoteague The British described Baltimore as “a nest American main line at the edge of an on the Eastern Shore on May 28, of pirates,” a disparaging nickname the open field astride North Point Road. The 1814. A company fought at the Battle city earned by outfitting many privateers new British commander, Colonel Arthur of Bladensburg and three companies that preyed on British merchant vessels Brooke unleashed his artillery and rockets fought at North Point. during the war. The British wanted re- to soften up the American line. This fire When the British moved south venge. But Baltimore was better prepared was returned by the American artillery. to Georgia in December 1814, than Washington. They were led by Gen. After almost two hours of counter battery the Colonial Marines joined them. Samuel Smith, a veteran officer of the War activity, the British advanced, pushing the Operating from Cumberland Island, the of Independence, who had been anticipat- Americans back, but not overwhelming ranks swelled to six companies, their ing an attack for more than a year. them. Stricker held his ground as long wives and children. After the war, the In the early hours of September 12, as possible then retreated across Bread Colonial Marines served in Bermuda 1814, British forces landed at the tip of and Cheese Creek to a reserve position. until 1817. They eventually settled in North Point and proceeded confidently The exhausted British troops stopped on Trinidad where they were given land as up the peninsula. Most of the British were the field of battle to rest and bind their free men. battle-tested veterans of the wars against wounds. Maryland Historical Society Historical Maryland
The Battle of North Point by Thomas Ruckle
Fall 2008 I Map courtesy of Steve of Gettysburg, Stanley PA courtesy Map
That night, Stricker’s brigade retired to another pre-planned that the repulse of the land phase of the British invasion was stra- position within the American defenses of the city. tegically the more important event. September 12, the date of the Brooke and his army finally made it to the Baltimore defenses, Battle of North Point, was set aside as “Defenders’ Day.” The last 18 hours later than they had planned. Bruised and battered from of the “Old Defenders,” the soldiers and sailors who had defended the previous day, their momentum dented, the British searched the city, died in 1896. for a way through or around the earthworks. By evening, knowing The British and the Americans faced each other for one last epic that the Royal Navy could not provide assistance, Brooke decided battle, at New Orleans on January 8, 1815; there the British army not to waste manpower on a fruitless assault. assaulted an entrenched foe and were nearly destroyed. Brooke marched his army back to North Point, burning In the war’s other great irony, the Battle of New Orleans was Todd’s Inheritance, a historic structure at North Point State Park. fought after British and American peace commissioners agreed to Today, this site is leased to a private, non-profit foundation that a war-ending treaty in Ghent, Belgium, on Christmas Eve 1814. is working to restore it as a museum. At North Point, Brooke’s Word of that had not reached this side of the world. army rendezvoused with the navy to sail to the West Indies, from The Treaty of Ghent ended the war without addressing the which the British would try again to defeat the Americans at New issues that caused it. The British already had decided to stop Orleans. harassing American shipping, and with Napoleon defeated (albeit temporarily), they had no incentive to impress American seamen. Rockets’ Red Glare A joint-commission was established to mediate border disputes As the British navy sailed away from Fort McHenry, Francis Scott between Canada and the United States. The British agreed to stop Key, a Carroll County native who observed the bombardment from inciting the Indians to attack American settlers. The U.S. never a truce ship recording the “rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting again considered conquering Canada. in air,” was moved at “the dawn’s early light” to see the small The decisive victory at New Orleans and the successful defense of storm flag over Fort McHenry come down and the huge garrison Baltimore helped shape the nascent sense of American nationalism, flag go up as the British sailed away. although that would not fully mature until after the Civil War. n Baltimore citizens and soldiers were jubilant. Key’s poem was set in print, then put to music. The Star-Spangled Banner became immensely popular all over the United States. Congress declared Ross Kimmell is Parks Historian with the Maryland Department of it the national anthem in 1931. Baltimoreans, though, understood Natural Resources.
I The Maryland Natural Resource FREE day-use entry for up to 10 people in 2009 a vehicle to any of Maryland’s 49 state parks!
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MarylandA Legacy of Support for Wildlife Hunters Conservation By Steve Bittner
10 I The Maryland Natural Resource National Wild Turkey Federation (2)
unters have long been among lax game laws. As this movement the most ardent supporters spread, more laws were enacted of wildlife conservation, and sportsmen became very Hboth nationally and here in Maryland. active in politics. State govern- This seems like an oxymoron, but a quick ments began to establish wildlife review of history supports this statement. agencies in the early 20th Century, After years of habitat destruction and sowing the seeds of our current uncontrolled commercial hunting in the wildlife management system. 19th and early 20th centuries, many of Fast forward to the 21st Century America’s wildlife populations were in and it’s clear the system has serious decline. In Maryland, commercial been successful. Many wildlife or market hunting of waterfowl in the populations have rebounded Chesapeake Bay region quickly led to significantly over the past several conflicts with sportsmen who hunted for decades, including white-tailed recreation. Commercial hunters killed deer, wild turkey, black bear waterfowl at such a rate that recreational and bald eagle. Sound wildlife hunters grew concerned about waterfowl management and effective rules population declines and the lack of birds and regulations provide the to hunt for sport. They noticed the impact framework for our current wild- that market hunting was having on their life management system. been distributed to state wildlife agencies ability to hunt during the fall migration for wildlife conservation. season, and wanted changes made to In Maryland, the sale of hunting licenses reduce market hunting’s impact on water- and stamps generates approximately $6.3 fowl populations. In Maryland, the million annually. Pittman-Robertson funds The first known sportsmen’s club in sale of hunting account for an additional $2.1 million per the United States, the Carroll’s Island year to the Maryland Department of Natural Club, was formed in Maryland in 1832 licenses and Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service. In in response to the unrelenting pressure of all, sportsmen are directly responsible for commercial hunting. This club purchased stamps generates providing approximately 80 percent of all land along the Gunpowder River to restrict funds received by DNR for wildlife man- commercial hunters and benefit club approximately agement and conservation in Maryland. members, who hunted waterfowl. $6.3 million In 1844, influential sportsmen in New Where does the money go? York formed the New York Sportsmen’s annually The funds DNR receives from sport enthu- Club. These militant conservationists were siasts support a myriad of hunting programs primarily concerned with the protection in the state. But just as important, the and preservation of game, and were op- Who Pays for Conservation? money supports wildlife research activities, posed to the sale of game birds for the To some degree, this important work is funds habitat improvement projects and market, spring shooting of game birds and financed by state taxpayers. However, is used to maintain Wildlife Management the majority of funding for state wildlife Areas across the state, all of which benefit management programs comes from the many species of wildlife including non- sale of hunting licenses and stamps and game species. It also supports education from the federal excise tax on the sale of and outreach programs and projects that Christina Holden sporting arms and ammunition, known as directly benefit all Maryland citizens.n the Pittman-Robertson Fund. The nation’s hunting and shooting For more information on the many sportsmen fought for the enactment of this activities of DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage excise tax way back in 1937 and continue Service, please visit our web site at www. to support it today. These federal funds are dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/. distributed to state wildlife agencies based on the number of hunting licenses sold in Steve Bittner is Associate Director for Fiscal, the state, as well as the human popula- Legislative and Regulations with DNR’s Wildlife tion. Since its inception, $21 billion have and Heritage Service. Fall 2008 I 11 Junior Wildlife
Field Days Young People Enjoy Buffet of Outdoor Activities By Doug Wigfield
articipating in one of the Junior Wildlife Field Days is manageable groups of between 7 to 10 kids with their parents, guaranteed to get children off the sofa with a big smile and are led by a guide. on their faces. PThe objective of these outdoor days sponsored by the Wildlife Learning to Throw a Tomahawk and Heritage Service of the Maryland Department of Natural A few of the fun shooting activities kids experience are: trap Resources (DNR) is to introduce young people to fun-filled, and/or skeet, sporting clays, muzzleloader, rifle, handgun and hands-on experiences through a wide variety of Patricia Allen (5) activities – all in a single day. These popular events spark an interest in fishing and hunting, trapping, shooting, wildlife and conservation which can later be developed further by parents, grandparents and mentors. Event coordinators strive to bring boys and girls with little or no outdoors experience (usu- ally between 10 and 16 years old), together to sample a buffet of activities related to nature. It could be shooting a muzzleloader or throwing an axe like Daniel Boone or feeling the tug of a fish on a line. How about building a nest box that will produce wood ducks in years to come or learning about Maryland’s black bears? These and many more activities can be enjoyed at a Junior Wildlife Field Day. The one-day events, usually held on Saturdays, are held at sites, such as rod and gun clubs, that have plenty of outdoor space, safe shooting ranges, a pond or lake, out- door pavilions and/or a club house where kids and parents can gather and lunch can be served. The events are by invitation only and registration is limited to 60-100 students, each accompanied by a parent or guardian. The events are free, all the necessary equipment is provided and lunches are usually provided as well. Topics are selected by the coordinator to provide a good mix of activities that can be covered suf- ficiently and safely. The students are divided into
70 kids, with their parents, attended this year’s Junior Hunter Field Day on the Eastern Shore It’s a great program that’s been going on for over 10 years.
12 I The Maryland Natural Resource for wildlife. Many have learned about Maryland’s furbearers and trapping which is important to their management. Hunting activi- ties such as tree stand safety, and hunting and calling techniques for turkeys, ducks and geese are favorites as well. Young people also have the opportunity to interact with DNR biologists, Natural Resources Police and local conservationists while learning about the wildlife management success stories of species such as deer, black bear, wild turkey and rockfish. Our Conservation Partners Maryland conservation organizations provide instructors for many of the activities. These important partner organizations include the National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Quality Deer Management Association, Maryland Bowhunter’s Society, Maryland Furtrapper’s Association and the Youth Hunter The kids attending this year’s Junior Hunter Field Day learn firearm safety, archery and dog handling Education Challenge. and many other exciting activities. The day usually ends with everyone coming together for a group photo and give away of many outdoor related prizes BB gun and archery. Qualified instructors provide an orientation generously donated by Maryland businesses. The participants and safety briefing, and then conduct the activity. go home with lasting memories of a day spent expanding their Fishing is always a favorite, along with casting for accuracy horizons, developing their senses and getting some good exer- and fly-tying. The fishing gear is provided by DNR’s Hooked on cise. The instructors, volunteers and adults all go home with the Fishing Not on Drugs program. Often, amphibians found along wonderful feeling of accomplishment knowing they encouraged the ponds, or skipping a stone, peak the interest of even the most our youth to develop an interest in the outdoors and preserve our timid child. outdoor heritage. n Pointing and retrieving dog demonstrations please attendees as well as seeing birds of prey associated with the sport of falconry. Do you know of a child in Maryland who would like to participate Living History demos are used to teach certain outdoor activities in a fun-filled day like this? If so, send the name, address, county and pursued by Marylanders centuries ago. Knife and tomahawk age of the child to Doug Wigfield at: [email protected]. The throwing are challenging activities that are fun as well. child will be placed on our invitation data base for future events. Kids sometimes get the opportunity to help provide important elements of habitat for wood ducks and bluebirds by building Doug Wigfield is a natural resources biologist working in the educa- nest boxes. Attendees have also improved and created habitat tion section of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife on some Field Day locations by planting trees that are beneficial and Heritage Service.
