Clear to the Bottom
The water of Chesapeake Bay must be clean and clear enough for sunlight to reach the bottom if sub-aquatic grasses are to grow. These grasses, or SAVs as they are known, are critical living components of the bay's ecology. They serve many functions, but perhaps the most important is their role as a living, protective nursery for young aquatic animals like fish and crabs that are vulnerable to predation. For now, the water isn't clean enough in most parts of the Chesapeake - scientists say it won't be - until filter feeders like oysters return in high enough numbers to filter sediment and excess nutrients. Yet, in an attempt to stay ahead of schedule in the hope that one day soon the Chesapeake's waters will again be clean enough for widespread growth of grasses, scientists are experimenting with a variety of methods to replant grass beds that could help to speed recovery of the Chesapeake Bay.

Brush and Feather
He's a soft-spoken, thoughtful man who's spent his years carefully watching the birds of Chesapeake Bay. As a young man, John Taylor's passion for birds drove him to the artist's canvas of self-expression, and led to his life as a popular and successful Chesapeake Bay artist and conservationist.

Spring's Wings
The delicate flutter of the butterfly marks the beginning of Spring -- and triggers a new season of passionate "hunting" among butterfly lovers. Richard Smith, Maryland's reigning expert on Lepidoptera -- the butterfly's scientific name -- travels the state with experts from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in search of species common and rare, with the hope of getting a fix on how Maryland's butterfly population is faring.