Outdoors Maryland; Pilot Show

I mean. Coming up the hidden places the special people see all the wonders in Marilyn's own backyard. Stay tuned for a surprising look at natural merriment from secretly Bobcat's. To export it into homes and nestling. Against. The many faces of. Animals and. Share Marilyn's unspoiled places in Maryland as few get to see. Next on our dollars. Maryland. Do. You.

Do. Western Maryland. Mentioned this remote part of our state and most people think in terms of the sparkling waters of Deep Creek Lake. But there is much here that is hidden from the casual visitor. Nature here can still reward the persistent who take the time and effort to take note of its bountiful variety of variety which offers memorable surprises. Western Maryland has a natural world which can all even its longtime residents. Dave Baker of Grantsville belongs to a historical recreation group.

He is one of many local people who speak in reverent tones of wilderness experiences in these mountains in 1963 the first one I ever went to when I was the youngest one in the group. And the greenest. And the rest of it all been out. We were. Tramping through the woods after the dogs hadn't tried anything yet. All of a sudden we heard this. Scream. You. Hear. I. Said in a real serious voice I said what in the world is it. And I said What's a bobcat. That's what a bobcat sounds like. I count that as something I'll remember for a long long time. All the natural surprises of Western Maryland are along its mountain ridges. In these crystal waters are living jewels the

speckled brown trout. Shy elusive. And wary. They thrive on the pristine environment. The river is more than a home to trout. A dam open. The foam furious on ASH. And was usually tranquil stream. Onto its name. The Savage River. One of the best Whitewater courses in the world. The event. The International canoe and kayak classic. The participants young men and women from dozens of countries around the world. Professional and semi professional practitioners of one of the world's fastest growing sports Whitewater racing. There was high praise for this course.

Is very good. I certainly enjoyed paddling on it. Now come again next show us in relation to the Ravens that paddle down some. Similar. If it is not too dissimilar from. What we have a penal Swails back home in England. Today was tough. Of course was extremely physical. You're always driving. Make one gate to the next probably from gate 7 all the way through to the finish here just somewhere and trying to get in. So it was tough. The water is very clean now. You are so very fast. There is a very technical set up and we like Kid country we wish to come here next year and have a world championship here. By the end of the competition three Marylanders captured the prestigious first second and third place in the men's individual slalom races. John. David Hearn and Jed brace all from Bethesda

Stube to receive their. American swans. It's taking a real serious and we're getting we're getting very very good and we push everything all the time. Train racing everything. Is a culmination of. A real group effort and then coming out here and donate yourself on the day. What's your prediction for next year. Well I'm looking for the USA to sweep the top three and see on. Here. And that's going to be our goal I think. Only time will tell whether or not David Kearns objectives will be met. What draws these young men and women to this increasingly popular spectator sport.

It is an intensely private experience. Self-described Ribbentrop John Regan friends Romaldo. Says his life's blood is closely tied to the smooth waters of Western Maryland. I need to get on the river if I don't get on the river I'm pretty crazy. I need to get over. It's. An adrenaline rush. You know know what you're going for like a skydiver out of an airplane. Just don't. Do to a motorcycle. Guy can still get the same thrill. You know get your blood pumping. It's not

like you know a lot of people come to the river and think that they're going to conquer the river. OK. Well that's. That's wrong. You work with the river. You don't overpower. You work. With. Rulers. Are really important to me. You know. Among the guys I got with you know we like to say that the river is like the lifeblood of the earth. The arteries and veins you know. The Good Stuff. Grows during the bad stuff. People like to throw the bad stuff in them too much. It's really important we take care of our rivers. You know we get our drinking water out of. Recreational use. Rivers are a very important part of my life. Use of the Savage River for white water racing on an international scale draws global attention to western Maryland. Next June the dam will open again and the waters will form for the 1989 World Championship. But this river had its champion long before humankind savor these sparkling waters.

