EASTON, MARYLAND — Maryland high school students who want a week in the woods learning forestry and conservation careers now have a clear calendar: registration for the 2027 Natural Resources Careers Camp opens Oct. 1, 2026.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported Sept. 17 that the 2026 camp ran July 19–25 at the Hickory Environmental Education Center in Garrett County. Campers worked with resource professionals on forest ecology and management, wildlife habitat, fisheries, water quality, tree identification, and the forest products industry. Teams finished with a forest-management project and presented their plans to a panel of professionals and parents.

“The purpose of the camp is to give high school students an opportunity to explore careers in natural resources, with a focus on forestry,” Camp Director Will Williams said in the DNR release. “Students meet resource professionals who are eager to share their advice and experiences. Many of those presenters attended NRCC themselves as high school students.”

Campers 16 or older could earn two college credits from Allegany College of Maryland by completing an optional end-of-camp exam. DNR said students interested in the 2027 session register online through the Maryland Forestry Foundation beginning Oct. 1. Local Forestry Boards help recruit, interview, mentor, and sponsor students from their communities.

The Maryland Forestry Foundation’s NRCC page lists 2027 camp dates as July 18–24, 2027, at Hickory Environmental Education Center in Accident, with applications accepted starting Oct. 1, 2026. Space is limited to 42 students. Applicants must be currently enrolled in, going into, or recently graduated from high school and available for the full seven days. The foundation lists a $500 NRCC tuition fee (often sponsored by local Forestry Boards for in-state students) and a $150 student activity fee.

Talbot County students apply through the same statewide process and their local Forestry Board interview path. DNR and the foundation do not publish a Talbot camper roster for 2026.