|
|
 |
| |
|
Episode
801 |
 |
|
| |
Chasing
the Past |
| |
"The graceful skipjack is a boat with
a history. Its raked-back mast was a common sight in the days when Chesapeake
watermen plied their trade in sailing ships. Now, a working fleet that once
numbered in the hundreds has dwindled to a few surviving specimens. The 112-year-old
Rebecca Ruark is one. Skippered by Captain Wade Murphy, she still drags an oyster
dredge to scrape the bay's muddy bottom as she did a century ago. But hers is
a tale of past glory. Now, the skipjack's 20th century decline in the face of
motor-powered boats and dwindling oyster stocks has forced determined historians
and watermen to chase the past in their struggle to save what's left of the
skipjack fleet — the Chesapeake's most renowned and enduring link to its
past. |
| |
Springtime Rollcall |
| |
Scientists
sounded the alarm in the early 1990's when reports from around the globe confirmed
that frogs and salamanders were mysteriously dying in great numbers. The scientific
community's fear centers on the amphibian's place in nature's food chain; a
critical, irreplaceable one whose displacement could, in the future, present
deadly consequences to some animal species, and even man.
Ed
Thompson, a wildlife biologist with the Maryland Department
of Natural Resources, is surveying the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal in western Maryland to catalogue how the amphibian calamity
is affecting frogs and salamanders in the mid-Atlantic region.
He hopes to gather evidence to help answer the question now
nagging many scientists: is the amphibian's worldwide decline
part of a natural cycle, or a greater problem that could spell
cataclysm for the global environment? |
 ......
|
Episode
802 |
|
| |
Wilderness of Water |
| |
There
are still some parts of the Chesapeake Bay where jumping fish outnumber people.
Tangier Sound is one such place, a wilderness of big sky and blaze orange sunsets
where gulls and terns shriek and dive and spits of sand dot the smooth, blue
water. This place offers itself as the perfect haven for outdoors enthusiast
and shut-in alike who want to make the trek to the Chesapeake's southern frontier.
Here, five natural resource managers get a taste of world-class eco-tourism
as they paddle in kayaks through some of the best the Bay has to offer. |
| |
Birding by Bike |
| |
As
more and more of Maryland's forest is fragmented by development, the gentle
sport of Birding is pushed to the limit in an effort to find more species. Two
of its enthusiasts are so dedicated, they traverse central Maryland's back roads
by means of bicycle to cover as much ground — and see as many beautiful
birds — as possible. |
| |
Follow the Lure |
|
Maryland's
reservoirs offer anglers plenty of fishing action around the state, both from
boat and shore. Two Maryland fishing guides try their luck.
|
......
|
Episode
803 |
|
| |
Water
Shadows |
| |
For
millions of years, giant salamanders roamed the earth. But, only some survived
the tests of time and natural selection, including one Western Maryland species
locals call the Hellbender — a large, fleshy, other-worldly-looking beast
that sequesters itself beneath rocks and boulders that jut from the region's
icy, crystal-clear creeks and streams. Maryland Department of Natural Resources
biologists Ed Thompson and Dan Feller are so absorbed by the mysterious life
of this shy giant that they wade through the creeks of Maryland's mountainous
western frontier, lifting rock after rock in search of a specimen or two. |
| |
In
Society's Hands |
| |
There
was a time, not at all long ago, that Maryland schoolchildren were taught that
the Bald Eagle was on the verge of extinction. Pesticides like DDT were the
main culprit in the Eagle's demise and, in the late 1960's and early 1970's,
the eagle nests that once dotted the Chesapeake shoreline had disappeared. In
the 1990's, that has changed. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources says
Bald Eagles have returned to Maryland's Chesapeake watershed in large numbers.