The native brook trout or rookie as it's known locally has thrived in the savage sense the species first of all where there are champions there are always challengers. And one section of the Savage is devoted entirely to fly fishing. Angler. Bill Pheri of Shalamar Maryland admits to being addicted to fly fishing these clear waters. It's been a decade for the last 15 years. I do bait fish and some of the lakes and some of the lakes in Maryland some of life's Rutherglen. However. If I have my choices. Let's. Fly fishing. And I'll fly fish. Every opportunity I get. Every time the fly line slows down or there's a ripple on top the water the the fishes slaps at your fly or comes up take or even comes up and looks and you see the fish. There's that anticipation that that fish is going gonna take the fly. While success and the craft of fly fishing can be attributed to proper equipment skill

and a good deal of patience. Bill and his fellow anglers have elevated their pastime to an art. The fact that Bill and other flycatchers can fish for the Brookie of these waters has a significance of its own. Can have all fisheries biologist for the Department of Natural Resources explains. Symbolically they're. More or less like the canary in the cave. Or in the mine and when they when they die out then you know that your environment has been. Significantly affected. And so the fact that in Garrett County we have. Had in this particular watershed that especially many ready for a trial. I think that's. That's symbolic of. Of the. Nature of this.

Land here. To maintain the quality of the river can and his associates keep constant tabs on the population of Maidie brook and other trout in western Maryland water. We can measure the population by. Making our sampling around with our electroshocks if. Collecting fish. The. Equipment. Place electrical. Field in the water. And the fish are just. Done momentarily. There's no injury to the fish. But. They will probably. Chase. The. Captured fish then measured weighed and more so than an accurate estimate of their population can be. Worked. Out. Nineteen point. Seventy. Brown. Trout. Seventeen

Point. Eight. Seven. Throughout the year several more sampling runs are made to track changes. This ongoing process coupled with stringent U.S. policies ensures I hope the supply of fish. In the clear waters of the savage. This is indeed. One of the special places. In the deep dark mountains of western Maryland. But Maryland's outdoors experiences are not limited to the wilds of extreme western boundaries. Here at the Irvine nature center not far from Baltimore is busy beltway. There is daily enthusiasm over this

mist that catches. But this is not done for sport. There is scientific reason and process behind all this. Added. To the news here. Well he's pretty fat. I mean he's going. To get some energy to migrate. South and. I banding I hope that the information that I gather will contribute to the other information that's in the banding about the different species of birds that migrate up and down the. East coast. I banned from my own personal satisfaction of course but I'm part of a bigger picture it's not something I could just do independently. Frivolous part of the bird banding program which is a.. Fish and Wildlife Service which is by the Department of the Interior. The process begins with netting the birds nets here

strong on poles and we don't want them too tight or too far apart. We want to make a profit so the bird flies through the falls and gets caught like in a hammock and then I have to go. And figure out which side the bird endures and we take them by the legs and you get them right up underneath the abdomen a good and close and then you can hold on to the bird without it's flopping around. And then you can take it off the wings and cut off the head. And depending on how the bird went in. Sometimes it's easier and sometimes it's harder. The next step is the actual banding. First of all you have to be able to identify the spaces. There's your Indigo Bunting. Yes. That's too bad about that one. And then you select the size band in different sized bands for.

Different size birds and you put that on there like the tiny animals are handled with extreme delicacy. We measure the wing. Sometimes you can sex them by Wing measures and then you want to age that you can age them by their multi-process a bird when it's high has one layer of bone in its head and its skull and as it grows older the second layer. Grows beneath it and between the two layers are little pillars of bone. So you have air pockets. But when I look through the top of it if I see young bird it's clear. If it's an adult bird I see the tops of those pillows. And so when we're scowling at that's what we're looking for. The other aspect is that we do a lot of planning for school groups. And so I also do it as an educational.

