This Saturday is a big day for Howard County because it will be the grand opening of the Robinson Nature Center in Hickory Ridge at 6692 Cedar Lane. This Center will be run by the Howard County Recreation and Parks in conjunction with the James and Anne Robinson Foundation and will provide our County with a first class facility that will have educational and exhibit presentations that should be interesting for people of all ages. As described on the Recreation and Parks website:
The Robinson Nature Center is a unique nature education facility situated on 18 acres of land adjacent to the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, which provides over 1,000 acres of forest, meadows and river valley to explore. The three-story center is nestled into a hillside and was designed from the very beginning with energy conservation and sustainability in mind. It uses the newest proven technologies designed to maximize energy conservation and the use of renewable resources. Geothermal heating/air-conditioning, porous paving, solar panels which will generate 15% of electric needs, innovative water conservation methods, and a host of other features make this building environmentally friendly and, upon certification, one of only three LEED Certified Platinum buildings in the State. This project was made possible through the foresight and generosity of James and Anne Robinson and the James and Anne Robinson Foundation.
It will include:
- Interactive and multisensory exhibits for all ages
- Planetarium programs & movies
- Two-story “Life of the Forest” exhibit
- Children’s Discovery Room with hands-on activities
- Classrooms and auditorium with seating for 150 people
- Natural and cultural history exhibits
- Wildlife viewing area
- Balcony and green rooftop for outdoor nature viewing
I look forward with some skepticism to seeing the Center. It's truly a beautiful building and impressive that it's LEED Platinum. And it's definitely a step forward for Howard County to now have an environmental education center. On the other hand, the briefing I attended made it seem the facility was a more a nature museum than a way of connecting with nature. I plan to attend the opening on Saturday to see for myself.
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