But it cautions that the eagle's future may now be endangered by something altogether
different, yet preventable: suburban sprawl and the loss of habitat. |
......
|
Episode
804 |
|
| |
Room to Let |
| |
Purple
Martins always find their way home. That's part of the mystery surrounding the
behavior of this particularly people-friendly species, which returns to the
same man-made "motel," or nesting box, year after year. A few Calvert County
residents are understandably smitten with Southern Maryland's Martins, as this
segment proves. |
| |
A
Leap of Faith |
| |
Some
jumpers say it's for the thrill. Others skydive for the serenity they claim
freefall provides. Whatever motivates them, skydivers form unbreakable bonds
with one another as they jump from 14,000 feet and fall earthward. It's a feeling
one group of divers says can't be matched by anything, at any price. |
| |
Blueprint for a Forest |
|
As
symptoms of potential environmental devastation appear on the Earth — global
warming and deforestation are two — some men and women attack the looming
threat to man's longevity with science. Dr. Jess Parker, a researcher with the
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland, is developing
a strategy that will help scientists discover precisely how a forest grows,
and what species are best suited to specific conditions in certain latitudes.
His research also takes him into the crown of old-growth canopies as he searches
for answers to the mysteries of trees.
|
......
|
Episode
805 |
|
| |
An
Autumn Walk |
| |
Two
outdoors experts with a love of the changing nature of the autumnal woods guide
the viewer through a forest as it prepares for the deep sleep of winter. |
| |
Nuisance
or Necessity |
| |
The
Horseshoe Crab has been cast aside for years as just another inexplicable curiosity
of the sea. Experts know better. They understand the crab isn't really a crab,
after all, but a member of the spider family. And they know its copper-based
green blood is a crucial ingredient in the manufacture of certain pharmaceuticals.
Now, many believe the Horseshoe Crab has been so mistreated and ignored, that
its Atlantic population is slipping badly. One of the controversial uses some
would like to see halted: catching the crabs and grinding them up for bait for
use in Whelk fishing. |
| |
Grin
'n Bear It |
|
It
seems coexistence between people and wildlife is becoming more complicated,
rather than less. After being pushed out of Western Maryland over the years
by human expansion, the Black Bear is making a comeback. Ordinarily, most residents
welcome wildlife. But many western Marylanders aren't happy about the Bear's
rediscovered fondness for Garrett County, and are calling for controls such
as hunting. |
......
|
Episode
806 |
|
| |
Nature's Way |
| |
Assateague
Island stands as a silent, wind-swept sentinel east of Maryland's
fragile Atlantic coast, as it has for centuries. But the barrier
island isn't just a natural seawall. It's also a unique ecosystem
teeming with life on both the marsh and beach sides of the island.
Assateague has survived torrential nor-easters and hurricanes
in the past...but in 1998, the island was devastated at its
north end by several winter storms. Adding to that problem:
Assateague's natural replenishment isn't what it once was.
The addition of a jetty on Ocean City's southern-most tip
hoards southern-flowing sand and is starving Assateague's
beaches and dunes. There is a massive, long-range plan in
the works to save the barrier island. The question is: will
the enormous time and expense work in the long run? |
......
|
Episode
807 |
|
| |
Springer to Katadhin |
| |
The
Appalachian Trail is the longest, regularly maintained footpath in the world.
It stretches from Springer, Georgia in the south to Mount Katadhin, Maine in
the north. Mary Sue and George Roach are two "A.T.ers" who have walked the length
of the trail...they even got married in the middle. A taste of their wanderlust,
A.T.-style. |
| |
In
Green Obscurity |
| |
The
bottom of much of the Chesapeake Bay was once smothered in thick carpets of
undersea grass. Besides offering tiny nursery-sized marine animals shelter and
protection from predators, the grasses also help clean the water by filtering
out pollutants. Much of the Chesapeake's grasses have died in the last 20 to
30 years, endangering the Bay's future. Now, scientists, students, researchers
and volunteers are joining together in an effort to rejuvenate the grass beds
in parts of the Chesapeake where the losses have been greatest. |
| |
Catch
of the Day |
|
Deep
Creek Lake in Garrett County offers some of the best fishing in Western Maryland.