Thing. To try to let young people know the value of birds. And. How they need protection and they need respect. And that we're losing a lot of our. Habitat for them. With taking out forests and building. Condos and parking lots and shopping malls et cetera et cetera et cetera the places that these migrants belong is diminished. Some 200 species have been spotted by Barbara Ross and her colleagues and the Baltimore County area. I do have. Somewhat of a scientific background and. Never had. Developed a career so I guess this is a late life career. It takes a lot of time. It's physically demanding but it's extremely rewarding. It isn't just. An ocean of life. Borderers the states Eastern about.

Life in its most gigantic bossom for visits here. But it is right here in Merope that one of the oddest looking birds in the world makes its home nesting grounds. Soaring on Taro dactyl wings. These birds have scarcely changed from their ancestors of 40 million years ago. With a seven foot wingspan of brown pelican in flight. It's a memorable sight. But modern chemicals once threatened extinction. And it is only since the banning of the pesticide DDT that there has been a resurgence of the fish hunting bird.

Including these recent permanent residents to Maryland's Chincoteague Bay. The brown pelicans was a threatened species in the late 60s and early 70s. And with the banning of DDT the Pelican populations increased to the point where they started to expand. The best example of the recovery is the fact that they now nest in Maryland. The first pelican nests that were ever recorded in Maryland were last summer out on an island near Ocean City. We went through historical records for pelicans and other birds going even back to colonial times and we can't find any records of pelicans ever nesting this far north on the East Coast of the United States. So when they nested here last year that was the first nesting for Marilyn and also the farthest north that they've ever been known to nest. It was a very significant event for us. It was nice to see a species recovered to the point where they

can colonize new habitat. David Brinker is a doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland. His research with brown pelicans and other species is overseen by the state's Department of Natural Resources. The work has its awkward moments. Pelicans nest where they can be far from dangerous of raccoons and rats which steal eggs. But Dave believes his efforts will prove worthwhile. The reason we banned pelicans is to. It's an. Expanding population and we want to find out where the young dispersed to. We want to add to the information available on home one pelicans. And things of that sort. So they've developed a stainless steel band that will last 25 30 years. Pelicans are very long like. Those 35 and 40 years that have teeth. And this allows us to. Stall either my migratory habits by people finding a dead pelican with the band on or reporting it to the fish and wildlife service

in D.C. we can find out where the Maryland population is wintering the Maryland population might winter in a very restricted area. Pelicans and other colonial nesting birds do not always avoid fatal confrontations with predators. These empty nesters were once filled with black skimmers. One of the problems is the water birds have has to do with predators and that's why they come together in groups. Colonies in this case it didn't work as a strategy because they came and nested on the shelves each year and you had a lot of skimmers and common turns in here. But the rice rat population on this island was very high and the rice rats like the cover of the corn grass what they do is they come out here at night. They'd run out into the

colony grab an egg or two and come back to the security of the corn grass run into these tunnels and bring the egg in. And sit there and eat the egg and security where nothing could get them and when they had that nice little meal then they'd go back out and find another egg in the colony come back in here. Hide in the grass and eat the eggs. In some cases the rats would come out in turn would not leave the nest. They had an opportunity then to pack the adult turn and kill the turn of the skimmer or whatever was on. As we found dead Willets out and killed by rats. And then they dragged the body back. To the security of the tunnel and sit there and eat some of the breast meat or parts of the bird itself. See the feathers sticking out here. This was how I found this tallest. It was a little bit of feathers sticking. You go in and you find what's left of a common term that. Killed right on its nest and right back in the. Home. But the biggest danger to these birds isn't their natural enemies but the neighboring population of summering people on vacation.