Fall 2008 I 13 Tree Stand Safety A Simple Knot Can Prevent a Bad Fall By Paul Peditto
he sound was both unfamiliar and on his stand. Fortunately, he recovered a simple loop knot that creates tension unmistakable. The sudden crash quickly. when reversed on a static line. This anti- of metal did not fit the normal My dad’s accident occurred more than slip feature restricts your fall if you slip; at Tsounds of dusk in an Eastern Shore hard- a decade ago. Since then, I’ve been lucky. the same time it allows you to move up the wood forest, the bird calls and hum of I’ve never had to witness another tree line that extends from the base of your tree insects. Neither did the pained yell that stand accident. to the stand above. followed. But it was a lesson I’ve never forgot- My father was wearing a safety harness It could only mean one thing; my dad ten. Tree stands can be dangerous if but had to remove it to descend the ladder had fallen from his tree stand. used incorrectly. Nationally, they are stand. When he reached to put his harness With my portable climbing stand involved in about a third of all hunting back on, the stand shifted against the tree strapped to another tree, the only way I accidents. and threw him into a losing battle with could get to my father quickly was to slip gravity. out of my safety belt and leap from my The Prussic Knot Today, I would have tossed a loop line own stand. I attribute part of my own good fortune to around a limb near the eventual stand site With the clarity of hindsight, leaping 15 the simplest of innovations – a short piece then added the prussic to the base of the feet to the ground was foolish. But I wasn’t of rope tied into a loop, known as a prus- line. hurt. And, as I feared, my dad was at the sic knot. Dad could have ascended and descend- base of his tree a few hundred feet away The prussic, or Prusik (after its inventor ed that stand with a safety harness clipped with a fractured hip. A strap had broken Austrian mountaineer Dr. Karl Prusik) is into the short leader on the static line and The Prussic Knot The knot is tied by wrapping the prussic loop around the rope a number of times, usually 3-5 times depending on the materials, and then back through itself, forming a barrel around the rope with a tail hanging out the middle. When the tail is weighted, the turns tighten and make a bend in the rope. When STEP 1 STEP 2 weight is removed, the loop can be moved along the rope by placing a hand directly on the barrel and push- ing. Breaking the prussic free from the rope after it has been weighted can be difficult, however, and is easiest done by pushing the bow, the loop of cord which runs from the top wrap over the knot to the bot- tom wrap, along the tail a little. This unwinds the wrap to loosen the grip of the hitch, and makes movement STEP 3 STEP 4 easier.
14 II The Maryland Natural Resource Brian Eyler Brian Tree Stand Safety Tips
• Never carry equipment with you while climbing. Use a haul line to raise or lower your gear. Make sure guns are unloaded and broadheads are covered prior to raising or lowering firearms or bows with a haul line.
• Since most accidents occur when hunters are climbing up or down a tree, always use a climbing belt. Always use a safety belt or harness when hunt- ing from elevated tree stands. Study manufacturer’s recommendations before using any equipment. Never use a rope to replace a safety belt.
• Check permanent tree stands every year before hunting from them, and replace any worn or weak lumber.
• Read, understand and follow the factory recommended practices and procedures when installing commercial stands. Inspect portable stands for loose nuts and bolts each time they are used.
• Choose only healthy, living trees when using climbing devices. Rough- barked trees such as oak are best. Do not use a tree that is rotten or has never have had to remove his harness. When he dead limbs. fell, the line would have held him in place and even given him the chance to gain traction on the • Never put all your weight on a single branch. Keep at least one hand and tree to descend from a safer height, albeit with one foot on a secure place when reaching for the next hold. some tension and/or pain. Nevertheless, a two-foot fall is better than one from 15 feet. • Climb higher than the stand and step down onto it. Climbing up onto it can dislodge it. Harness Systems Several tree stand manufacturers sell full-body • Wear boots with non-skid soles, because steps or platforms can be slip- harnesses that come with a single prussic setup. pery in rain, sleet or snow. Manufacturers also offer extra climbing systems for each stand without having to buy additional har- • Tell a dependable person where you’re hunting and when you plan on nesses. Depending on the weather, I use the Hunter returning. Map your whereabouts and leave a note at camp, at home or Safety Systems prussic-style climbing/belay rope or in your car so that you can be found. the Summit SOP and a Hunter Safety Systems vest. When it’s too hot, I wear the SOP. Cooler tem- • Don’t fall asleep. This is a common cause of accidents. If you get drowsy, peratures allow the convenience of the HSS and move your arms rapidly until you feel alert. tolerance for the bulk that comes with it. I now install my own static or drop-lines (techni- • Never wear a ring in any climbing situation. Rings can catch on tree limbs cally belay ropes) at each stand so that any stand I and equipment. plan to ascend allows me the ability to be clipped in from ground to stand and back again. • As a precautionary measure, remove all logs, upturned and cutoff sap- Like me, most hunters have a horror story about lings, rocks and other obstructions on the ground below the tree stand. a tree stand accident. But using tree stands need not be so hazardous – if we get into the habit of • Use updated equipment. When used properly, newer tree stand equip- protecting ourselves from the moment our boots ment is solid, safe and secure. Older models of safety belts offer some leave the ground to the moment they touch down protection, but newer safety harnesses offer more protection. again. n • Carry a whistle to call for help and carry a first aid kit, flashlight and cel- lular telephone in a fanny pack. Paul Peditto is Director of the Wildlife and Heritage Service with the Maryland Department of Natural For more information on tree stand safety, consult the Maryland Guide to Resources. Hunting and Trapping: www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/ts.asp
Fall 2008 I 15 What’s Killing the Bats? Investigating Causes of Population Decline By Dana Limpert
or decades now, biologists have an exact cause. It’s likely there are a num- colliding with wind turbine blades. Fbeen concerned about declining bat ber of factors. Recently, Canadian biologists reported populations throughout the U.S. that dead bats examined at a wind farm Although the winged mammal doesn’t Turbine Trouble in British Columbia had internal injuries enjoy a beloved spot in the popular We know from 19th century naturalists consistent with barotrauma, caused by a culture, bats serve a vital ecological role that hundreds of eastern red bats (Lasiurus change in air pressure. as the primary predator of night-flying borealis) migrated in flocks during the The researchers theorized that the insects. A single bat can consume over a day, roosting in trees. But widespread spinning blade tips create a drop in air thousand insects each night. During the clear-cutting in the early 1900s eliminated pressure that causes the bats’ lungs to maternity season, female bats can eat much of their roosting places and diurnal expand rapidly to the point of rupturing. nearly their weight in insects each night migrations became a distant memory. Meanwhile, other researchers are search- and still fly! Red bats rebounded with the advent of ing for a bat repellent that will keep bats When biologists studied a colony of 150 reforestation, only to face a new threat as away from wind farm areas. big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) they found people looked for new sources of clean, that females ate 38,000 cucumber beetles, green energy—clipped in flight by the Dead Bats Flying 16,000 June beetles, 19,000 stinkbugs and turning