Two fishing guides try their luck on the lake going after trout, bass, pike
and walleye.
|
......
|
Episode
808 |
|
| |
Beauty's Power |
| |
The
Nanticoke River's purity proves the power of beauty. Winding its way from Delaware
through the lower Eastern Shore, the river's uncommon charms motivate private
citizens and corporations alike to keep the watershed clean for themselves and
the plants and animals that live directly off the Nanticoke. An uncommon story
of extraordinary stewardship by ordinary people. |
| |
Smoke
the Bird |
| |
Not
everyone who totes a gun into the field is looking for a live shot and flying
pin feathers. In fact, there's a growing collection of Delmarva outdoor enthusiasts
who meet at ranges each week to fire at flying clay targets. Shooting at "sporting
clays" is a holdover from Great Britain's famous trap shooting traditions, and
little of the that spirit has changed in its American incarnation. |
| |
A
New Day for the Bay |
|
Lacking
sweeping environmental initiatives, it can only be a "new day" for the Chesapeake
Bay if fresh ideas and enthusiasm are injected into long-range efforts to save
it. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is helping to make that happen by taking small
groups of young people out onto the Bay and into the marsh to give them a first-hand
glimpse of the Chesapeake's enourmous reach into our lives, visible and invisible.
|
......
|
Episode
809 |
|
| |
Nature's Paradox |
| |
Perhaps
a baby rabbit is carried away by a Fox; a helpless baby bird falls from his
nest and becomes prey to a racoon...a favorite tree falls victim to disease,
wind or lightning. Early on, we are taught to live with the simple contradictions
of nature — its "cruelty" — as "the way things are." But as management
of our environment becomes more intensive and complex, so do some of the problems.
Paradoxes appear, like that of the beautiful, graceful Snow Goose, a species
whose insatiable appetite for marsh grass and whose even greater, growing number,
threatens the very survival of some important marshes on Maryland's Eastern
Shore. The dilemma posed by the Snow Goose and man's proposed solutions to the
problem shows there are no easy answers or choices when it comes to the mix
of people and nature in the 1990's and beyond.
|
| |
A River Reclaimed |
| |
There
was once a time when the Anacostia River was forgotten and presumed lost. It
was little more than an oasis of waste water, trash and muck, and hovered near
death for decades. Now, a committed group of volunteers is reclaiming the Anacostia,
in the name of community and history. |
| |
Island
Squirrel |
|
The
Delmarva Fox Squirrel is small, furry and shy. It also holds the answers to
some key questions for environmentalists and biologists about the fate of endangered
species across the country. One proposed solution to easing habitat hardships
for forest-dwelling animals in areas where logging is on-going: create islands
of forest to maintain populations. Biologists hope it works for the Fox Squirrel,
a long-time Eastern Shore resident. |
.........
|
Episode
810 |
|
| |
Mountain
Shadow |
| |
Though
its range extends as far east as northern Baltimore County and as far south
as Montgomery County, the Bobcat is a mystery to most Marylanders. Yet, the
wildcat is thriving in Maryland. In this story, Maryland Department of Natural
Resources trapper Robert Colona walks the western Maryland mountains in search
of the bob-tailed cat. |
| |
Chesapeake Releaf |
| |
Many
of the streams, creeks and rivers that eventually flow into the Chesapeake Bay
originate far from their destination. So, it's hard for many people to understand
how pollution of streams and rivers affects the Bay, arguing that distance equals
safety. Yet, experts say these tributaries deliver plenty of trouble to the
Chesapeake in the form of silt and agricultural runoff. This segment, specially
underwritten by the Chesapeake Bay Trust,
tells the story of how volunteers and organizations around the state are trying
to clean up waterways in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by planting trees to filter
harmful pollutants before they flow into the Bay. |
| |
Go
West |
| |
It
wasn't that long ago that Highway 68 cut through the Maryland mountains to make
way for western-bound tourists. That means some of the state's most beautiful,
peaceful scenery is within easy reach for anyone who cares to camp, fish, or
ski. |
........
