4025 Cooper Rd,
Eden, MD 21822
(443) 614-0261

Richard F. Hazel, Eastern Shore philanthropist and former president of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Salisbury, loved the outdoors. More importantly, he loved seeing kids connect with nature at his โ€œfarmโ€ on Cooper Road in Eden, Maryland.

An avid sportsman until his untimely passing in February 2008, Mr. Hazel spent much of his free time at his 500+ acre preserve. With his friends and family, he maintained the property as a haven for wildlife, including white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and endangered Delmarva fox squirrels. While he enjoyed his quiet mornings hunting alone on his farm, Mr. Hazel truly enjoyed lending the property to scouts and youth groups for a variety of daytime activities and overnight camping experiences.

Mr. Hazel knew the value of outdoor experiences for kids long before the concept of โ€œnature deficit disorder.โ€ He knew that spending time outdoors was good for kidsโ€™ mental and physical health. To ensure that his farm would always serve as a natural location for kids to get outside, he established a foundation to maintain the property in perpetuity.

The Hazel Foundation is very pleased to honor the legacy of Richard Hazel through the establishment of the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center (HODC). Mr. Hazelโ€™s vision was to provide a place where children of all races and walks of life can come together to discover common ground and experience the beauty of nature, as well as be introduced to the sport of hunting and the preservation of nature. The mission of the HODC is to provide opportunities to explore and celebrate nature, and to promote harmony between all people through natural experiences. Thanks to Mr. Hazelโ€™s generosity and vision, the HODC is made available to scout and youth groups at no cost.

Richard Hazel will be remembered for years to come for his generosity to the Eastern Shore. His legacy and giving spirit remain alive at the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center.

I strongly encourage all youth organization leaders to plan a trip to the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center. There is no better place to encourage youth fellowship and appreciation for the outdoors than the HODC.

Martin Hutchison

Pastor, Community of Joy Church

Teachers need outdoor classrooms to make nature come alive for students. The Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center is a wonderful field trip destination for local schools.

Allen Brown

Retired, Wicomico County Board of Education

Richard Hazel has always been a friend of scouting. The Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center is a natural tribute to Mr. Hazel’s love for children, scouting, and the outdoors.

Kevin Les Callette

Development Director, YMCA of the Chesapeake

With competition from television, video games, and the internet, we need places like the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center to turn kids on to nature. The HODC is your kids’ cure for nature deficit disorder.

Carrie Samis

Delmarva Environmental Educators Network

Upcoming Events

ย Get Outdoors Day will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025,
from 10 am – 2 pm.

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Weโ€™ll share the results of the Maryland Biodiversity Project BioBlitz when theyโ€™re ready ๐Ÿ’š Learn more about their incredible work here โžก๏ธ https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/

We’ll share the results oMaryland Biodiversity Projectroject BioBlitz when they’re ready ๐Ÿ’š Learn more about their incredible work here โžก๏ธ www.marylandbiodiversity.com/The 2025 MBP Bioblitz is in the books. We had a fabulous time at the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center in Wicomico County. Our participants documented everything from sphagnum moss to American Eels! The blitz started at 6pm on Friday afternoon. A dozen folks braved the inclement weather, that never really materialized. We were lucky that most of the large cells went up either side of the large property. Saturday morning the day crew showed up and hit the trails. By 6pm Saturday afternoon the gate was locked and everyone was on their way home. It will take a while to tally all of the records, but after checking iNaturalist, we are sitting right around the 600 species mark. Will we hit 1000 species? Stay tuned!

We would like to give a big thanks to Jim Rapp and the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center. They were gracious hosts and worked with us to make sure the bioblitz was a success. We would also like to thank John Hall for doing most of the heavy pre-blitz preparations. John is why the MBP bioblitzes run so smoothly. Thank you John for all you do!
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3 days ago
HODC Board Member David Morris and kids from Brownie Troop 1070 at a tree planting event. March 27, 2025.

HODC Board Member David Morris and kids from Brownie Troop 1070 at a tree planting event. March 27, 2025. ... See MoreSee Less

2 months ago

The Hazel Foundation Board of Directors

Pictured from Left to Right: Gary Desjardins, Gil Allen, Kevin Les Callette, Allen Brown, Martin Hutchison, Colleen Hazel, and Jay Pearce. Not pictured: Morgan Hazel and David Morris.