blades of wind turbines along It’s not just migratory tree bats that are 50,000 leafhoppers in one summer. Eating forested mountain tops. threatened. Biologists in New York over 38,000 adult cucumber beetles means that Eleven different species of bats have the past two years have been finding 18 million rootworms, a major agricultural been found dead at wind turbine sites, bats flying out of their hibernating dens, pest, were not produced. including long distance migrant tree or hibernacula, in 20-degree weather There’s also evidence that insects such bats such as eastern red bats, hoary bats with snow covering the ground, their fat as moths, crickets, praying mantids, green (Lasiurus cinereus), and tree cavity dwell- reserves completely exhausted. lacewings, flies and beetles, can hear bat ing silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noc- Researchers do not know why the bats echolocation and avoid colony areas. tivagans). Based on current fatality rates are leaving hibernation early or what hap- But the bat populations appear to be and estimated wind power development, pened to the animals’ fat reserves. But it’s in rapid decline throughout the Eastern biologists project that the cumulative clear this is a widespread phenomenon. United States. Scientists haven’t pinpointed fatalities in the Mid-Atlantic by 2020 will This year, biologists captured footage of be 59,000 to 111,000 bats. these bats flying in winter and landing on Eastern Pipistrelle Bat The scientific community and people’s houses located near the hibernac- wind energy interests have focused ula. Many of the bats had a white fungus on money and resources in trying their muzzles, leading biologists to name to discover why so many the new threat White Nose Syndrome, bats are although it is believed the fungus is a symp- tom, not the cause of death. “Dead bats flying,” noted one biologist grimly, incredulous that the bats he’s studied are dying by the thousands. Estimates are that tens of thousands of bats died
16 I The Maryland Natural Resource LEFT: Hoary Bat BELOW: Silver-haired Bat
state as a precaution and have increased allow them to escape but not return, and monitoring of key locations. then sealing the holes. Like wind turbines, money and resources Timing is everything, however. Pups that have been diverted to attempt to detect the haven’t learned to fly yet can be trapped cause of this new threat, yet most aspects inside and die, creating an odor problem. of White Nose Syndrome remain nebulous The process might also cause mothers to and troubling. fly around outside the house for a period of time looking for a way to get in and Bats in the Belfry nurse their pups. Bats trying to survive in Maryland face Both situations increase the possibility that another threat—finding a safe place to bats will get into human living spaces, which raise their pups. can be uncomfortable for people and bats, Historically, bats that hibernate in caves alike. Sadly, bat colonies are killed out of and mines during the winter would make ignorance, both on the part of homeowners their summer home in a nice big old hol- and the companies hired to help them. The only effective method for solving the house bat problem is exclusion. No chemical is licensed for use with bats and ultrasonic gadgets and repellents don’t work.
J. Scott Altenbach (3) Scott Altenbach J. Bats will come back to the same house each year. If they can’t enter their primary roost, they will travel to a secondary roost, probably a neighbor’s house. Homeowners can take exclusion measures themselves or hire a wildlife control cooperator per- mitted by DNR. Protecting the Bat Population DNR also recommends installing bat roosting boxes in areas where bat colonies are consistently evicted year after year. during the last winter alone in New York, low tree. But hollow trees have become Colonies stabilized in boxes where people Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont, scarce in most neighborhoods and bats will tolerate them creates a situation where primarily little brown bats (Myotis lucifu- have discovered that people’s attics make both bats and people win. A bat colony in gus), northern long-eared bats (Myotis a very nice substitute. the vicinity can deter many flying insects. septentrionalis), small-footed bats (Myotis The active colony season, which is when These methods allow humans and bats leibii), a state endangered species in pregnant females gather to form colonies, to live together in harmony, rather than in Maryland, eastern pipistrelles (Perimyotis can begin as early as April with pups be- conflict.n subflavus, formerly Pipistrellus subflavus), ing born anywhere from late April to early and the federally endangered Indiana bat July depending on spring conditions. In For more information on how to deal with (Myotis sodalis). Maryland, with the cool wet springs we roosting bats, go to DNR’s web site: www. White Nose has not been detected in have experienced over the last several dnr.maryland.gov/wildlfie/bats/batsin- Maryland. The fungus has been noted on years, some pups have been born in June home.asp hibernating bats in Pennsylvania without and early July. any detected mortality. Biologists at the A process called exclusion is the best Maryland Department of Natural Resources way to remove bats from the belfry. Dana Limpert is a Biodiversity Analyst and a have recommended closing caves and Exclusion involves locating how the bats bat expert with the Maryland Department of mines known to be bat hibernacula in the get in and out, setting one-way doors that Natural Resources.
Fall 2008 I 17 Autumn Fishing on the Chesapeake Bay
Anticipating the Annual Ballet of Nature
By Keith Lockwood Tom Nappi utumn on the Chesapeake Bay brings a change in the air that sets primordial forces in Amotion for man and fish; it begins in late September and picks up speed through October and into November. Everyone senses it: cooler weather, the arrival of the Canada geese, the changing color of the leaves; all living things seem gripped by a sense of biological urgency. The cooler temperatures and shorter days produce profound changes in our Chesapeake Bay fisheries. Cooler water temperatures spur baitfish and juvenile species of river herring and hickory shad to leave the tidal rivers and protective shallows of the Chesapeake only to run a gauntlet of hungry predators out in the Bay’s open waters. Striped bass, bluefish and sea trout become more active and begin to feed heavily to build up fat for the winter or their southerly migrations. There is also an influx of large coastal striped bass from A young angler enjoys autumn fishing on the Chesapeake Bay at Sandy Point State Park. New England waters that enter the Bay as they head south to feed on the plentiful But anyone who has been out on the Autumn Tactics baitfish. waters of the Chesapeake, caught up in The tactics for this time of year are rather the wild melee of diving gannets, scream- simple. Feeding predators such as striped Feeding Frenzy ing sea gulls and predator fish leaping in bass, bluefish, sea trout and at times large Anglers anxiously await these events to pursuit of fleeing baitfish will give a very red drum can be located by the massing unfold every autumn, their souls yearning excited and emotional answer. of sea gulls over schools of bait that have to participate in this dance of nature. Their Anglers can’t help but feel close to been pushed to the surface by feeding fish attire changes from the T-shirts and shorts nature, realizing as they fight to land a below. of summer, to jeans and water-resistant struggling fish that in an instant, that big The boat is slowly and quietly maneu- shoes, to duck hunting garb, gloves and predator has been transformed from the vered upwind so that the breaking fish knee boots. hunter to the hunted. They can’t help but move toward the anglers or the anglers An outsider might wonder, “Isn’t it a bit think, “It’s good to be at the top of the great drift toward the fish. Charging or speeding too chilly to go fishing?” food chain.” up to breaking fish and excessive engine
18 I The Maryland Natural Resource Bluefish Christina Holden
Fish Art by Fish Duane Raver/USFWS
Red Drum
