Visit a state park Saturday and join the Maryland Park Service in celebrating the Great American Campout.
Participants can learn to pitch a tent, cook a campfire meal, make s'mores and more. The day will include family-friendly fun and giveaways from the National Wildlife Federation.
The Great American Campout is a one-night event sponsored nationally by the National Wildlife Federation.
Participating state parks in Maryland include Sandy Point State Park, Cunningham Falls State Park, Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, New Germany State Park, Patapsco Valley State Park and Point Lookout State Park.
Space is limited.
To register, go to dnr2.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/GABC.aspx.
Stream restoration
In a continued effort to better gauge how stream restoration projects improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, the DNR's Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund provided $500,000 to help fund the Restoration Research Grant Program.
Through the program, the DNR and partners selected four research projects that they will use to evaluate the effectiveness of water quality and habitat enhancement practices. Results will help ensure that practices with the greatest likelihood for success are implemented in the future.
Hunting, fishing survey
A survey of nonresident outdoorsmen and -women conducted by Responsive Management in August and September 2014 showed satisfaction with Maryland's hunting and fishing opportunities, and offered suggestions in its executive summary for improvements, including:
•Linking hunting and fishing opportunities to vacations, particularly regarding fishing.
•Discounting licenses.
•Increasing access to private and public lands, particularly for nonwaterfowl hunters, by providing longer or additional seasons and Sunday hunting.