Set on 116 acres of woodlands, wetlands and meadows in Owings Mills, Irvine Nature Center’s new green facility fits in with its surroundings.
The 33-year-old environmental education organization’s new, 17,200-square-foot facility is both environmentally friendly and energy- efficient.
“It was a priority that we have a green building,” said Christina Royster-Hemby, Irvine’s director of marketing and membership development. “We want this new facility to be an example for homeowners and businesses.”
The facility includes green vegetative roofing, a geothermal heat pump to conserve energy and a pervious-paving parking lot to limit water runoff. The construction cost of the new facility was $4.15 million, while the total cost of the project was $8.5 million, Royster-Hemby said.
The nonprofit organization moved from its former location on the campus of St. Timothy’s School in Stevenson. Irvine opened its doors to the public Saturday with a native plant seminar and sale, and will celebrate its grand opening Sept. 12 through 14.
Irvine provides about 16,000 children and adults with 500 environmental education programs annually. The new facility will help the organization expand its services, adding new public programs and even serving as a site for green weddings and other events, Royster-Hemby said.
“The move to Irvine Nature Center’s new spacious ‘green’ building, located on 116 acres in the Caves Valley, is a watershed event for Irvine,” William Balfour, president of the Irvine Board of Trustees, said in a statement.
The organization will offer tours of its new facility, highlighting its green aspects for visitors.
“We want Maryland residents to come to Irvine, learn about the environment, experience the tremendous multisensory nature experience we have to offer, enjoy walking our trails … and think of Irvine as a second home,” Royster-Hemby said.
Irvine’s new facility is another example of Maryland’s ongoing promotion of green building. Several state municipalities, notably Baltimore City and Howard County, are mandating new commercial projects achieve certain standards for energy efficiency and environmental design.
“Green is the new black,” said Stuart Kaplow, a Baltimore lawyer concentrating in land use and environmental law. “The state of Maryland is on the cusp of becoming the green leader.”
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