noise will cause them to scatter and A good de-hooker, long-nosed pliers and deep diving crankbaits are also very sound. and gloves are essential since anglers often effective. For school-sized striped bass and Other times a slick can be seen on the find themselves in the position of handling bluefish, tandem rigged bucktails, spoons surface of the water as a give-away that a lot of feisty fish. If pure entertainment and umbrella rigs will do the trick. Never bait fish are being attacked beneath the is the goal, remove the treble hooks from troll through a school of breaking fish and surface; depth finders are often used to a surface popper and replace them with remember to give other anglers who might confirm the melee below. Most anglers single hooks. The action that will unfold as be casting to those fish a wide berth. will choose a medium spinning or cast- fish after fish explode on the surface trying Autumn on the Chesapeake Bay offers ing outfit and either cast to the breaking to make short work of a popper will cause some of the finest fishing one can experi- fish on the surface or vertical jig to those outbursts of excitement and disbelief from ence and should not be missed. Get your below. Metal jigs are often the preferred even the most veteran angler. fishing tackle together, warm weather- lure but many anglers will also use buck- Trolling is another option that many proof clothes and be prepared for an tails or soft plastic bodied jigs. fishermen will use; especially for the large unforgettable fishing experience.n Generally speaking this is not the migrant striped bass that move up the bay atmosphere for lures with treble hooks; in November. For the latest information on Maryland the action can be fast and furious and fishing conditions, visit the Department thrashing fish can put a treble hook in a Rivaling Spring Fishing of Natural Resources web site: www.dnr. hand faster than one can imagine. Most There are times, such as last November and maryland.gov/fisheries/fishingreport/. metal jigs come with single hooks; but December, when the action can rival that of if not, take the time to replace those the spring trophy fishery. Large parachutes Keith Lockwood is a biologist with the trebles. It’s easier on the hands and on and bucktails dressed with sassy shad Maryland Department of Natural Resources the fish. bodies are the mainstay, but large spoons Fisheries Service.
Fall 2008 I 19 The Future of Maryland’s Working Forests Sustaining One of Our Most Precious Resources By Steven W. Koehn Beverly GreaserBeverly aryland is blessed with working ing forest management costs are creating forests that contribute to the formidable challenges to the continued state’s environmental, social economic viability of Maryland’s working Mand economic well-being. They provide forests. Without income from their lands, much of the wood and paper we use every forest owners often find it difficult to resist day, contribute to the quality of our air pressure to sell their land to developers. and water, draw carbon dioxide from the Because of these pressures, the size of atmosphere, and provide wildlife habitat forested tracts is shrinking. More than 8 out and recreational opportunities. In short, of 10 forest landowners own fewer than our working forests serve a diverse array of 10 acres. As family-owned forests become vital public needs. smaller and more fragmented, their ability However, with global economic forces to provide important ecological services, constantly shifting, Maryland’s forests face such as clean water and suitable wildlife challenges today like never before. habitat, decreases. The conversion worldwide of forests to Moreover, the average age of family non-forest uses such as agriculture and resi- forest owners is over 60. Consequently, dential development has been identified as a significant percentage of family forests the number one threat to global biodiversity could soon change hands - often being by the National Commission on Science for divided among several heirs. Sustainable Forestry. The U.S. Forest Service reports that between 1 million and 1.5 mil- Forest Stewardship Plans lion acres of private forest land in the U.S. It is important that those land owners who are lost to development or other types of wish to hold onto their forests develop land conversion each year. management plans. Unfortunately, this In Maryland, forests declined by six often isn’t done. It is estimated that nation- percent between 1986 and 1999. Much ally, only three percent of family forest of this loss occurred in the Baltimore- owners have a written management plan. Our forests are Washington region, although nearly every Management planning helps families county lost some forest land. make a long-term commitment to the critical to the land. However, resources are available health of 25 Threats to Maryland’s Working Forests to help landowners. Foresters from the watersheds that The lush and abundant foliage that makes Maryland Forest Service assist 400 family our state such a pleasant place to live is forest owners each year by writing Forest provide drinking threatened by a number of factors. Stewardship Plans on more than 15,000 water to 3.4 Maryland has lost more than 350,000 acres. acres of forest land to development, or an Working forests also are threatened by million people. average of more than 7,000 acres per year invasive species, insects, diseases, and since 1950. Global competition and ris- wildfire. Forest owners often lack the finan-
20 I The Maryland Natural Resource Michael Johnson cial and technical resources needed to treat ally, providing 14,000 jobs in rural areas. What will such a policy look like? their land and minimize these problems. Healthy economies in these communities It will clarify and enhance the roles of supply the workforce and infrastructure state and local governments, promoting The Stakes Are High needed to maintain working family- regional collaboration, joint planning and The consequences of the loss of our owned forests. Without this sector of the coordinated action. It will seek to meet the wooded lands are significant. economy, the state would have to import needs of the present without compromis- Our forests are critical to the health of wood and wood products from places that ing the needs of future generations. Doing 25 watersheds that provide drinking water often have lower environmental standards so requires that the economic, social and to 3.4 million people. Forest lands serve than Maryland. environmental values from forests be as a natural filter and reservoir for water, Solutions to these problems must provided within a mutually supportive helping save billions of dollars in filtration include strategies to improve the competi- framework. and storm water control costs. Forest con- tiveness and economic vitality of working Our state’s complex land ownership pat- version will threaten that supply. forests, as well as incentives and creative terns, combined with our strong indepen- They also help clean our air. For every compensation to landowners in recogni- dent local home rule and private interests, ton of wood a forest grows, 1.47 tons of tion of the many public values served by make any unifying statewide efforts a chal- carbon dioxide are removed from the air working forests. lenge. But under the direction of Governor and replaced with 1.07 tons of oxygen. A Martin O’Malley, Maryland is making great single mature tree can absorb 13 pounds A Vision of Sustainable Working Forests strides toward protecting one of its most of carbon dioxide a year. The Maryland Department of Natural precious resources for the wise and sustain- The health and survival of endangered Resources has been working with its able use of future generations. n species and other important wildlife depend partners in the forestry community to on forests for the habitat they provide. develop a policy that will ensure that Finally, forests are important to our rural our forested lands continue to provide economies. Maryland’s $2.2 billion forest clean water, raw materials, employment, Steven W. Koehn is the Maryland State products industry processes approximately recreation and spiritual renewal for its Forester and Director of the DNR Maryland 2.5 million green tons of roundwood annu- citizens. Forest Service.
