The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge was established in Dorchester County in 1933 as a waterfowl sanctuary for birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway. It is home to an incredible diversity of plants, birds, and animals in a variety of habitats including forest, marsh, and shallow water. Blackwater contains a full one-third of Maryland’s tidal wetlands and is often referred to as the Everglades of the North. “Blackwater” by Buzz Charnock.

Daylight fades over the Choptank River lighthouse near Cambridge, MD.  Erected in 2012, the lighthouse’s characteristic “screwpile” design is not only a beacon to guide vessels up and down the Choptank, but it’s also a symbol of Cambridge’s revitalization. “Last Light” by Philip Parkinson.

Weather is the absolute monarch that rules the Chesapeake Bay. It can be benign or cruel; it can change in a heartbeat. In this image, a cold front cuts like a knife over Smith Island. “The Front” by Jay Fleming

The glory of a new spring day is reflected on the surface of the Wye River. So, too, is the glory of the natural world reflected in our souls. Photograph by Lisa Hudson Scaggs.

“No two sunsets are ever alike and the view down Shipping Creek, out to the East Bay, never ceases to delight and inspire me. Mother Nature is a master painter. Her canvas is the Bay—its waters and skies and shorelines—and her palette is the constantly changing light.”  “Evening on Shipping Creek” by Susan Hale, Stevensville, MD.