Baltimore City College High School students investigate the ecosystem at the Carrie Murray Nature Center as part of the Howard County Conservancy’s Youth Climate Institute, funded by a recent Keep Maryland Beautiful grant. Photo by Maryland Environmental Trust.
Maryland Environmental Trust has approved 21 grants totaling $205,134 to be awarded for community cleanup, environmental stewardship, and tree planting projects through the Keep Maryland Beautiful program.
The 2026 program marks 40 consecutive years of grantmaking to support environmental projects that conserve and care for Maryland’s natural resources.
Grants currently are funded by the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET), Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA). The grant program is managed by MET–a unit of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR)–and administered on the department’s behalf by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
“The community work being supported through this program shows that every contribution matters when it comes to protecting our natural resources,” said DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz. “The Keep Maryland Beautiful grants are a testament to the work and collaboration among our funding partners and longstanding supporters who invest in the program year after year.”
“Our natural resources are among Maryland’s greatest assets and the Maryland Department of Transportation is proud to be a partner in ensuring a healthy and accessible environment for our families and communities,” said Maryland Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Katie Thomson. “Funding from the Keep Maryland Beautiful grants fosters stewardship of nature and supports environmental work by organizations, schools and neighborhoods.”
“By empowering local communities, land trusts, and non-profits to take ownership of environmental stewardship, we are protecting the very natural resources that the agricultural community relies on to thrive,” said Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. “From supporting soil health to preserving the open spaces that define our rural heritage, these grants ensure that Maryland’s working landscapes remain productive and vibrant. When we invest in the beauty and health of our land, we are directly investing in the long-term success of our farmers and the resiliency of our state’s number one industry.”
While the Keep Maryland Beautiful grant program dates back to Maryland Environmental Trust’s origins in 1967, the current run of consecutive annual awards began in 1987. Chesapeake Bay Trust began administering the grant program in 2023.
“Thank you to our partners for their unwavering support of the Keep Maryland Beautiful grants program,” said MET Director John Turgeon. “These small but mighty grants help invest in our local nonprofits, communities, and land trusts that protect and care for Maryland’s natural resources.”
“The Keep Maryland Beautiful grant program empowers people across the state to lead local projects for their communities,” shared Dr. Jana Davis, president of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “We are proud to administer this program that engages a wide range of local groups, from students to land trusts to civic organizations, to enhance natural spaces, strengthen neighborhoods, and inspire continued stewardship for the people and places that make Maryland special.”
Keep Maryland Beautiful recipients included schools, nonprofit groups, and land trusts in nine counties and Baltimore City.
The grants are awarded through these programs:
- Tree Planting on Agricultural Lands, 2 grants totaling $98,134, funded by MDA. These grants support cost-effective reforestation or afforestation projects on qualifying agricultural land to support the state’s efforts in planting 5 million native trees by 2031.
- Land Trust Assistance, 6 grants totaling $55,000, funded by MDOT and MET. These grants are awarded to Maryland land trusts to increase capacity, support community programming and innovation, and foster stronger, better connected land trusts. The program is in honor of Janice Hollmann, who co-founded the Severn River Land Trust and the Arundel Conservation Trust.
- Community Stewardship, 11 grants totaling $47,000, funded by MDOT and MET. These grants are awarded to schools, nonprofits and other community organizations who encourage environmental stewardship through education, engagement and greening projects while elevating awareness of local environmental problems and working to reduce them.
- Aileen Hughes Grant, one grant totaling $5,000, funded by MET. These grants are awarded for individuals representing Maryland land trusts for their outstanding leadership and innovation in conservation. The grant is awarded to Maryland land trusts in recognition of the individuals’ efforts and good work. The grant is given annually to honor the late Aileen Hughes, longtime president of the American Chestnut Land Trust and a true leader in the conservation movement.
Individuals and organizations receiving awards for 2026 are:
Anne Arundel County
Scenic Rivers Land Trust (Land Trust Assistance Grant)
Baltimore City
3200 Carlisle Block Association (Community Stewardship Grants)
Baltimore Green Space (Land Trust Assistance Grant)
Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church (Community Stewardship Grants)
Charles Village Community Benefits District (Community Stewardship Grants)
Friends of Gwynns Falls Leakin Park (Community Stewardship Grants)
Living Classrooms Foundation (Community Stewardship Grants)
Baltimore County
Gunpowder Valley Conservancy (Land Trust Assistance Grant)
Land Preservation Trust (Land Trust Assistance Grant)
Calvert County
American Chestnut Land Trust (Land Trust Assistance Grant)
Greg Bowen, American Chestnut Land Trust (Aileen Hughes Grant)
Charles County
Conservancy for Charles County (Land Trust Assistance Grant)
Historical Society of Charles County (Community Stewardship Grants)
Garrett County
Deep Creek Watershed Foundation (Community Stewardship Grants)
Howard County
Howard EcoWorks (Tree Planting on Agricultural Lands Grant)
Patapsco Heritage Greenway (Community Stewardship Grants)
Montgomery County
Community Food Forest Collective (Community Stewardship Grants)
Rock Creek Conservancy (Community Stewardship Grants)
Prince George’s County
Berwyn District Civic Association (Community Stewardship Grants)
Washington County
Land and Cultural Preservation Fund (Tree Planting on Agricultural Lands Grant)
