Every one of the numerous environmental organizations in Maryland contributes significantly to the conservation and preservation of the state’s environmental resources. Every county in Maryland has at least one environmental organization.
The important thing to take away from this is that every environment has been contributing to the protection of their jurisdiction over Earth, not that there are environmental organizations in every county in Maryland.
We only highlight a few of these environmental organizations in Maryland in this post.
Table of Contents
Environmental Organizations in Maryland
- Environment Maryland
- American Chestnut Land Trust
- Battle Creek Nature Education Society, Inc.
- Chapman Forest Foundation, Inc.
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- Conservancy for Charles County, Inc.
- Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust
- Port Tobacco River Conservancy
- Potomac River Association, Inc.
- Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development, Inc.
- Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA)
- Patuxent Riverkeeper
- Rockburn Land Trust
- Maryland Environmental Trust
- Stargazing Farm
- Sugarland Ethnohistory Project
- Audubon Maryland-DC
- Maryland League of Conservation Voters
- Sassafras Riverkeeper
- Severn Riverkeeper
- Sierra Club Maryland Chapter
- Southern Maryland Audubon Society
- Southern Maryland Group: Sierra Club
- The Nature Conservancy in Maryland / DC
- Howard County Bird Club
- Howard County Conservancy
1. Environment Maryland
Environment Maryland, which is located at 2209 Maryland Ave., Suite D, Baltimore, promotes a livable climate, wildlife, open spaces, clean energy, and clean air and water. Their members support their research and advocacy efforts at the local level around the state.
They picture a greener Maryland, one that safeguards more areas for the survival of the natural world and gives us and our children more opportunities to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
We promote laws and practices that place our state and nation on a better course through study, public outreach, advocacy, legal action, and action.
Each of their campaigns uses the same strategy, which entails:
- Placing the environment’s health as the top priority: We recognize that a healthy environment is a necessary component of our prosperity. Instead, a healthy environment is a crucial prerequisite for true, long-lasting prosperity.
- Gaining favor with people: Building broad support for specific steps to safeguard the land, air, water, and wildlife is the goal of our research and public education.
We approach things strategically. One step at a time, progress is being made. To improve the environment and the lives of people, compromise is frequently required.
Their strategy produces outcomes such as an increase in solar and wind energy, cleaner air, less pollution that contributes to global warming, and a decrease in single-use plastics. They research the best policies, how to make them better, and how to win over the public. And they’re open to fresh suggestions that might be even more effective.
2. American Chestnut Land Trust
In 1986, Calvert County, Maryland, saw the founding of the American Chestnut Land Trust. In a county that is seeing significant expansion, they are concerned about the preservation of agriculture, woods, and wetlands.
Their main areas of focus have been the Parkers Creek and Governors Run, However, via collaborations, property management agreements, and environmental easements, ACLT has helped others in Calvert County protect land for present and future generations.
On June 16, 1987, American Chestnut Land Trust, Inc. received a tax exemption under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). American Chestnut Land Trust is located at 2420 Aspen Road, Prince Frederick.
3. Battle Creek Nature Education Society, Inc.
The Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary, Flag Ponds Nature Park, and Kings Landing educational programs receive additional financial support from the Battle Creek Nature Education Society (BCNES), a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1985 in collaboration with the Calvert County Natural Resources Division located at Port Republic.
These three Calvert County Parks serve as outstanding illustrations of the region’s biological variety. Around 500 acres of Chesapeake Bay’s natural landscape, from the beach to the uplands, are protected by Flag Ponds.
100 acres of one of the most northern stands of bald cypress trees in the United States are safeguarded by the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary.
Over 265 acres of natural Patuxent River land, including 4,000 feet of river shore and 50 acres of marshes, are protected by Kings Landing. Both provide ample chances for outdoor education and complementary leisure activities.
4. Chapman Forest Foundation, Inc.
Chapman Forest Foundation Inc. is located at Bryans Road. With more than 2,000 acres of forested property, 2 1/4 miles of Potomac River shoreline, and a colonial tidewater historic site, Chapman Forest in Charles County, Maryland, is one of the state’s most distinctive locations.
The site was purchased by the State of Maryland in 1998 due to its exceptional natural and historical features.
5. Chesapeake Bay Foundation
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation catalyzes audacious and original approaches to bay issues. Staff members decide on the agenda, act as watchdogs, and represent Chesapeake Bay to the public, business, and government. They are located at 6 Herndon Avenue, Philip Merrill Environmental Center, Annapolis.
6. Conservancy for Charles County, Inc.
The 461 square miles of Charles County’s land area are home to abundant hardwood woods, a vast network of rivers and streams, picturesque shorelines, priceless wetlands, attractive open space, much of it productive farming, and excellent habitat for local flora and animals.