Try and urge people that wild. Water birds are beautiful and it's fun to watch them that if you're near a colony you watch it from a distance. You don't go in because one intrusion by a person could ruin a number of nests and you're in some cases you may have only one colony in a calm county so that if you. Ruin the production or if you cause 10 percent of the nets and that one colony to fail you're causing 10 percent of a county's population to not reproduce that your. Particular problems are like around Ocean City where we have this intense recreational industry and Ocean City is a wonderful place. And what we do is we go out in the islands that the water birds nest and we post them with a little information sign science says keep out bird nesting area. And we only leave the islands posted for as long as the birds are there. So we wait till the birds are about ready then nest put up the signs and assume the birds have successfully raise their chicks and we take the signs down so people can. Go

back and use that island. And there's generally enough space that you know we have one island posted there's another island right next to it that doesn't have colonial water or incitements and Rycote visit if they want to. Stop in the salt marsh or get on a sandy beach island and see. We're trying to do is get people to realize that there's plenty of room for both the birds and us to enjoy the seashore and the Atlantic coast. In.

This incredibly flat land contrasts sharply with the mountains of the western counties. Bordering Maryland's largest natural treasure the Chesapeake Bay. This is a rural montage of tobacco and corn fields. It is a place where for centuries families have made their living from the harvests of land and water.

The Chesapeake Bay. The largest estuary in the world. 19 major rivers and 400 lesser creeks and streams feed. It's one of. The problems facing this body of water are a matter of record. Pollution from thousands of sources continues to threaten the very existence of this magnificent water and yet the seasonal rites of harvest continue. Like his father before him Friday Robertson has always depended on the water for a livelihood. But unlike his father who searched the bay for crabs rock fish and oysters. Freddy searches for a far different creature. Was not considered edible by most Americans yet. It's a delicacy in restaurants an ocean away. I've been. In.

About 15 years now. I live my life. I'll take them all the way up forever. Father we went this morning. They might move over and over and I don't feel moved. Just about anything you do and that is why I don't care. It's and fishing. What are you doing that you can that you got the same thing. You have one one pot I have a lot of debt and. None. Of. These evils are being harvested from the lower reaches of the Potomac River the southern end of the same body of water which flows through Washington DC. Information on this elusive creature is as slippery as the eel itself. There is little reliable information on how many are caught from Bay waters every year and because eels migrate here from the mid-Atlantic it is not known what effects

the pressure is of harvesting them has on their population. Or what is known is that the supply has been constant enough to keep George Raba wrecked. The largest eel dealer in the United States in the business of marketing deals here for over 18 years. In the beginning shipping frozen in Europe not by plane else my boat. And then the people asked me if I'd be able to ship my life out and shipped them alive. And then he built up the base. You get. Sometimes three times a week in a busy time. And. The ship approximately two million pounds. Since Robert is selling his heels live the plant's operation is carefully designed to get them to their destination as quickly as possible and in the best possible shape. The first step in the process is the holding tank here the Eels are kept for several

days to cleanse their systems of food. Next the Eels are moved to the packing area where they are weighed and boxed for shipping. Rubber ships and 25 pound carton with a few pieces of ice added to keep the Eels cool. Once boxed and placed on pallets the Eels are loaded onto the company truck and shipped out to Dulles Airport in nearby Chantilly Virginia for the flight to your. Local sports fishermen consider to be a nuisance. One hook is big business to Rob and his customers. Restaurant tours oceans away. From the mid-Atlantic where it was brought. To the Chesapeake Bay where it was caught and

flown live where it becomes the main course for a dinner served four thousand miles from Maryland waters. The eagle is indeed international business. Rich beautiful and unending as all life all living. The river. The dark immortal river. Full of strange tragic time is flowing by us by us. To the sea. Thomas Wolfe's powerful words work well with this mysterious place the Poca the Indian name Mame's dark waters of all Marilyns wild places. This is the most primeval. It's black waters creep through ancient stands of cypress trees.

And despite it being an hour's drive from the busy resorts of Ocean City it is a place of solitude. And. A place where life goes on without much notice from man. The big exception is the lower Eastern Shore town of snow hills annual celebration of their River.

