Maryland Public Television’s award-winning original series Outdoors Maryland returns for its 38th season on Tuesday, November 10 with the first of two new fall episodes. Produced in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Outdoors Maryland continues to captivate viewers with memorable stories and compelling photography.
Outdoors Maryland airs on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. on MPT and online at mpt.org/livestream, with encore broadcasts on Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. Episodes are available to watch live and on demand via MPT’s online video player and the free PBS app at the time of their premiere.
The two episodes, premiering on November 10 and 17, feature an annual kite festival, scientists working to save a rare fish, and one of Maryland’s newest state parks. Segments debuting during the November 10 episode are:
- To Paint the Sky (Worcester and Montgomery counties) – Every spring, the skies above Ocean City come alive with color as kite enthusiasts from across the country gather for the annual Maryland International Kite Exposition. From enormous inflatable sea creatures to synchronized aerial dances, discover the extraordinary variety of kites taking flight along the beach. Plus, meet kite artist Jon Burkhardt, who combines creativity and engineering to transform colorful fabric into soaring works of art.
- A Second Chance for Sunfish (Baltimore City and Worcester, Caroline, and Queen Anne’s counties) – In the dark, acidic waters of Maryland’s blackwater swamps, a small, silvery fish once darted through the shallows. Today, the blackbanded sunfish has all but disappeared from the state, but conservationists are working to bring it back. Join biologists from the Department of Natural Resources as they survey ponds where the elusive fish have recently been reintroduced. Then, visit a DNR hatchery and the National Aquarium, where captive breeding programs are working to rebuild the population. At The Nature Conservancy’s Nassawango Creek Preserve, learn why protecting the species’ disappearing habitat is essential to its future.
Segments premiering during the November 17 episode are:
- A Measure of Bears (Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick counties) – Deep in the forests of Western Maryland, a black bear mother and her cubs are tucked in their winter den. Join biologists from the Department of Natural Resources as they venture inside to get a rare glimpse of these elusive animals – and a chance to learn more about the state’s growing bear population. Then, follow a researcher from the University of Maryland’s Applied Spatial Wildlife Ecology Lab as they collect DNA from bear hair, tracking the species’ gradual return eastward across Maryland and exploring what that expansion means for the future of bears in the state.
- Of Land and Legacy (Montgomery County) – Half-hidden in the woods of Montgomery County, the remains of a 19th-century farm tell an extraordinary story of Black resilience. Join a group of Outdoor Afro hikers as they explore Freedman’s State Park, one of Maryland’s newest state parks and the former homestead of Enoch George Howard. Born into slavery, Howard went on to purchase not only his freedom and his family’s freedom, but the very land on which his wife was enslaved. Today, historians, archaeologists, and descendants are working together to preserve the family’s legacy.
Audiences are invited to engage with the series on social media at @OutdoorsMarylandTV on Facebook and @OutdoorsMarylandTV on Instagram.
Since debuting in 1988, MPT has produced more than 700 Outdoors Maryland stories on topics ranging from science-oriented environmental issues to segments about fascinating people, animals, and places across the state. The series has earned more than 50 awards over 38 years of production, including 38 Emmy® Awards from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