|
Episode
811 |
|
| |
Four Points |
| |
Maryland's
diversity is famous. Different kinds of scenery, plants and
animals grace the state from Western Maryland's mountains to
the Eastern Shore's beaches and marshland. "Four Points" takes
us to four fascinating locations that provide a sample of what
the state has to offer. State Archaeologist Tyler Bastion explores
an area near Conowingo for remaining traces of Native American
life. Bill McInturff, Regional Manager for the Department of
Natural Resources at the DNR's Deal Island Wildlife Management
Area, leads viewers on a vicarious excursion into the Chesapeake
marsh to observe some of the watershed's most beautiful species
of waterfowl. Sailing enthusiast Larry Layton braves the stiff
winter wind and the Atlantic's freezing salt spray to cruise
Ocean City's coast. Lastly, DNR Naturalist Eric Savage climbs
3,000 feet to give us a bird's-eye view of Maryland's western
edge. |
| |
Nature's
Course |
| |
It
is difficult to imagine that, in Maryland alone, there are nearly 17,000 miles
of streams. That means 90% of our land drains into the Chesapeake Bay. This
segment, underwritten by The Chesapeake
Bay Trust, explores what steps are being taken by volunteers to regularly
test Maryland streams as well as their efforts to clean them up. |
........
|
Episode
812 |
|
| |
A Slice in Time |
| |
Sideling
Hill is a rock formation in Western Maryland that has a lot of people's attention.
Exposed when workers blasted a mountain in two to build Interstate 68, the syncline
is a major source of curiosity as well as a science lesson among tourists who
stop at the exhibit center built there. |
| |
Battling
Runoff |
| |
Farmers
have historically been stewards of the land; its keeper and
protector. Now, experts cite agriculture as a major source of
water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Growers of crops and
livestock now are experimenting with ways to reduce runoff and
keep streams and rivers clean. This segment is specially funded
by The Chesapeake Bay
Trust. |
| |
Birds Up |
|
Modern
farming practices and suburban sprawl have had adverse effects
on upland game hunting, and many of its enthusiasts have gone
to great lengths to bring it back strong. |
........
|
Episode
813 |
|
| |
Chesapeake
Beacons |
| |
Maritime
history is filled with legends of ships and souls lost to watery
graves. Lighthouses helped to change that. Radiant white streams
beamed from light stations cut their way through smothering
fog, wispy mists and pelting rains to help guide ships to shore,
and safety.
The Chesapeake Bay has its share of lighthouses. From Point
Lookout in the south to Concord Point in Havre De Grace, nine
lighthouses are featured here to tell the story of days past
when sailors kept a keen eye out for these lifesaving beacons
on the Chesapeake. |
.......
|
Episode
814 |
|
| |
Nature's Course, Chesapeake Releaf
& Battling Runoff |
| |
Stream
health is one of the top priorities of environmentalists in Maryland. They know
that pollution that washes into streams, creeks and rivers — even hundreds
of miles from the Chesapeake — ultimately ends up flowing into the Bay,
resulting in pollution that harms marine plants and animals. This program, specially
underwritten by the Chesapeake Bay Trust,
demonstrates what problems are at hand and the solutions that experts hope will
result in the cleansing of the Chesapeake watershed and the Bay. |
........
|
Episode
901 |
|
| |
The Casting Call |
| |
It's
Drum-mania along the edge of the land as Assateague anglers race to catch the
greatest living prize the Atlantic has to offer: the Red Drum. |
| |
It's
All Time & Timing |
| |
The
number of birds that nest in colonies near the water is always a hot topic among
wildlife biologists in the state. The question: will they survive today's environmental
pressures? Dave Brinker, a bird specialist with the Maryland Department of Natural
Resources, takes to beach and boat once every five years to count these fragile
species whose fate ultimately rests on habitat conservation. |
| |
Song
of the Season |
|
John
Zyla criss-crosses Maryland to map one of the more unusual aspects
of the outdoors. The Cicada, which spends years underground
only to emerge for two weeks of buzzing, mating and, generally,
mystifying humans with their behavior and purpose.
|
......
|
Episode
902 |
|
| |
Rabbit
Run |
| |
The
Hills Bridge Beagles from Southern Maryland take to forest and field in search
of rabbit, all the while followed by a large and enthusiastic entourage. |
| |
A
Fan of the Hunt |
| |
The
DNR's Mike Slattery and Doug Wigfield
don camouflage and enter the Eastern Shore woods in search of the forest's most
elusive quarry, the Wild Turkey. |
| |
Expecting
the Unexpected |
|
Maryland
DNR biologists Dr. Mark Homer & Mitch Tarnowski labor to rejuvenate
the population of the bay Scallop in coastal waters.