Fall 2008 I 21 ® River of WordsThe Winners
nternational River of Words® is a fun program that each year encourages tens of thousands of K-12 I’m Going Crabbing! students to explore and interpret their local wa- I wake up and run out into the hall, Itersheds through the arts. One winner in both art and I’m going crabbing today! I loudly call, poetry for two age groups (K-6 and 7-12) are chosen I get dressed in a hurry to run out the door, each year. All of the Maryland entries are then returned to the It’s awfully early, quarter to four! Maryland Department of Natural Resources and entered We reach the pier; I’m the first to be there, into the state contest. At the Bay, I take a moment to stare, Enter on your own, or as part of a group (classroom, We drop the trap, it hits with a plop, Girl Scout troop, 4-H, etc.). Everyone who enters receives I want to be here forever, I hope time will stop! a “Watershed Explorer” certificate from International River of Words®. We pull the soggy trap back to the dock, This year, Maryland River of Words finalists and We caught a few crabs, yeah, we rock! champions were honored with ribbons and prizes at a As you can see, crabbing is tons of fun, ceremony on Natural Resources Day at the Maryland So get out there and enjoy the warm summer sun. State Fair. All finalists were awarded ribbons, a CD holder and free passes donated by the Maryland State Grades 7-12 Fair. Prizes for champions included $100 savings bond courtesy of BB&T Bank, and a basket of art supplies. Emily Gibson, Severna Park Middle School
Finalists and champion artwork and poetry will be on display at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. So, if you are on an outdoor adven- ture, capture the moment. Grab a piece of paper and draw what you see or write a poem that lets people know how you feel. Then enter those poems and artwork into a free contest.
Grades 7-12 “Decay” by Cooper Joy, Gilman School
22 II The Maryland Natural Resource Bay Poems - Window Pane Help us help us do you know what your depriving Help us help us we’re barely surviving We are the fish in the water you’re populating Join In! We are the SAV and we’re not hooting Make sure to tell your teacher or youth or- When you pour water down your sink ganization leaders that they can get a free teacher’s guide on our web site, with hands It goes much further then you think on activities and lots of local resources. Even in New York if it rains They can also obtain a Watershed Science All that soil ends up on our window panes. curriculum from River of Words® through their web site www.riverofwords.org. Poetry Grades K-6 So get out there, discover your water- Jennifer Holstein, Herbert Hoover Middle School shed and then get creative and send us your entry! Explore! For more information on the International River of Words® Contest or the Maryland River of Words Contest, visit our web site: www.dnr.maryland. gov/education/are/row/. Hands On Hey kids, think you can’t possibly write a poem? Try writing a “Sense Poem.” First find a special place in your watershed. It might be a stream bank, a shore along the Chesapeake Bay or even a forest. Take a minute to observe what you are sensing. Then fill in the blanks. I see______I smell______I hear______I feel______I taste______I think______
Example: I see the sage-covered desert. I smell the freshness of the morning. I hear the scream of the hawk. I feel the caress of a breeze. I taste the dew on the wind. I think the new day is born.
Grades 7-12 Art Grades K-6 ™The English Room, 30 Days of Poetry, Day 19 “Decay” by Cooper Joy, Gilman School “Satisfied with Supper” Joseph Le-en Chiu, Home School
FallFall 20082008 II 23 maryland public television
Rescuing Maryland’s State Insect
The BaltimoreBy Mike English Checkerspot
here are dozens of butterfly plant that grows in increasingly rare, unde- in having her raise Checkerspots for its species in Maryland, but only veloped swampy open areas in Maryland. Bog exhibit. Soon, Durkin was training one has captured Pat Durkin’s She took the eggs home, hoping the volunteers and staff to raise even more. imagination to the point of obsession. caterpillars would eat White Turtlehead Durkin continues to search for new wild Durkin, a co-founder of the Washington after they emerged from the chrysalis. colonies. She is optimistic. Butterfly Club, is a journalist and natural- “So I just cut the plants off and brought “Those of us who’ve been out in the field ist who is trying to increase the numbers the stalks home with the leaves and eggs watching this butterfly decline so rapidly, Tof the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly. on there, and stuffed them in the water” have really been in despair for such a long The official state insect, named for Lord says Durkin, “and they were fine.” time that we were going to lose it right here Baltimore’s Heraldic colors, has been Her first lesson in raising butterflies was in this region,” Durkin says. “This project diminished in Maryland to the point eye-opening. gives us hope that we will be able to restore where it is now on the State Watchlist “The day after the caterpillars emerged, this butterfly here in this region.” – a category just below rare, threatened or they all crawled down into the water in the endangered. middle of the night and drowned.” Look for all new Outdoors Maryland Durkin wants to bring back the The next year, using what she had programs in November, including: Checkerspot and has been successful, in learned through trial and error, Durkin was part, by creating her own home-grown more successful. • Middie Meets Johnnie – A close-up butterflies. She got the idea after she found One of the tricks she learned was feed- look at the annual Annapolis ritual Checkerspot eggs on White ing the adults honey diluted with water when Naval Academy Middies answer Turtlehead, a – a replacement for the flowering nectar the challenge issued by students at St. plants butterflies feed on in the wild. John’s College to play championship “They will drink away,” Durkin ex- croquet for all the marbles. plains. “And that will give • Underwater Provocateur – The Chinese them enough nourish- Mitten Crab has made its way into ment to keep laying the Chesapeake Bay and threatens eggs.” to undermine an already-fragile crab After she became fishery. Maryland Department of Natural successful in her Resources scientists are on the case. efforts at • Another Day’s Catch – How raising and Chesapeake Bay watermen who haul rearing but- crabpots out of the water all day long terflies, she are faring as the number of crabs c o n t a c t e d fluctuate. the Baltimore • Winged Jewels – One woman takes on Zoo, which the job of saving the Maryland State was interested Insect.
