MET Seeks Monitoring Volunteers

Crownsville, Md. (March 1, 2011) — The Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) seeks volunteers who have an interest in conservation and desire to visit significant natural areas, farms and forest land, waterfronts, historic and scenic landscapes.

MET will offer a volunteer training session from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on April 17, 2011 at Cromwell Valley Park in Baltimore County for individuals interested in helping to monitor conservation easement properties.

Volunteers must participate in the one day training session and agree to complete ten monitoring visits annually. Volunteers should be over 20 years of age, physically able to walk over potentially rugged terrain and have their own transportation and camera.

Lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is required. The deadline to register for this training session is March 25, 2011. For more information or to register for the volunteer training, please contact Michelle Johnson, (410) 514-7908 or mjohnson@dnr.state.md.us.

A statewide land trust governed by a citizen board of trustees and affiliated with the Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland Environmental Trust was established in 1967 by the Maryland General Assembly. MET is one of the oldest and most successful land trusts in the country. It holds more than 1,022 easements totaling over 127,000 acres across the State. MET promotes the protection of open land through its Land Conservation Program, Monitoring and Stewardship Program and Local Land Trust Assistance Program. MET also provides grants to environmental education projects through the Keep Maryland Beautiful Program. For more information, visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/met.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov