Looking for Diamond Jim: In this episode of Outdoors Maryland you might say we've gone fishin'! The Maryland State Fishing Challenge, a statewide contest organized and regulated by the Fisheries Service of the Department of Natural Resources, gives Marylanders a chance to catch cash and prizes with their rod and reel. Our cameras head out to Western Maryland's Deep Creek Lake and Savage River, as well as the Burton Fishing Pier on the Choptank to capture anglers of all ages in the pursuit of a prize-winning catch - a citation-sized fish and the elusive Diamond Jim tagged fish - all the while enjoying the great outdoors.

The Sacred Places: For two decades, two friends have organized sea kayaking trips for devotees of Chesapeake Bay, from government officials to renowned artists. The adventurers paddle down the spine of remote islands in Maryland's south-central Bay where much looks just as it centuries ago. Join these explorers as they pitch their tents on windswept beaches, explore the vibrant life of rare salt-marshes, devour fresh-caught rock fish grilled on campfire, seek inspiration in dazzling sunsets and sunrises, and especially, brainstorm with other compatriots in the fight to save – and savor – the Bay.

The Better Angels: Many Maryland communities have discovered the joy of planting to create beauty, sanctuary and stability. Find out where some of these gardens are located learn what our citizens are doing to maintain these gardens.

Trail Across Time: Four hundred years ago, Captain John Smith anchored off "great cliffs" along the western shore of Chesapeake Bay during his voyage in search of a mythic passage to the Orient. Today, Calvert Cliffs State Park draws nearly a million visitors a year who search for a different kind of treasure: to savor the peace of quiet forest trails through one of the most unique ecosystems in southern Maryland; to decipher the secret life of a rare forest swamp created by generations of industrious beavers, and, especially, to look for fossils millions of years old, the largest Miocene fossil bed on the East Coast. This "Outdoors Maryland" excursion to Calvert Cliffs offers startling and stunning views of the Bay – across space and time.

Journey of the Longnecks: The Canada Goose in Maryland had seen better days. In years past, numbers of the longnecks were down. Experts at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources blamed poor weather at the birds' northern nesting grounds, and even over-hunting. Now, those problems are beginning to ease thanks to new management programs designed to help the population grow.

Peddlers' Paradise: Neither rough terrain nor constant hazards can intimidate Maryland's intrepid mountain bikers. Outdoors Maryland follows a couple who build their lives around biking on some of the state's most challenging trails, and competing in the daunting sport of Cyclo-Cross."

Beyond Blue If you live in Maryland, you've heard about Blue Crabs...a Chesapeake Bay Icon. But also scuttling along the salty shorelines of Maryland's Ocean Beaches and Coastal Bays are as many as thirty-five other kinds of crabs you won't find in a crabcake!

Driving the Shell For many years the public has imagined only limited recreational uses for the Patapsco River. But, if you look carefully along the banks of the river, you'll see evidence of the revival of a sport that once flourished in Baltimore's watery back yard: boathouses that serve as the headquarters for a number of rowing clubs, including the Baltimore Rowing Club.

Like Nowhere Else New Germany State Park, named for its early settlers, lies in Northeastern Garrett County. It is surrounded by fifty-four thousand acres of Savage River State Forest, which protects some of Maryland's last official wildlands. New Germany offers its visitors camping in all seasons, fishing, boating, hunting and both downhill and cross country skiing.

Wild Encounters Every Year the Maryland Department of Natural Resources fields about ten thousand calls from our citizens concerning Wildlife. Learn what is being done to ease the problems sometimes created by Human/Wildlife encounters with the emphasis on safety for both people and the animals.

Schooner Schooling Students from around Maryland experience first-hand life on the Chesapeake Bay aboard a "floating classroom," the schooner Sultana.

The Two Percent Solution The best way to explore the designated water trails created by the Department of Natural Resources is by Kayak or canoe. Learn where some of these trails are located and how to gain public access to them.

Reeling it In During the Summer, teams from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources catch, tag and release striped bass. One lucky fish is tagged the Diamond Jim, and if it's caught there is a cash prize…the rest are imposters. The DNR uses these outings as a way to expose folks (including children) to Maryland's aquatic resources and the thrill of catching a fish. Also featured is the late Bill Burton, Maryland's legendary outdoors writer who inspired generations of anglers to get out and fish.

Tiny Tigers Scattered on both private and public Lands on Maryland's Western and Eastern Shores are special cliffs which are home to a tiny state-endangered species: the Puritan Tiger Beetle. These cliffs face possible extinction and so too do these creatures who call them home. Discover what is being done to both protect the cliffs and save the Tiger Beetle.

Sustaining Beauty Several thousand acres of southern Maryland waterfront property with pristine woodlands, salt marshes and wide sand beaches have been sold by the Jesuits who have owned it for over four hundred years. The lucky buyers – the Citizens of Maryland thanks to Program Open Space.