Paddleboarders on a Live Water Foundation excursion. Live Water Foundation’s mission is to provide equitable access to the water and paddling sports. The foundation received a Maryland Outdoor Recreation equity mini grant last year for a veteran-focused program.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Outdoor Equity Mini Grant program is doubling its impact in 2025, providing $65,000 to projects that are introducing more Marylanders to camping, mountain biking, outdoor education, and nature-based wellness. Projects chosen by DNR’s Office of Outdoor Recreation for funding include an initiative to introduce mountain biking to women in recovery from substance-use disorders, a nature-based recreation project on an Eastern Shore farm, establishment of an Outdoor Leadership Program for Black women in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region, and much more.
Sec. Josh Kurtz announced the recipients during the second annual Maryland Outdoor Recreation Summit, which took place in Baltimore Oct. 28-30.
“This work really is about ensuring every Marylander has the opportunity to get outside and to enjoy our incredible natural resources,” Kurtz said.
The mini grant program supports equitable access to outdoor recreation for communities that have been historically underserved. These grants fund community-based projects that help Marylanders overcome social, geographic, cultural, physical, and economic barriers to the outdoors. The grants are funded by the Great Maryland Outdoors Act of 2022. In its pilot year, 2024, the Outdoor Equity Mini Grant Program distributed $27,000 to four groups throughout the state.
This year, grantees and their projects include:
The Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park ($5,000) will use its funding to host three free kayaking events designed to engage families from underserved Annapolis communities. These events will be held at the Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park’s campus in the summer of 2026.
This project leverages existing community relationships by expanding Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park’s long-running Box of Rain youth program into family-based outdoor access opportunities to foster lifelong connections to nature while building community capacity and confidence.
YMCA of Frederick County ($5,000) will use its funding to launch the Introduction to Camping program at Camp West Mar to empower low-income and underserved families in Frederick County with the knowledge, skills, and equipment necessary to safely and confidently explore the outdoors together.
Through a year-long initiative, the YMCA will provide camping gear, hands-on workshops, and access to affordable gear rentals, helping to remove key barriers to outdoor participation.
Butler Montessori Country School ($6,940) will use its funding to launch a one-week summer clinic designed to introduce Deaf children ranging in ages from 8 to 12 to horseback riding in an accessible environment.
Traditional riding instruction often relies on verbal communication, presenting significant barriers for children who are Deaf. This initiative will offer instruction in American Sign Language (ASL) by instructors fluent in ASL and familiar with Deaf culture, alongside certified ASL interpreters, ensuring participants can safely learn foundational equestrian skills such as grooming, tacking, riding, and basic horse care.
The program will be hosted at Butler Equestrian’s 22-acre equestrian facility in Montgomery County. By removing communication barriers and fostering cultural understanding, the Equestrian Equity Program will provide Deaf youth with meaningful access to outdoor recreation and teach them about horsemanship.
Calvert County Parks and Recreation ($7,500) will expand its Youth Mentor Program with the launch of a five-week summer mini-session in 2026, designed to provide outdoor recreation and environmental education opportunities for middle school youth. Building on the success of its existing 10-week spring and fall sessions, this summer expansion aims to maintain continuity, reduce risk factors associated with out-of-school time, and engage new participants—particularly those facing financial or geographic barriers.
Each week, youth will participate in field trips that promote physical activity, environmental stewardship, leadership development, and positive peer interactions to support all four of the project’s focus areas: health and wellness, environmental education, equity and access, and youth development.
A key component of the proposed program is transportation support to ensure participants can access these experiences regardless of where they live. Through this effort, Calvert County Parks and Recreation will continue to strengthen life skills, foster connection to nature, and create equitable access to outdoor recreation for local youth.
Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School ($5,000) will expand access to its One-Day Program series, enabling 50 students from underrepresented communities to participate in high-impact outdoor learning experiences. Founded in 1986, Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School has spent nearly four decades delivering transformative outdoor education to youth in the Greater Baltimore area, with a strong focus on serving historically underrepresented communities.
The One-Day Program engages students in a progression of team-building activities, including ground-based and high-ropes challenges that build trust, resilience, and leadership skills. Each session includes structured reflection to help students connect their experiences to real-life decision-making and personal growth.
To ensure these opportunities are financially accessible, the school raises funds to subsidize program costs and will use its Maryland Outdoor Equity Mini-Grant to remove participation barriers for students who may not have access to outdoor education.
The Western Maryland Climbing Coalition ($5,000) will expand its free, community-based outdoor climbing clinics by purchasing essential climbing equipment such as ropes, harnesses, helmets, and shoes.
These clinics offer no-cost, guided climbing experiences to underrepresented and historically excluded communities across Western Maryland, with a focus on individuals facing economic hardship or geographic isolation. Building on a successful partnership with Rocky Gap State Park and other local partners, this initiative will double current program capacity, eliminate waitlists, and extend access to new participants at climbing locations in Cumberland.
The Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League ($4,650) will launch the “Trail Blazers: Introduction to Mountain Biking” initiative, a series of introductory mountain biking clinics aimed at empowering Maryland residents to safely and confidently explore the state’s natural parks by bike. The Cycling League will build relationships with community-based organizations to identify underserved populations who have an interest in mountain biking but lack the means, knowledge, or confidence to attempt mountain biking unassisted.
Each “Trail Blazers” event aims to equip participants with the skills to successfully navigate trails,, and build a deeper appreciation of Maryland’s park system to continue exploring it by bike.
R.I.S.E. Hiking Collaborative ($7,500) will expand access to nature for Black women and girls through three interconnected components designed to strengthen leadership, increase gear accessibility, and launch a new youth-focused outdoor education initiative.
Building on its flagship program, Black Women Hiking the DMV, the organization will develop an Outdoor Leadership Program to train and empower volunteer hike leaders. The project will also establish a gear lending library with women-specific backpacking kits for beginner and intermediate-level trips.
Additionally, R.I.S.E. will launch the Science Through Hiking Youth Pilot Program, a S.T.E.A.M.-aligned summer initiative that invites Black teen girls in grades 9 and10, alongside caregivers, into nature to explore environmental topics such as ornithology, trail building, and sustainability.
Lockbriar Farms ($5,500) in Chestertown will launch the Outdoor Wellness and Recreation Project, a new initiative designed to expand access to nature-based recreation, wellness, and environmental learning in rural communities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Building on its existing role as a community hub for outdoor farm experiences, Lockbriar will develop a range of inclusive offerings such as a free beginner-friendly disc golf course (“The Berry Nine”), sensory walking trails, outdoor yoga and mindfulness sessions, eco-stewardship workshops, and intergenerational community wellness days.
These experiences are specifically designed to reach underserved youth, families, homeschoolers, and individuals facing geographic or financial barriers to outdoor wellness programming across Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, and Cecil counties.
Reflection House ($7,500) will partner with Women’s+ Mountain Biking to introduce its residents, women in recovery from substance use disorders, to mountain biking to build pathways to physical health, emotional healing, and community connection.
Participants in the Reflection House program often face barriers to safe, structured outdoor activities due to trauma, co-occurring mental health disorders, and socioeconomic instability. This initiative will provide access to equipment, instruction, and group outings that foster confidence, resilience, and well-being through guided trail experiences.
Tree Trekkers ($5,000) will expand access to nature-based adventure experiences for underserved youth by offering free admission to its aerial forest park located on 30 acres of protected woodland in Frederick County.
With a mission to get people “off the screen and into the green,” Tree Trekkers provides physically engaging and emotionally restorative experiences through climbing, zipping, and swinging through treetop trails. While Tree Trekkers has long supported local nonprofits through discounted admissions, this initiative will provide fully subsidized access to Frederick Rescue Mission’s Summer Youth Program, ensuring that even more children can experience the transformative power of outdoor adventure.
Any organization interested in applying for next year’s funding can get more information on DNR’s Outdoor Equity Mini Grants webpage.
