Out of the Woods
Black Bears and people have been running into each for a long time in Western Maryland. White pioneers who first settled the mountains feared the occasional bear because of the species' insatiable appetite for anything edible - including settlers' hard-earned crops. Back then, there were few people living in the mountains. Now, with more numbers of people vacationing and moving to mountain tourist destinations like Deep Creek Lake, encounters between people and bears are growing in number. For some residents, the black bear's increasing presence is becoming a real problem.

Piercing the Forest
On the steep and rocky slopes of the Western Maryland mountains, one man walks the deep, dark forests with an eye out for a mysterious and elusive bird called the Goshawk. DNR wildlife biologist Dave Brinker's mission: to track down what he believes to be the only nesting pair of Goshawks in the state, fit the birds with expensive tracking transmitters, and return them to the safety of their treetop nests.

A Leg Up
For some people with disabilities, life's difficulties are magnified by their inability to enjoy nature's beauty. In Howard County, however, a stable of very special horses stand at the ready to offer them improved health and happiness.