The Conservancy for Charles County, which is located at Waldorf, emphasizes these priceless treasures from nature to pique interest in and commitment to long-term conservation within the community.
7. Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust
A private, nonprofit organization called the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT) was founded at Leonardtown to preserve open space, woodland, and agricultural land in southern Maryland.
The Trust understands that we must preserve for future generations Southern Maryland’s natural beauty, rural character, and environmental and historical assets.
The PTLT is working to reduce sprawl and redirect development that, among other things, is reducing the land available for farming and other open space objectives, weakening the permeability of the land, causing siltation in surface waters, and degrading the quality of the area’s drinking water, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay.
The PTLT uses conservation easements, land purchases and donations, and the purchase and donation of development rights. The Trust is dedicated to collaborating with landowners to find solutions to unique needs and situations that will best preserve their property and our shared legacy.
8. Port Tobacco River Conservancy
To protect and restore the river and streams in the watershed, the Port Tobacco River Conservancy (PTRC) collaborates with local and state governments, companies, people, and other conservation organizations.
The PTRC strikes a balance between economic development concerns, river and watershed importance for local and state economies, and restoration and protection.
The Port Tobacco River and its 30,000-acre watershed are expected to be in practically pristine condition, as they were in the 1950s, according to the PTRC.
The river will be safe for the hundreds of residents and visitors who utilize the river and streams for swimming, water sports, hunting, fishing, or just to take in the beauty of this natural and historical resource. It will also have clear, navigable waters, be abundant in fish and wildlife, and be home to a variety of fish and other wildlife.
A small number of county residents banded together in 2001 to form the PTRC, a 501 (c) (3) organization, because they were bothered by sewage spills from the La Plata Waste Water Treatment Plant into the Port Tobacco River watershed.
The goal of restoring the river and its watershed to healthier circumstances for both native species and the next generation, however, quickly expanded from its initial purpose.
9. Potomac River Association, Inc.
Pototmac River Assocation, Inc., which is located in Valley Lee, is a tax-exempt non-profit environmental, educational, civic, and charitable organization that was founded in the State of Maryland. Founded in 1967, PRA opposed plans to erect a deep-water port on the Patuxent River and an oil refinery on the Potomac River.
In St. Mary’s County, PRA is the oldest and most powerful civic organization. It is a group with the determination, courage, perseverance, and resources to take serious infractions of local laws and environmental rules to court.
10. Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Board, Inc., serves the Southern Maryland counties of Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s and is located at 26737 Radio Station Way, Suite D, Leonardtown.
They put a lot of effort into improving Southern Maryland as a location to live, work, and play. They have finished hundreds of conservation, agricultural, and community development projects in the area since their founding in 1971.
Private individuals, neighborhood groups, small businesses, educational institutions, volunteer organizations, fire departments, soil and water conservation districts, and regional, state, and federal organizations are some of their partners and supporters.
11. Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA)
The 1,021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA) located at 5795 Trotter Rd., Clarksville, MD, is managed by the Howard County Dept. of Recreation & Parks in collaboration with the Middle Patuxent Environmental Foundation.
The conservation of natural resources, environmental education, research, and passive recreation are the core focuses of the MPEA’s goal. To preserve and safeguard the variety of communities that were originally found in this area, the area is managed according to the principles of ecosystem management.
With more than 5 miles of hiking paths, MPEA is a fantastic local resource. The paths and surroundings are kept up by volunteers.
12. Patuxent Riverkeeper
Patuxent Riverkeeper located at 17412 Nottingham Rd, Upper Marlboro is a non-profit watershed advocacy group connected to the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international licensing and networking organization for waterkeepers. The Patuxent Riverkeeper’s mission is to safeguard, restore, and promote clean water in the Patuxent River and its surrounding ecosystem.
Patuxent Riverkeeper volunteers patrol the river, look into complaints about water quality and pollution, oversee restoration projects, spread knowledge about the river and its issues, and seek to improve both the enforcement of existing laws and the laws that protect the river.
13. Rockburn Land Trust
The Rockburn Land Trust’s objective is to advocate for the preservation, protection, and wise use of natural resources in the Patapsco Valley Watershed, especially between Ellicott City and Elkridge, for the benefit of the general public.
On around 215 acres of land in the Patapsco Watershed, the Rockburn Land Trust and the Maryland Environmental Trust have accepted over 25 easements. Through informational workshops and receptions, the Trust also instructs landowners about easements and promotes the development of new easements.
14. Maryland Environmental Trust
The MET Land Trust, which is located in Crownsville, is one of the oldest and most reputable land trusts in the nation. It has over 1,000 conservation easements protecting over 125,000 acres across the whole state.
Our Land Conservation, Monitoring and Stewardship, and Land Trust Assistance Programs support the preservation of open land from the Chesapeake Bay to the highlands of Garrett County.
