Robinson Nature Center to Open in September

There’s always more than meets the eye in the natural world, and Howard County’s Robinson Nature Center is built on that principle — in the literal and a figurative senses.

Built into the side of a hill to both disguise its true size and afford visitors an eye-level view of the forest canopy, the $16.7 million, 25,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open on Sept. 10.

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman gave members of the media a sneak peek at the building (and the finishing touches it is still receiving) in early June.

“When you pull up, it’s really deceptive,” Ulman said. “It looks like a one-story building; you really don’t see that it’s a three-story building.”

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman envisions future partnerships with the University of Maryland and other researchers at the Robinson Nature Center.

That’s part of a premeditated “wow factor” that designers hope will engage visitors and challenge them to think about nature and their place in it.

“This will be a hotbed of activity where people will come to learn about the environment and the Chesapeake Bay,” Ulman said. “There will always be classes or something going on. I think our biggest challenge is going to be to program it as effectively as possible without being overwhelmed.”

Green Design

Named for the late couple James and Anne Robinson, who were the last owners to live on the 18-acre property, the center serves as a model of green construction.

Bamboo cabinets, cork floors, environmental carpeting, natural lighting, solar panels, wheat board trim moldings, a green roof, counters made of compressed sunflower seed hulls, permeable parking surfaces, a geothermal heating and cooling system and a commitment to purchase a portion of the building’s electricity from renewable sources are among the long list of design considerations.

“Right now we have enough points for the LEED Platinum rating,” said County Project Manager Clara Gouin, referring to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating program which promotes sustainable construction.

Among the center’s outdoor features will be a butterfly garden, a rain garden, an amphitheater and a display giving visitors a sense of practical backyard landscaping that attracts wildlife, Gouin said.

“We’ve also cut a trail so that people will be able to see the ruins of an old Colonial-era mill under the [Route 32] bridge,” Ulman said. “We’re working with the State Highway Administration to clean it up and turn it over to us.”

Just inside the center’s main entrance visitors will encounter the Robinson Room, which is a fireplace sitting area displaying photos of the Robinson family. Its walls are made from reclaimed wood salvaged from the family barn.

Aside from offices and classroom space, the administrative wing of the building also features a mini-conference center and research laboratories. Ulman said he envisions future partnerships with the University of Maryland and other institutions that may be interested in conducting research at the facility.

“This is the kind of place where environmental groups can have their board meetings,” he added.

Nature on Display

Prior to her death in 2005, Anne Robinson approached the county with a desire to preserve the family land, which adjoins the 1,000-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental area. That desire led to the founding of the James and Anne Robinson Foundation, which supports the initiatives of a number of environmentalist groups.

The foundation later sold the land to the county for $2 million, donating half that sum back to the county as seed money for the nature center’s planning process.

“The only unfortunate piece is that she didn’t live to see it open,” Ulman said.

When it does open, the center will feature interactive indoor displays and a permanent exhibit focusing on the mill, the impact of the small town of Simpsonville and the history of the American Indians who first lived along the Middle Patuxent River.

A hand-painted floor map on the main floor shows the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, illustrating Howard County’s location in the watershed and its ability to influence siltation and pollution in the bay.

A central exhibit titled the “life of the forest” centers around a large tree installation hung with hand-painted lighted panels depicting the changing of the seasons and the interdependence of plant and animal species in the forest. A ramp descending around the tree leads visitors to wildlife taxidermy displays and culminates in an exhibit that highlights the nocturnal forest.

“As much as it’s a nature center, it also has elements of a children’s museum,” Ulman said.

Something for Everyone

According to County Recreation & Parks Director John Byrd, the county has funding for a full-time staff of seven to operate the nature center, beginning with the fiscal year that started July 1. They will be assisted by an army of volunteers.

“We have a list of about 400 people from the community who are very excited about the facility and want to help us out,” said Stacey Yankee, who was recently hired as the Robinson Nature Center’s first director. “It’s wonderful to have this much community support.”

Yankee previously served as director of the Lloyd A. Stage Nature Center in Troy, Mich.

During the past year, the Robinson Foundation also has been recruiting nature and environmental groups that want to play a role at the nature center.

“The Howard County Beekeepers Association will keep a demonstration beehive here,” Gouin said.

Other groups interested in having a presence at the center include ornithologists, bird clubs and environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, she said.

The center’s Naturesphere, a combination planetarium and media center, can project videos on the dome, seats approximately 50 and can be made available for parties or small gatherings.

“The Howard Astronomical League will be one of our partners conducting programs and educational experiences in the Naturesphere,” Byrd said.

“We’ll be encouraging people to rent the nature center out,” Ulman said. “We’d like to use it to generate some revenue. If someone’s having a wedding, a function or a conference, there are a lot of different spaces they could use.”

According to Byrd, the Robinson Nature Center will charge a nominal entrance fee to help pay operating costs, but there will also be times when entry is free. “We’re looking at other nature centers to get a sense of how they’re approaching their own fees,” he said.