Impacts and Outcomes
- The Master Naturalist program has trained close to 1,500 individuals in subjects designed to improve their knowledge and ability to affect Maryland’s natural areas in a positive way. These individuals have contributed almost 130,000 volunteer hours since 2010 and have had direct and indirect impacts on Maryland’s forests and natural areas.
- Maryland’s aquaculture and seafood safety Extension team worked with the oyster industry and statewide policymakers to ensure the continuation of a strong leasing program, healthy oyster seed and spat, and safe seafood on our docks and in our markets. Currently over 7,300 acres are in active shellfish production in the Chesapeake Bay watershed with more than 100 additional lease applications. The Extension team also manages an oyster aquaculture education and training program for current and potential shellfish entrepreneurs.
- Over 400 Master Watershed Stewards and 600 Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals have been trained to date to provide assistance to individuals, communities, and towns with their pollution reduction goals through environmentally sound landscaping, stormwater management and other practices to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff into the Bay. These trainings and efforts result in the treating of stormwater through the implementation of best management practices that include impervious removal, conservation landscapings, rain gardens, and rain barrels.
- UME’s Master Gardener program is valued at $3.23 million, featuring 21 county and city Master Gardener coordinators, over 2,300 volunteers, and 89,000 people educated in 2019 alone. The Home and Garden Information Center answered 7,150 garden and pest questions, making them the U.S. leader again on Extension’s Ask an Expert platform.
- UME’s forest resources Extension team has trained over 570 Woodland Stewards who together impact over 90,000 acres of forestland. Many Stewards become leaders in local, state and national organizations. Additionally, thousands of forest owners are provided information at workshops or online on critical forest and wildlife management topics.
