10 Nature Centers to visit in the DMV

Get Centered in Nature

6 nature centers kids will love exploring in the Baltimore/Annapolis area

By Katie Riley

Don’t underestimate how a visit to a nature center might affect your child’s future. When Ben Gardner, 16, of Millersville, first visited Jug Bay Wetlands Nature Center with his first-grade class 10 years ago, it confirmed his lifelong passion for ecology. “I had always been interested in nature since I was really little,” he says. “But going there and experiencing it firsthand, rather than reading about it in a book, was life-changing for me.” Now a volunteer with the internship program at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Gardner plans to study ecology in college. And he still enjoys visits to Jug Bay whenever he can get there. “It’s just an all-around cool place to go,” he says. “The water, trails and wildlife are incredible.” The Chesapeake region boasts many nature centers ideal for families who want to get in touch with their natural surroundings. Check out our list below for an experience only Mother Nature can offer. Click through to the end of the story for specifics on each center.

Robinson Nature Center

6692 Cedar Lane, Columbia, 410-313-0400, howardcountymd.gov/ recreation-parks/robinson-nature-center Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 9 am-5 pm; Sunday, noon-5 pm Admission: adults $5; children 3-17 $3; under 3 free The Robinson Nature Center is a unique nature education facility operated by the Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks. Visitors will find interactive exhibits, nature trails, a Children’s Discovery Room and our NatureSphere - a digital planetarium and full-dome movie theater. Robinson is one of only a handful of LEED Certified Platinum buildings in the state of Maryland with features including geothermal heating/air-conditioning, porous paving, solar panels which generate 15% of electric needs, innovative water conservation methods and more. The mission of the Robinson Nature Center is to facilitate the enjoyment and understanding of our natural resources and to bridge the gap between people and nature.

(SERC) 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater. 443-482-2200, serc.si.edu Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9 am-4:30 pm. Closed federal holidays. Leave pets at home. Admission: Free For drop-in visitors, the SERC campus is open for hiking, biking and kayaking six days per week.

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary

1361 Wrighton Road, Lothian, 410-222-8006, jugbay.org Hours: Weds, Fri, Sat, Some Sundays (call to check), 9 am-5 pm. Glendening Preserve open to the public daily, 9 am-5 pm. Dogs on a leash are allowed in the Preserve only. Admission: $6 per vehicle. Interactive exhibits about wetlands, estuaries and the Patuxent River watershed. The center also contains classroom lab facilities and a gift shop. Four different hiking trails, Self-Led Field Trips, and explorer bag with educational materials and activities.

Irvine Nature Center

11201 Garrison Forest Road, Owings Mills. 443-738-9200, explorenature.org Hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm (November-March) and 9 am to 5 pm (April-October.) Irvine is closed on Mondays. Admission: Cost is $5/person (age 6+). Members are free. No dogs or bikes allowed. Indoor exhibits and bathrooms are closed. More than 800 environmental education program sessions. Irvine’s 211 acre property has 8 miles of hiking trails, gardens featuring native plants, and our Outdoor Classroom built for child-led nature play.

Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC)

600 Discovery Lane, Grasonville, 410-827-6694, bayrestoration.org Hours: 9 am-5 pm daily. Dogs, with a current membership, are allowed on property on weekends. For more information on Dog Memberships: bayrestoration.org/dogs. Admission: Free CBEC is a 510 acre wildlife preserve on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Explore native woodlands, marshes and meadows, along 4 miles of walking trails. Go by the Visitor Center to obtain a property map, and visiting the exhibit area.

Flag Ponds Nature Park

1525 Flag Ponds Pkwy., Lusby, 410-586-1477, calvertparks.org/fpp.html Hours: Monday and Friday, 9 am-4 pm. Saturday and Sunday, 9 am-5 pm. Admission: $5.00 for in-county resident or non-resident. April - October: $8.00 for non-residents. Walk-in/Bike: $2 person A remarkable variety of natural environments--from sandy beach, to freshwater ponds, to the forested heights of Calvert Cliffs and offers a wonderful place for Fossil Hunting and Beach Combing, Hiking and Exploring.