Through the Keep Maryland Beautiful Program, MET also awards grants to initiatives promoting environmental education.
15. Stargazing Farm
Star Gazing Farm, which is located at 16760 Whites Store Rd., Boyds, offers sanctuary to unwanted, abused, and stray farm animals. It also offers local networking opportunities for finding homes for the animals.
In addition to providing the community with animal care services like bunny sitting and sheep, alpaca, goat, and llama shearing, they also run an active youth community work and learning program.
16. Sugarland Ethnohistory Project
In Sugarland Community, Montgomery County, Poolesville, Maryland, the Sugarland Ethnohistory Project aims to conserve the Black, African-American historical resources.
The website is for anybody and everyone interested in learning about the history of the Sugarland Community’s Black/African-American population and their journey from slavery to freedom.
17. Audubon Maryland-DC
For the benefit of people and the biological diversity of the planet, Audubon Maryland-DC’s objective is to restore the natural ecosystems of Maryland and the District of Columbia, with a special emphasis on birds, other species, and their habitats. Audubon Maryland-DC is located at 2901 E Baltimore St., Baltimore.
18. Maryland League of Conservation Voters
Maryland League of Conservation Voters (Maryland LCV) which is located at 30 West St C, Annapolis is a nonpartisan, statewide group that uses political action and advocacy to save our towns, land, and water.
Maryland LCV supports pro-conservation candidates, helps them win office, and uses lobbying and legislative scorecards to keep elected officials responsible.
The Maryland League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the environmental movement, promoting candidates who support the environment and keeping elected and appointed officials accountable for protecting the environment.
19. Sassafras Riverkeeper
Galena-based Sassafras Riverkeeper is on a mission to create a watershed for the Sassafras River with healthy water quality, a healthy natural shoreline, a balance between human and wildlife activity, and economic activity, as well as a well-informed public eager to restore and sustain the health of the watershed.
20. Severn Riverkeeper
Protecting and restoring the Severn River for families and future generations is the goal of the Severn Riverkeeper Program, which is based in Annapolis.
Their objective is to lessen pollution, muddy runoff, contamination, and habitat loss to take the Severn off the EPA’s list of “impaired waterways” and restore its safety and swimability.
21. Sierra Club Maryland Chapter
The College Park-based Sierra Club Maryland Chapter aims to discover, appreciate, and defend the world’s natural areas; to educate people about protecting and improving the quality of the natural and human environment; and to practice and encourage responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources.
22. Southern Maryland Audubon Society
The Southern Maryland Audubon Society, headquartered at Bryans Road, has as its aim “to promote appreciation, conservation, and protection of birds, other wildlife, and their natural habitats through education, research, and outreach”.
23. Southern Maryland Group: Sierra Club
The mission of the Southern Maryland Group of the Sierra Club, which is based in Riverdale, is to explore, enjoy, and protect the world’s wild places; to practice and promote the responsible use of the planet’s ecosystems and resources, and to inform and mobilize people to safeguard and improve both the natural and human environment.
24. The Nature Conservancy in Maryland / DC
Protecting clean water and combating climate change are the two areas where The Nature Conservancy of Maryland/DC, which is based in Bethesda, is most focused on achieving its purpose. They work across the region, from the Central Appalachian forests of western Maryland to the capital of the country and beyond.
25. Howard County Bird Club
The Maryland Ornithological Society has a chapter called the Howard County Bird Club (HCBC). They exist to advance understanding of and work to protect and conserve avian life and other natural resources. Additionally, the HCBC actively engages in advocacy for bird-related conservation concerns at the municipal, state, and federal levels.
The Howard County Bird Club hosts public programs and field trips to promote their passion for birds and natural history. Meetings typically take place on the second Thursday of every month and they are based in Columbia.
26. Howard County Conservancy
The Howard County Conservancy is a neighborhood land trust and environmental education facility that is non-profit. A group of residents from the area established The Conservancy in 1990. Their goals are to promote environmental stewardship, protect the land and its history, and teach both adults and children about the natural world.
The Conservancy runs environmental education programs at Mt. Pleasant Farm in Woodstock, where it has its headquarters, and at Belmont Manor and Historic Park in Elkridge, in Howard County.
The Conservancy organizes unique events, offers a variety of volunteer opportunities, offers environmental education (including school field trips, camps, and much more), environmental programs for adults and children, and informs Howard County citizens about land protection.
Conclusion
As earlier stated, there are a lot of environmental organizations, and to join this train in making a difference in our society, you can join any of the environmental organizations by volunteering or donating to their course.
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A passion-driven environmentalist by heart. Lead content writer at EnvironmentGo.
I strive to educate the public about the environment and its problems.
It has always been about nature, we ought to protect not destroy.