|
......
|
Episode
903 |
|
| |
Island
Bird |
| |
The
Island Bird has seen more than a century of change on the Chesapeake. Built
in 1882 on Tilghman Island by the great-grandfather of present-day owner Judge
John North, the log canoe is a rarity among sailing vessels. |
| |
Damsels
and Dragons |
| |
The
Dragonfly's mysterious and elusive existence and its place in Maryland's ecology
is closely examined. |
......
|
Episode
904 |
|
| |
Bluebirds |
| |
There
was a time that the Bluebird as a common sight. Then, the European Starling
moved to America, and by the 1960's the Bluebird's numbers had shrunk by 90%.
Now, the Bluebird is making a comeback in Maryland, thanks to some committed
Bluebird lovers. |
| |
Catch
of the Day |
| |
Deep
Creek Lake in Garrett County offers some of the best fishing in Western Maryland.
Two fishing guides try their luck on the lake going after trout, bass, pike
and walleye. |
| |
Survival:Outdoors
Women |
|
The
wildly popular and successful "How to be an Outdoors Woman," course, offered
to the public by the Maryland Department
of Natural Resources, spawned a realistic, hands-on course for women who
want to take on the challenge of survival camping in the Western Maryland woods.
|
......
|
Episode
905 |
|
| |
The
Valley Wind |
| |
There
are some places on earth where the wind always blows. One is a rugged cliff
called High Rock, sandwiched between steep foothills straddling the Pennsylvania-Maryland
border. There, hang glider pilots rendevouz
to help one another soar on the valley winds and take in the breathtaking beauty
of the mountains. |
| |
Outdoor
Adventures |
| |
Eco-tourism
sounds like a new word to many people, but it's really just a new twist on an
old idea: playing in Maryland's beautiful and diverse out-of-doors. The Maryland
Department of Natural Resources wants more Marylanders to enjoy the recreational
opportunities across the state, and the department's Nita Settina takes viewers
across the state biking, canoeing and fly fishing to showcase some of the possibilities. |
| |
Humming
in the Garden |
|
It's
easier than you ever thought to attract hummingbirds to your own backyard! The
Ruby Throated Hummingbird is Maryland's native species. It weighs only a tenth
of an ounce and is attracted to nectar supplied by native plants or attentive
homeowners. The Maryland Department of
Natural Resources' Wild Acres program helps homeowners attract wildlife
to their own backyards, such as different species of Hummingbirds.
|
......
|
Episode
906 |
|
| |
Hope
at the Edge |
| |
In the
soft, grey light of dawn, Jamie Marshall tosses rusty chicken wire crab pots
over the side of his idling boat into the smooth, shallow water of the Chesapeake.
His quarry is Callinectus Sapidus, the Blue Crab. Marshall is a Smith Islander,
a descendant of explorers who settled the island nearly 400 years ago. Since
then, he and other islanders like him have fished the Chesapeake to make a living.
Now, with stocks of the Blue Crab wavering and Smith Island itself slowly washing
away, Marshall's livelihood and the waterman's way of life may be entering a
final chapter. Yet, the relentless optimism among island villagers in Ewell
and Tylerton keeps alive a hope that, next year, things will be better. |
......
|
Episode
907 |
|
| |
The
River Lives |
| |
The Patuxent River's journey through Maryland inspires the lives of many people
along the way. Explored here is the 110-mile long Patuxent -- and the stories
of three lives intimately intertwined with it. |
| |
A
Lock on Beauty |
| |
The
C & O Canal was an engineering marvel when it was built. Now, after outliving
its usefulness as a means of transportation, the natural wonders along its path
offers hikers, bikers and naturalists a glimpse into a world of unique beauty
and nostalgia. |
......
|
Episode
908 |
|
| |
Diving! |
| |
It's
dark and cold at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. It's also teeming with a
dizzying collection of marine life, from scurrying Sea Robins, to lobsters,
anenomes, starfish, finfish and crustaceans. That's why a team of recreational
divers in this "Outdoors Maryland" special motors out about eight miles into
the Atlantic off the coast of Ocean City in search of some underwater adventure.
