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September 2023 | Land Trust eNews
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Maryland Environmental Trust Spotlight |
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 Capacity Building Grants for Maryland’s Land Trusts
Maryland Environmental Trust, a unit of the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Agriculture, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, are partnering to accept applications for this year’s Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants program. These grants are offered annually to nonprofit organizations, communities, and land trusts in Maryland to support environmental education projects, community stewardship, and the protection of natural resources in urban and rural areas.
The deadline to apply for funding is November 15, 2023. Awards will be announced in March 2024. About $318,000 is available for this year’s grant round. This year, three different Keep Maryland Beautiful grants will be offered in the following categories:
- community stewardship grants for volunteer groups, nonprofits, local governments, and schools;
- capacity building grants for Maryland’s land trusts; and
- grants for nonprofits to implement forestry projects on agricultural land.
Also, don't forget to nominate a representative from your land trust or another Maryland land trust for the 2024 Aileen Hughes Award! The Aileen Hughes Award is presented annually to an individual representing a Maryland land trust who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in land conservation -- including, but not limited to, executive directors, program staff, and board members. Funding is awarded to a land trust on behalf of an individual and their good work, rather than to the individual themselves. Past recipients of the Aileen Hughes Award are listed here.
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 Trust the Technology: Stewarding with Success
MET's Stewardship Manager, Josette Markline, presented with Frank Deuter (Lower Shore Land Trust) and Michael Ports (Eastern Shore Land Conservancy) at the 2023 Rally. This year's National Land Conservation Conference took place on September 6-9 in Portland, OR. The session, Trust the Technology: Stewarding with Success, featured presentations on their organizations' experiences with various technologies in stewarding the diverse landscapes of Maryland. Session information is available online.
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2023 Maryland Land Conservation Conference
October 4-5 | Registration Fee
Forever Maryland invites you to attend the 30th Annual Maryland Land Conservation Conference, “Changing the Future, Now!” on October 4th and 5th, 2023 in Annapolis, MD. The conference agenda is posted online. Conference topics include: Artificial Intelligence and Solar Siting; Conservation Easements and Federal Tax Law; Conservation Finance; Addressing Species Loss; 30X30; Carbon Market Solutions; Healing Communities Through Greenspace; Improving Water Quality; Advocating for Change; and MUCH more! Among other things, attendees can expect free (optional) tours, a large exhibitor hall, a networking reception and group meetings. Learn more.
Branching Out: Maryland's Woodland Stewardship Educator
Online publication | Free
UME's latest issue of Branching Out is now available. This issue highlights new publications to help manage your woodlands and information about UME's online courses for the fall. UME's regular features include profiles of the Cooper's hawk in the Woodland Wildlife Spotlight, and winter creeper in Invasives in Your Woodland. Under the News and Notes section read the latest news including What motivates family forest landowners to manage invasive species? and a New Maryland Law Will Aid Wildlife and Early Successional Habitat. Read more.
Planning Practice
Dates vary
The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) offers a dedicated website to make your search for high-quality, relevant training and funding easy. MDP created this site to list conferences, webinars, workshops around the state as well as funding opportunities. The website includes many events, so please visit it regularly for updates. Listings are searchable by subject. Learn more.
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Tools, Tech and Tutorials |
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 Maryland Riparian Buffer Care Calendar
Riparian forest buffers are considered the ‘last line of defense for our streams’ by
trapping and transforming nutrients and sediments before they enter our
waterways as harmful runoff. The following are guidelines for supporting early stage development of recently planted buffers <10 years post-establishment.
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 The Best Places to Plant Trees in Maryland
Using high-resolution lidar data, satellite imagery, and modeling, a team of researchers supported by the NASA Carbon Monitoring System has developed a method to help the state of Maryland assess the best places to grow trees. The method considers both the carbon storage potential and economic opportunity of the land.
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 Bird Migration Explorer
The Bird Migration Explorer is your guide to the annual journeys made by over 450 bird species, and the challenges they face along the way. Learn more about a species, the migratory birds at a specific location, or a conservation challenge birds face.
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Share Your News
If you would like to share relevant conservation news, success stories, announcements or events with Maryland's land trusts and conservation partners through this publication, please contact Michelle Grafton by the first of each month at michelle.grafton@maryland.gov.
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