James and Dessie Moxley of Clarksville, the leading donors for the restoration, according to Schumacher, have longtime ties to Worthley, which is one reason they were motivated to support the project.
"Our oldest child used to watch [her] on television," Dessie Moxley said.
James Moxley has known Worthley for more than 60 years - she was one of his 4H leaders when he was a child, his wife said. And Worthley was the guide and teacher for a nature camp held by the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland, a group for which Dessie Moxley has served as president.
The restored lodge is filled with nature activities for children, including skulls and antlers that youngsters can touch. To get to the lodge, visitors use a map that includes clues to two routes, one longer and one shorter.
Bert Rankin, MPT's director of development who started working at the station almost 20 years after watching the show as a child, said he was surprised to see that the lodge was still standing, untouched. With the coaxing of his supervisor, Rankin began seeking a new home for the cabin that would allow it to serve as an exhibit for children.
"I used to watch the show as a kid," Rankin said. "The Howard County Conservancy was so ready, willing and able to work together in fundraising and moving a structure."
In June, with the volunteer help of builder Ron Shaw, the deconstruction of the lodge began. Then, two businesses - Maryland's Best Sheds and Play n' Learn - moved the pieces to the conservancy, where Shaw rebuilt the lodge.
Since then, volunteers and MPT and conservancy staffers have repainted the lodge to replicate its original look from the 1970s, including red trim and stained cedar shingles.
Another business, fauxwoodbeams.com, whose owner watched the show as a youth, offered to custom build a replacement stone chimney, Rankin said.
"It's really interesting how all these people had a connection with Miss Jean," Schumacher said.
Many former fans of the show predict that the restoration will bring back a flood of memories and perhaps a renewed interest in the environment for the next generation.
"I think what Jean started 40 years ago is going to continue so that these memories are going to continue," Beneman said. "There will always be this fond remembrance of what's been started, something to continue for a very long time to come."
