Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) award-winning original series Outdoors Maryland, now in its 36th season, will deliver two new episodes in December. Produced in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Outdoors Maryland continues to captivate viewers with memorable stories and compelling videography.
Outdoors Maryland airs Tuesdays at 7:30 PM on MPT-HD and online at mpt.org/livestream, with encore broadcasts on Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. Episodes will be available to watch live and on-demand via MPT’s online video player and the free PBS app at the time of their premiere.
During the December 3 episode, viewers will enjoy a trio of segments centered around water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.
- Ribbons in the Tide (Anne Arundel, Garrett, and Harford counties) – Underwater grasses are key to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and other marine ecosystems, but they have declined drastically over the past century. Follow along as DNR biologists collect seeds from healthy populations, process them at Anne Arundel Community College, and scatter them in areas in need of restoration. Plus, visit Deep Creek Lake, where a team of DNR snorkelers are planting freshwater grasses.
- Ghost Rivers (Baltimore City) – Tour “Ghost Rivers,” a public art project by artist Bruce Willen. A wavy blue line winding its way along and across Baltimore streets, Willen’s art project seeks to connect area residents with both the historical and environmental legacy of the waterways that were encased in brick and concrete as the city expanded around them. Today, these one-time creeks and streams still exist – but underground, where they make up the city’s aging stormwater sewer system. Join Willen as he installs his artwork and takes members of the public on a walking tour. Then, tag along as a team from the Baltimore Department of Public Works samples an underground stream, searching for signs of pollution.
- Horizon Lines (Dorchester and Talbot counties) – Discover the draw of distant horizons with a group of open-water swimmers in Eastern Bay, and learn about some of the safety challenges they face. Then, join volunteers with the environmental non-profit ShoreRivers as they sample the waters of Chesapeake beaches to assess their safety for recreation as part of a program called “Swimmable ShoreRivers.” Finally, head to Cambridge, where hundreds of athletes make the two-mile swim across the Choptank River during the annual Maryland Freedom Swim.
Each segment in the December 10 episode features a sport that got its start among communities making their livings on the land and water. From logging camps came competitive woodsmanship. From farmers, rodeo. From Chesapeake waterman, the unusual sport of extreme boat-docking. Stories debuting during the episode are:
- Bucking Tradition (Prince George’s, Baltimore, and Carroll counties) – Follow a family of Maryland cowboys and cowgirls as they prepare for and compete in rodeo events including the Battle of the Bulls at the Maryland State Fair and a Maryland High School Rodeo Association competition. Parents Robyn and Corey Jackson met at the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo – a traveling event that celebrates the contributions of Black rodeo performers. Today, four of their five children compete in rodeo events ranging from bull riding to barrel racing to goat roping.
- Timber Trials (Allegany & Carroll counties) – Join forestry students at Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland as they prepare for and compete in the annual Mid-Atlantic Woodsmen Competition. From chain-sawing to tree climbing to axe throwing, the little-known sport celebrates many of the skills associated with traditional forestry. Then, join a Maryland forester out in the field near Westminster to discover how these time-tested skills are used in the conservation and management of Maryland’s woodlands.
- Pier Pressure (Wicomico, Somerset, and Dorchester counties) – A unique Chesapeake Bay tradition that grew from informal competitions between working watermen to events that draw hundreds of spectators, extreme boat docking (aka water rodeo) sees expert boaters tackle high-speed docking challenges. Join competitors in advance of the competition as they practice – and work the water, pulling in crab pots – and then follow along for the main event.
Outdoors Maryland will show encore presentations of Season 36 episodes starting on January 7, 2025, leading up to a fifth and final new episode on February 4, 2025.
Since debuting in 1988, MPT has produced more than 700 Outdoors Maryland stories on topics ranging from science-oriented environmental issues to segments about unusual people, animals, and places around the state. The series has earned more than 50 awards over nearly 36 years of production, including 24 Emmy® Awards from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
