Maryland Seeks Forest Volunteers in New Regional Approach

For more than 80 years, volunteers across Maryland have helped plant trees, run educational programs, and care for local forests. Now the state is making it easier for those forest champions to work together.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Forestry Foundation just launched a call for volunteers to join newly reorganized forestry boards. Instead of working county by county, volunteers now collaborate across four regions: Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Maryland.

The change might seem small, but it solves a big problem. Forests and watersheds don't stop at county lines. A stream running through three counties needs care that crosses those boundaries too.

Under the old system, neighboring counties often worked separately on shared environmental challenges. The new regional approach lets volunteer leaders pool resources, share expertise, and tackle projects that benefit entire ecosystems instead of just individual counties.

Volunteers still connect with their home counties for local projects. But now they also have built-in partnerships with neighbors who care for the same forests and waterways. That means more efficient tree plantings, better coordinated conservation efforts, and stronger environmental education programs.

Last spring's reorganization came with a clear message from state officials: protecting Maryland's natural spaces requires communities to work side by side. The regional boards create formal structures for that collaboration to happen.

Getting involved is straightforward. Marylanders interested in volunteering can visit the Maryland Forestry Foundation website to fill out an application. The process includes getting a letter of recommendation from a local forestry board officer.

The Ripple Effect

This reorganization does more than streamline volunteer coordination. It models a new way of thinking about environmental stewardship, where communities recognize their shared responsibility for the land they all depend on.

When volunteers from different counties work together on tree plantings or educational events, they build relationships that strengthen the entire region. Kids learning about forest ecology in one county might explore those same woods across the border. Watershed cleanup efforts become more effective when upstream and downstream communities join forces.

The approach also makes volunteering more appealing. New volunteers gain access to more opportunities, more mentorship, and more impact from day one. Experienced volunteers can share what works with a wider network of people who care about the same goals.

Maryland residents ready to join can also explore additional environmental volunteer opportunities on the Department of Natural Resources webpage. Questions about the forestry boards can be directed to forestryboards.dnr@maryland.gov.

Eighty years of forest care just got a collaborative upgrade that promises healthier trees for generations to come.