MBCP Partners

Supporting Partners

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

The Department of Natural Resources leads Maryland in securing a sustainable future for our environment, society, and economy by preserving, protecting, restoring, and enhancing the State’s natural resources. DNR supports the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership through federal Pittman–Robertson funds.

Maryland Ornithological Society

The Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) is a nonprofit, statewide organization of people who are interested in birds and nature. It was founded in 1945 and incorporated in 1956 to promote the study and enjoyment of birds. MOS promotes knowledge about our natural resources, and fosters its appreciation and conservation. The Society also maintains a system of sanctuaries to encourage the conservation of birds and bird habitat, and to help record and publish observations of bird life.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Conservation Partners

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

The Alliance helps build consensus, broker agreements, and develop policies on a diversity of watershed issues, while developing programs that deliver results for the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers. Through pioneering work such as the Bay Journal, Businesses and Builders for the Bay, Volunteer Water Monitoring, green stormwater practices like rain gardens and Bayscapes, watershed planning, stream and riparian buffer restoration, forest conservation, and a myriad of other innovative efforts, the Alliance continues to make significant contributions to restoration progress.

American Bird Conservancy

The mission of American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is to conserve native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Our Bird Conservation Strategic Framework — summed up in the ABC pyramid — shows how we approach bird conservation. We innovate, build on sound science, and work in partnership to achieve four goals: halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats, and build capacity for bird conservation.

Assateague Island National Seashore - National Park Service

Audubon Mid-Atlantic

Calvert County Natural Resources Division

The mission of the Natural Resources Division of Calvert County Parks & Recreation is to preserve, manage and operate natural resource areas to provide compatible outdoor recreation and educational opportunities for the public.

Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center

The mission of the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center is to promote stewardship and sustainability through environmental education and habitat restoration. Founded as The Wildfowl Trust of North America Inc. in 1979 with the intent to protect wetlands for waterfowl, CBEC is now designated as “the” site for testing and developing comprehensive restoration techniques resulting in bay-wide implications. As a result, partnerships with private businesses, universities, state and federal governmental agencies have afforded CBEC the opportunity to expand research and restoration capabilities while encouraging stewardship through volunteerism. CBEC's LEED certified arts and education facility serves as a model for green living on Eastern Shore and is a resource center for developers engaging in smart growth and a portal for visitors to admire the local culture through rotating art exhibits.

Chesapeake Conservancy

Chesapeake Conservancy is a non-profit organization based in Annapolis, Maryland. We are conservation entrepreneurs. We believe that the Chesapeake is a national treasure that should be accessible for everyone and a place where wildlife can thrive. We use technology to enhance the pace and quality of conservation, and we help build parks, trails and public access sites. With the human population in the Chesapeake watershed approaching 18 million and growing, and with tens of thousands of acres of open space vanishing each year, the Conservancy works to connect people with its wildlife and history; conserve landscapes and rivers; and restore the region’s natural resources.

Conservation Community Consulting

Community Conservation Consulting (CCC) specializes in nature tourism event coordination and planning. CCC hosts birding events throughout Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula. Learn more about their events at www.DelmarvaBirding.com and www.BaltimoreBirding.com. CCC also works with other organizations to host events, such as the annual convention for the Maryland Ornithological Society.

Forever Maryland

Forever Maryland was founded to promote and advance land conservation statewide through education, advocacy, and outreach. Forever Maryland forges networks of diverse collaborators to provide pathways for all generations to connect with and care for the beautiful and vitally important lands and waters of Maryland that sustain healthy, vibrant, and economically resilient communities. Forever Maryland envisions a future where all Maryland’s lands and waters – mountain forests to ocean beaches, rural farms to city parks, sweeping rivers to tidal bays — are actively stewarded, appreciated, and enjoyed by all Marylanders.

Friends of Jug Bay

The Friends of Jug Bay is a non-profit organization that acts to preserve the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and support its education and research programs.The Friends of Jug Bay is involved in a number of activities at the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary both with volunteers and with financial support.

Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition

The mission of the Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition is to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors of Central Maryland. We envision a future where: accessible, interconnected, and healthy ecosystems contribute to economic vitality, resilience, and quality of life for all the regions residents and visitors; the region's working lands, watersheds, open spaces, and natural communities are intentionally protected, restored, enhanced, and managed for ecological health; and healthy and prosperous communities appreciate and support natural ecosystems, creating an enduring culture of conservation and stewardship.

Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center

The Hazel Foundation is very pleased to honor the legacy of Richard Hazel through the establishment of the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center (HODC). Mr. Hazel’s vision was to provide a place where children of all races and walks of life can come together to discover common ground and experience the beauty of nature, as well as be introduced to the sport of hunting and the preservation of nature. The mission of the HODC is to provide opportunities to explore and celebrate nature, and to promote harmony between all people through natural experiences. Thanks to Mr. Hazel’s generosity and vision, the HODC is made available to scout and youth groups at no cost.

Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition

Howard County Conservancy

The mission of the Howard County Conservancy is to educate children and adults about our natural world, preserve the land and its legacy for future generations and model responsible stewardship of our environment. The Conservancy, originally founded in 1990 as a private, nonprofit land trust, today has a dual mission of preserving land in Howard County and providing educational programs. Dedicated to educating youth and adults about environmental stewardship and ecosystems, the Conservancy focuses its programs on local animal and plant life found in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Conservancy has been educating Howard County youth since 1997, and has been an Educational Partner with the Howard County Public School System since 2003.

Instituto Araguaia

The mission of Instituto Araguaia (Caseara, State of Tocantins, Brazil) is to protect the biodiversity of the Araguaia River basin (a RAMSAR site) and its ecological processes, in particular inside and around Cantão State Park; to carry on scientific research and to disseminate scientific data that will contribute to the region's conservation; to develop and to implement a community outreach program that is economically and environmentally sustainable; to undertake the legal actions necessary to carry on our mission.

Irvine Nature Center

Irvine Nature Center is a non-profit educational organization, offering programs of environmental studies and natural science to children and adults of the greater Baltimore area. We provide more than 500 program sessions annually to 50,000 children and adults. We also welcome visitors to explore our 210 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and meadows; enjoy our resident animals; and our interactive exhibit hall free of charge. Irvine has emerged as a leader among Mary land’s environmental education centers and incorporates a unique and comprehensive focus on the natural science of the Piedmont into its interactive exhibit hall and educational programming.

Jimbo & Jules

Jimbo & Jules have a deep desire to help the people & planet find relief from pain and ease in life. We truly and deeply believe in the products we make and the mission we strive for. Every product is infused with our focused intention, and all of our work is done with ethics, sustainability, and social consciousness in mind. The Conscious Garden Project seeks to restore our relationship with nature, one garden (or yard) at a time.

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, operated by Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks, consists of 1,700 acres of open water, tidal freshwater marshes, forested wetlands, upland and riparian forest, creeks, meadows, pine and sand barrens, and fields along the Patuxent River. In 1990 the Sanctuary was designated as one of three components within the Maryland Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR) – a research, stewardship, and education program administered jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Maryland's Department of Natural Resources, and Anne Arundel County. The National Audubon Society has designated the Sanctuary as a Nationally Important Bird Area.

Lights Out Baltimore

Lights Out Baltimore (LOB) was formed by a group of concerned birdwatchers in the Baltimore Bird Club who had seen firsthand the toll lights and windows play on birds. Our goal is to make Charm City safe for migratory birds by turning out decorative lighting in the city during peak migration seasons, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and to advocate for bird-safe building design that makes glass and windows visible to birds. LOB is one of 20 Lights Out programs throughout North America.

Lower Shore Land Trust

Lower Shore Land Trust is dedicated to preserving rural lands, to promoting vibrant towns, and to building a healthier and more connected Eastern Shore. We work with individual landowners who wish to protect the natural heritage of their properties, so that the character of the land and the quality of life it nourishes remains intact for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. Our vision is of a future where the Eastern Shore’s distinct, vibrant towns are the centerpieces of engaged rural communities and surrounded by thriving natural and working lands and healthy waterways.

Maryland Biodiversity Project

Maryland Biodiversity Project (MBP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on cataloging all the living things of Maryland. Our goal is to promote education and conservation by helping to build a vibrant nature study community. Our community has cataloged over 17,000 species, including over 9,400 species with photographs, and feature the work of more than 800 naturalists and photographers.

Maryland League of Conservation Voters

Founded in 1979, Maryland League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is non-partisan, 501 (c)(4) known as the political voice for the environment.  We have since grown to a full-time, staffed organization that is governed by a volunteer board of directors. Maryland LCV is best known for our comprehensive yearly scorecard that evaluates the environmental votes of individual state legislators. We also grade the environmental record of the Governor. In addition, we regularly alert the public and the media of key actions of elected officials and closely monitor agencies and executive appointments.

Nature Forward

Nature Forward inspires residents of the greater Washington, DC region to appreciate, understand, and protect their natural environment through outdoor experiences, education, and advocacy. Nature Forward seeks to create a larger and more diverse community of people who treasure the natural world and work to preserve it. Nature Forward became the new name of the former Audubon Naturalist Society (ANS) in 2022.

Owl Moon Raptor Center

Founded in 2002, Owl Moon Raptor Center is a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation center specializing in birds of prey. We have been a licensed non-profit organization since 2014. Owl Moon is located in Boyds, Maryland at the home of its primary operator, Suzanne Shoemaker, and serves Montgomery and neighboring counties.
Owl Moon cooperates with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife & Heritage Service, and local animal control offices and humane societies to answer calls concerning injured, orphaned, or otherwise jeopardized birds of prey. Owl Moon rescues, rehabilitates, and reconditions raptors with the goal of returning them to the wild.

Phoenix Wildlife Center

Founded in 1992, the Phoenix Wildlife Center is a 501(c)3 tax exempt, non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation and return to the wild of native birds, mammals, and reptiles and to the education of the public on wildlife issues. We have an outstanding release rate, made possible by our dedicated all-volunteer staff, a variety of veterinarians and many local businesses who are committed to our mission of returning healthy animals to their natural habitats. The Phoenix Wildlife Center does not charge for its services.  We are supported entirely by private donations.

Scenic Rivers Land Trust

The Scenic Rivers Land Trust works with landowners and other partners to preserve natural and scenic areas in Anne Arundel County. Our Goals are to identify, monitor and protect priority natural areas in the watersheds of the Severn, South, West, Rhode, and Patuxent Rivers; educate landowners, community leaders, and public officials about voluntary techniques for protecting and preserving land; accept and manage conservation easements for the permanent protection of land; and assist in the protective stewardship of our natural resources.

Southern Maryland Audubon Society

The mission of the Southern Maryland Audubon Society is to promote appreciation, conservation, and protection of birds, other wildlife, and their natural habitats through education, research and outreach. We would like to invite you to join us in the many ways we work to fulfill our mission.

Susquehannock Wildlife Society

Susquehannock Wildlife Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to protecting our native wildlife and its habitat in and surrounding the lower Susquehanna River basin through rescue, research, education, and conservation. It exists for one purpose: to protect wildlife. The Society provides education, promote conservation, perform hands-on rescues and conduct research on local wildlife.

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center

The USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) strives to provide world-class science to inform natural resource decisions that preserve and enhance our quality of life. EESC works directly with managers of our shared natural resources to provide the unbiased scientific tools, research and innovations needed to make informed decisions in today’s complex and rapidly changing conditions. Unique facilities in Maryland, Massachusetts and West Virginia help EESC deliver the reliable, actionable science that partners need to effectively conserve our treasured natural resources.

Western Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Council

The mission of the Western Maryland Resource Conservation and Development (WMRC&D) Council is to build and sustain resource conservation programs raising the quality of social economic and environmental development in our region.  The WMRC&D Council includes Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick, and Carroll counties, Maryland.  The Council is locally driven by representatives from the counties Board of Commissioners, Soil Conservation Districts, municipalities, grassroots organizations and interested members at large.