They find it, in an exploration of articificial reefs in some of the clearest
water the green Atlantic has to offer. |
......
|
Episode
909 |
|
| |
Ecology
of a Mountain |
| |
The
sum of a mountain is more than its elevation and summit. The lives of fauna
and flora that live there also shape it as a unique ecosystem. The Maryland
Department of Natural Resources' Ed Thompson explores a mountain to discover
how life changes from top to bottom and in-between, and why. |
| |
A Slice in Time |
| |
Sideling
Hill is a rock formation in Western Maryland that has a lot of people's attention.
Exposed when workers blasted a mountain in two to build Interstate 68, the syncline
is a major source of curiosity as well as a science lesson among tourists who
stop at the exhibit center built there. |
| |
Tributary
Tribulations |
|
The
health of Maryland streams has a direct impact on the health and future of the
Chesapeake Bay. Thanks to volunteer efforts, stream clarity and purity is routinely
checked and potential problems averted.
|
......
|
Episode
910 |
|
| |
Natural
Wit and Wisdom |
| |
The
Hagerstown Almanac has tried for 200 years to do what modern-day forecasters
have trouble accomplishing -- predicting Maryland weather. The family behind
the Almanac is still working away to give its readers a glimpse into the future. |
| |
Go
West! |
| |
Western
Maryland state parks offer vacationers and visitors some of the most remote
and beautiful locations to hike, bike, fish and boat. A preview. |
| |
Good
Ship Earth |
|
The
Chesapeake Bay's future potential is in the hands of the next generation. That's
why kids learning about the bay and its creatures is a priority for educators.
For many children, the story of the Chesapeake oyster is the most instructive
and fascinating.
|
......
|
Episode
911 |
|
| |
Tail
of Tribulation |
| |
One of nature's most enduring mysteries is a Marylander. The American Eel begins
life in the brilliant, crystal-blue of the Sargasso Sea; a sparkling, clear
divide between North and South Atlantic. Yet it depends on nurturing inland
waters like the Chesapeake Bay for life. |
| |
Nature's
Paradox |
| |
Despite its beauty, the Snow Goose is not welcomed in certain parts of Maryland,
especially in places like Eastern Shore marshes. |
| |
Water
Toys |
|
With Atlantic coastline, the Chesapeake Bay, numerous rivers and Deep Creek
Lake, Maryland is a watery place to play.
|
......
|
Episode
912 |
|
| |
Board
to be Wild |
| |
The
snowy mountains of Western Maryland is the perfect place to compete if you're
a snowboarder...no matter what your age |
| |
Can
Do! |
| |
Marylanders
are fortunate to have access to the beauty of state parks. Now, physically-challenged
vistors can camp, hike, fish and sightsee thanks to an initiative by the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources that allows them fuller, easier access to state
parks. |
| |
On
the Trail |
|
Mountain
biking is more than pedaling your way through the woods. Cyclists take on the
challenge of biking through trails at Patapsco State Park, enduring some roadblocks
along the way.
|
......
|
Episode
913 |
|
| |
Born
Builders |
| |
Man's ability to shape and change his environment at will has proven to be something
of a double-edged sword. But one of nature's most industrious species can also
change the landscape. The beaver is a fascinating creature that can turn a meadow
with a stream running through it into a thriving wetlands. See why the term
"busy as a beaver" is true. |
| |
Digging
the Past |
| |
If Dinosaur fossils are discovered at a Maryland locale, and digging has begun
to unearth them...can dino-crazed kids be far behind? Predictably, they're on
the case and hot on the trail of imprints of the past. |
| |
A Walk With The Stokes |
|
Birds
like 'em. Bird watchers love 'em. Don and Lillian Stokes, of
MPT's Stokes Birds at Home fame, take an opportunity
to bird-watch in a suburban Washington, D.C. sanctuary to take
in the sights offered up by a Maryland springtime.
|
......
|
|