Tune in to Outdoors Maryland on Maryland Public Television Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., with encore presentations Saturdays at 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Check your local listings for additional programing.
24 I The Maryland Natural Resource Children in Nature National Coalition Supports Maryland Partnership
The Maryland Partnership for Children in and desire to care for and save our planet.” Nature was established earlier this year by Governor O’Malley and U.S. Congressman Governor’s Executive Order, to strengthen John P. Sarbanes were among those who children’s connection with our natural world addressed more than 200 supporters at a and enhance their knowledge about environ- Maryland No Child Left Inside Coalition rally mental Issues. immediately preceding the meeting. Co-chaired by Maryland State Department “The Maryland Partnership for Children of Education Secretary Nancy Grasmick and in Nature is an excellent complement to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources No Child Left Inside federal initiative,” said Secretary John R. Griffin, the partnership is Congressman Sarbanes. “I would like to tasked with creating an environmental lit- applaud Governor O’Malley for this initia- eracy plan for Maryland students, increasing tive to support environmental education in opportunities for structured outdoor learning Maryland’s schools and am confident that through programming on state parks and other states will follow his lead.” other conservation lands, and enhancing The partnership is part of a broad, statewide school and community natural areas to pro- effort to nurture a connection with nature in vide for structured and unstructured play. the next generation. Under the initiative, the At its inaugural meeting in August, Maryland Park Service this summer gradu- Governor Martin O’Malley charged the ated 120 students from the newly established partnership’s newly appointed 21 members Civic Justice Corps, a work program that con- to find creative, innovative ways to meet nected at-risk and court-involved youth from those goals. Baltimore City with conservation projects in “We must recognize that the decisions we state parks. make in the here and now will determine “Maryland’s natural environment is a what type of planet we leave our children,” wonderful resource for childhood learn- says the Governor. “If we make the invest- ing,” Governor O’Malley says. “Maryland ment today, there will come a time when our intends to be a natural leader in giving young people will grow up not only with the every school-aged child an opportunity to intellectual ability to tackle complex envi- learn about our environment and to learn ronmental challenges, but also with the will from nature.”
Fall 2008 I 25 SHORT TAKES
Remembering Harriet Tubman Citizens Growing Oysters Cambridge, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley has committed $1.6 million for Cornell John design of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park Visitor’s Center and U.S. Senators Benjamin Cardin and Barbara Mikulski are seeking federal support of the project. The new state park will mark an important milestone for Dorchester County, which is the only county in Maryland without a state park. The project is the culmination of a partnership between federal, state and local officials and several citizens groups who sought to honor the important role Tubman and the Underground Railroad played in Maryland’s history. “The new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park Visitor’s Center will provide a long overdue, permanent tribute Oxford, MD – The Maryland Department and gateway into the life of the of Natural Resources in collaboration Maryland-born American pa- with the Oyster Recovery Partnership triot whose courage, leadership and and the University of Maryland Center legacy serve today as a model for us for Environmental Science, in September all,” said Governor O’Malley. kicked-off Marylanders Grow Oysters, a In July, Senators Cardin and pilot project through which pier owners Mikulski introduced The Harriet along the Tred Avon River in Talbot County Tubman National Historical are becoming caretakers for thousands of Park and The Harriet Tubman young oysters during their first year of life. Underground Railroad National The unique program supports Historical Park Act, which would Maryland’s large scale effort to restore the establish two parks, one in native oyster population, which has been Maryland and one in New York, decimated due to diseases, over-harvesting to honor Tubman. The National and sediment build-up. The oyster is a key- Historical Park in Maryland will stone Bay species. A large adult oyster can trace Tubman’s early life on the filter up to two gallons of water an hour Eastern Shore, where she was born and oyster reefs provide habitat for several and later escaped from slavery to other species. Maryland and its federal and become one of the most eloquent non-profit partners have been successfully spokespersons of the Abolitionist growing and deploying hundreds of mil- cause. lions of oyster spat each year. She is credited with helping more The Tred Avon River project is a way for than 300 men and women escape private citizens to get involved in this effort. slavery through the Underground Waterfront owners volunteer to place up Railroad. to four oyster cages containing thousands “Harriet Tubman was a true of young oysters off their piers for 9 to 12 American patriot, for whom liberty months while the oysters are small and still and freedom were not just concepts,” said Senator Cardin. “She lived those vulnerable. principles and shared that freedom with hundreds of others. These two parks The 1,000 oyster cages for this project were will make it possible for Marylanders and the entire nation to trace her life’s built by inmates at the Eastern Correctional work and remember all that she was able to accomplish.” Institution in Somerset County.
26 I The Maryland Natural Resource For a complete list of events happening in Maryland State Parks, visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/calendar
Remembering the Battle of South Mountain Boonsboro, MD – In September, South Mountain Battlefield State Park commemorated the 146th an- niversary of the Battle of South Mountain with free historical re-enactments and outdoor hikes. The Battle of South Mountain was the first major battle of the Civil War to take place in Maryland. Fought on September 14, 1862, it happened three days before the more well-known Battle of Antietam fought on the 17th, and resulted in more than 6,000 casualties. The one-day battle became a pivotal point in the Maryland Campaign, setting the stage for the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day battle in American history. Future Presidents William McKinley and Rutherford B. Hayes fought in the battle of South Mountain. Hayes was severely wounded and was taken from the field to Middletown where he recovered from his wounds.