Residents of this sleepy little village of big houses and tree lined streets are proud of their river and want the world to know about their prized possession. Once a year that canoe jousting tournament draws regional attention to this body of water. A good time is had by all. As the stalwart champion of snow hill defends its honor against challengers from other river towns. But usually the river is left to itself. The way people like Jimmy D

prefer it. It's always been a pleasant type setting for me. Me and it's all. One thing and it's never boring here. It's almost like us tranquilisers. The waters are placid. There's no white water no Roths Lake Worth to run into would be a Cyclostoma. Many times he'd come in this river. You'll see something you'll never see again the. Lifetime protected. With the raw light. And the waterfowl. Since I've always loved the river so much as most of our. Family is

holding. On the river and involved in this primarily is is my life now a river. I don't. Tend to move off of it again. I did leave for a few years. Seems like you always have to come home. Jim Dickerson makes his living from this river. He hunts near its banks and fishes its waters. He also runs a nearby sporting goods store where he gives advice to other hunters and fishermen. But an increasing amount of his time is spent with people asking advice on how and where to best canoe the Pocono popularity of canoeing is picking up each here. We're getting a lot of people that are coming out of the city for a day. They take a canoe trip they're coming out of sync and all over the United States they come in canoe

and most of them want to take a trip. They always say well we want to come back you know. And so like say the whole popularity river and new it's picked up quite a bit. It is no mystery why more canoes are skimming these waters. There could hardly be a more tranquil setting. For a peaceful ride in a boat free from the noise of a motor. And there couldn't be a better place to take a vessel which can handle both small isolated coves and inlets as well as the poker mokes wider stretches. It. Travels slow and silent. That's the secret to enjoying this

place. Feel the peaceful grandeur of place and time as defined by nothing but the natural world. Watch the light thread golden paths through ancient trees. This is a river of surprises turn a bend and enter a shrine. Fallen trees form an arch. A spotlight of sun shoots through the forest. This is Marilyns forest primeval.

It's been said that a great river. Needs great fish. The poker Moak meet that criteria with the freshwater Gar. Alan heft fisheries biologist. Our family is one of the oldest living freshwater fish families in North America. They've been around for. A long time are kind of like the. Shark of freshwater their family. They also average anywhere from three and a half to four and a half feet in length. And there. They live to be a long age to 15 or 20 years. Is it unusual for a gar an adult car. It's a spring spotter and it's a predator it's a top line predator so there's naturally there's not going to be many of them to begin with. So. It's not uncommon for us to go out and find all the time or cats all the time. Bill Poole local fishermen also knows the.

I call him freshwater Marlin used an eight pound test line. I've had him so big that I couldn't even turn or slow. They have a long snout. Generally they'll play with bait first and work it back into the. Say you gotta let them run. That's the reason they're so hard to catch people first when they start running. They want to set a hook and just pull a hook right out of their mouth. Anybody who's ever caught wind had a battle on their hands as far as I'm concerned their sport. But smoke means more than fishing to Bill. It is a front row seat for the never ending parade of nature. It's a pretty river. Has a lot of history on this river. Has a lot of faces has a lot of personality. I've seen geese on this river wall to wall. And it sounds funny. So many geese on this river the shoreline the shoreline

snow. I've also seen a lot of things in here. You wouldn't think would be in here at least not what I've seen. This is true. Course the otter come through here all the time. It's pretty safe over in the cypress bald eagle comes over. Just about every kind. I've seen deer swim across everything on it in the peace and tranquility of the poker Moag represent a certain continuity to men like Bill Poole and Jim Dickerson a place that is truly as rich beautiful and unending as all lives. All living. But it is only constant vigilance against abusive Marilyns fragile and pressured

natural work that will ensure it outdoors and remains as it is for future generations. From its mountains of the West to its sandy beaches on the east. Maryland has often been called America in miniature. The comparison holds true for more than its diverse geography and wildlife. Maryland like the rest of the nation must preserve its fragile natural

world despite a constantly growing human population. It is only through continued vigilance and professional dedication to the natural world that outdoors Maryland will survive. As. You. Do. As.

You. Do. Outdoors my role is a production of Maryland Public Television