Counting Pelicans
Olivia Campbell Exploring the Holland Island, MD – The most recent Wilds of Worcester colonial shorebird census compiled by the Maryland Department of Natural A new public, private, non-profit Resources found 1,042 nesting brown partnership, the Wilds of Worcester, pelican (Pelicanus occidentalis) pairs in recently began promoting the the Chesapeake Bay, the largest number in boundless eco-tourism opportunities recorded history. in Worcester County, Md. Through “Pelicans are relatively new to the bay webisodes and interactive graphics, ecosystem and not something that Captain the partnership’s new website, www. John Smith would have seen during his WildsofWorcester.com offers sug- historic explorations,” says DNR biologist gestions and contacts for cultural, Dave Brinker. “Climate change – warmer historical, and outdoor activities that weather and milder, shorter winters – may visitors and residents may enjoy in be encouraging pelicans to expand their the area, as well as information about northernmost Atlantic Coast habitat into the plants and wildlife indigenous to the Chesapeake Bay.” the species, with Maryland as the north- Maryland’s only seaside county. There were just five known nesting pairs ernmost state with successful nesting “With wild ponies on Assateague in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay pairs. The birds arrive in the Chesapeake Island, herons and egrets along when Brinker first discovered them in 1987. Bay to nest and breed beginning in mid- the Coastal Bays and bald cypress Weighing 8 to 10 pounds, the bird’s 6 March. After spending the summer feeding swamps along the Pocomoke ½ foot to 7 ½ foot wingspan enables it to on menhaden, shad and other fish, the River, few places offer more ways travel hundreds of miles every year. Brown migratory birds leave the Chesapeake for for people to enjoy nature than pelicans from the mid-Atlantic population warmer winter weather in Florida and Worcester County,” said Governor are believed to be the most migratory of northern Central America. Martin O’Malley.
Fall 2008 I 27 A Picture Perfect Finish ABOVE: Registering for contest drawing The 2008 Maryland Fishing Challenge Wraps Up at Sandy Point State Park BELOW: Bass Pro rep Dan Meisenheiler and Eric Hoffman of Dundalk, Md, son-in-law to second place winner Edir Dos Santos. n the grassy banks near the Chesapeake Bay just below the Thomas OChesapeake Bay’s edge, over 1,100 Point Lighthouse and through a random enthusiastic anglers and their families sat drawing won a 2008 Toyota Tundra from on lawn chairs and beach blankets, hop- Central Atlantic Toyota. ing to hear their three or four digit number Edir Sauerbronn Dos Santos of Rio de announced through the speaker system. It Janeiro, Brazil had beginner’s luck. His was Saturday, September 13 and this was first catch ever in the Chesapeake Bay, a the moment when lives could change. 42-inch striped bass caught aboard the Someone in the audience was going to Beach Comber out of Chesapeake Beach, walk away with a brand new Toyota or Md. landed him a Tracker boat, trailer and a boat and trailer package from Bass Pro motor package from Bass Pro Shops. Shops. Seventeen lucky young anglers from New life was brought to this year’s across the state were awarded guided fish- Maryland Fishing Challenge, as participa- ing trips. tion increased from last year’s 224 qualify- “We hope our annual fishing challenge ing entrants to 1,345 anglers from 24 U.S. gave first time and experienced anglers an states, Canada, and Brazil this year. New incentive to take advantage of Maryland’s this year, a youth challenge qualified chil- great fishing opportunities, and par- dren, who participated in five community ticularly to share their passion for the sport fishing derbies held across the state, to win with the next generation,” said Maryland special guided fishing trips. Department of Natural Resources Deputy “The increased participation by children Secretary Eric Schwaab. in this year’s contest brings hope not only Organized by the DNR, the 2008 to the future of this beloved pastime, but Maryland Fishing Challenge ran from to the future of our natural resources,” said Saturday, April 12 through Labor Day, Governor O’Malley as he presented prizes September 1. While the contest offered a valued at over $50,000 at the fourth an- potential cash prize of up to $25,000 from nual closing event. Boater’s World and a $5,000 diamond from Winner Fred Menage of Edgewater, Md. Smyth Jewelers for the capture of Diamond caught a 40.25-inch striped bass in the Jim, the Bay’s most famous fish eluded
anglers again this year. All prizes for the Challenge were donated. More than 60 species of fish were cita- tion-eligible, including large and small- mouth bass, trout, walleye, musky and pan fish in the freshwaters of Maryland; rockfish (striped bass), bluefish, drum, sea trout and perch in the Chesapeake Bay; and tuna, marlin, flounder, kingfish and sea bass on the ocean-side. And the Winner Says... “I’ve been fishing my whole life and this one turned out to be my lucky fish. It’s unbelievable and so very exciting that I won this Toyota truck. It will be the first truck I’ve ever owned.” Menage, aged 69, weighed his self-proclaimed “beautiful
Tom Nappi (3) Tom and delicious” fish, in at 24 lbs. at Marty’s Tackle in Mayo. Md.
28 I The Maryland Natural Resource DNR @ WORK Saluting Maryland’s Wildfire Firefighters Photographs of the firefighters. courtesy o assist western states in battling Twildfires this summer, Maryland dispatched three crews comprised of 25 Maryland Department of Natural Resources personnel and 26 other state firefighters to active duty on the front lines of the blazes. “Natural disasters know no state bound- aries, and I am proud that Maryland is able to assist in battling the roaring fires out west in our sister states,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “I commend the brave men and women of Maryland for their dedication to humanity by serving on the dangerous front line of the fires.”
DNR Personnel Assigned in 2008
William Baumann Karen Jarboe Mark Beals Donald Kronner Rande Brown Richard Lillard David Budniakiewicz Russell Massey Martin Callahan John McCarthy Aaron Cook Monte Mitchell Emilie Cooper Kevin Moore During their service, crew members took part in various duties including guarding Shawn Day Bobby Morgan the fire line, griding the area and monitor- Amber Dobson Chris Robertson ing hot spots. When “mopping up,” the Michael Fazenbaker Christopher Ruark firefighters use a combination of an ax David Gailey Christopher Smallwood and a hoe to dig and control the burning materials. Georgia Guyton Jason Spadaro “We were honored to serve and make Jim Harris Brian Stupak a difference on such an active fire that Robert Harvey Eric Warnick threatened the landscape and livelihood of Californians,” said State Fire Supervisor Joshua Homyack Paul Winkler Monte Mitchell. Scott Hutchinson Dennis Yoder DNR outfitted the specially trained wild- land firefighters with protective equipment and gear packs.
Fall 2008 I 29 Morning Glide on Cunningham Falls State Park • Criss Massie
Presort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 62 580 Taylor Avenue, D-4 • Annapolis, MD 21401 Annapolis, MD
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