Nature center an educational gem for Baltimore County
By Norma Bosley
nabosley411@aol.com
410-356-4340
Posted 10/08/08
There’s a jewel in Owings Mills. It’s the Irvine Nature Center that has secured 116 acres of woodlands, wetlands and meadows in the Caves Valley and held a grand opening last month.
The center’s main building — it’s green— features an exhibit hall with interactive exhibits designed and built by the Maryland Science Center.
On the weekend of the grand opening, I took a hike on the Vista Loop Trail to the Gazebo Overlook, accompanied by Christina Royster-Hemby, director of marketing and membership development for Irvine. She answered my endless stream of questions, all the while smiling and greeting everyone exploring this wonderland.
Spotted on the trail was flora and fauna, as well as state Sen. Bobby Zirkin and his baby daughter, Sophie.
Irvine is important to our childrens’ education. Why? Because it is healthy to be outdoors. Watching animals, insects and plant life can enhance our childrens’ skills of observation, problem-solving and awareness. Anyone who has taken a walk with a child through the woods and experienced their wonder at trees, animals and the sheer beauty and quiet of nature can appreciate the impact of outdoor education.
To have the Irvine Nature Center right in the heart of Owings Mills is a true blessing. The programs that are offered will appeal to all ages and interests. I urge you to take your children there.
For information on Irvine, go to www.ExploreNature.org. Better yet, visit the center at 11201 Garrison Forest Road.
Prayers were answered for the safe return of Chad Stachowiak, who recently served seven months in Iraq. Chad, a 2005 graduate of Owings Mills High School, and 60 other marines arrived at the Raleigh/Durham, N.C. airport and were then bused to the Marine Drill Center in Roanoke, Va. The Marines arrived about 1 a.m. Aug. 23 and were greeted by family, friends and news crews.
Chad’s parents, Brian and Donna, were there with his three brothers Tyler, Brody and Jake. The family now lives in Lynchburg, Va. Proud grandparents Herb and Ginger Basler, formerly of Owings Mills, made the trip and were front and center holding a welcome home banner. Everyone who knows Chad and his family has been praying for them during his deployment and sends thanks for his devotion to his country.
Here’s some valuable news that I learned recently: The Verizon Center for Customers with Disabilities provides communication options for people with a disability other than a hearing loss. The TTY phone service for the hearing-impaired is widely known, but there is a service for the visually impaired as well. These callers are allowed free 411 and operator-assisted phone calls. Also, when a number is obtained from the 411 service, the caller may be connected immediately without being charged. This makes using the telephone easier for those with a vision problem, and also less costly. For more information, call 1-800-974-6006.
Condolences to the family of Samuel “Gus” Wagenfer, who died Sept. 9. Mr. Gus, a resident of Tollgate, was a self-employed roofer, and had also worked as a meat cutter. He volunteered each morning in Reisterstown, opening the McDonald’s for early customers. He will be missed.
The center’s main building — it’s green— features an exhibit hall with interactive exhibits designed and built by the Maryland Science Center.
On the weekend of the grand opening, I took a hike on the Vista Loop Trail to the Gazebo Overlook, accompanied by Christina Royster-Hemby, director of marketing and membership development for Irvine. She answered my endless stream of questions, all the while smiling and greeting everyone exploring this wonderland.
Spotted on the trail was flora and fauna, as well as state Sen. Bobby Zirkin and his baby daughter, Sophie.
Irvine is important to our childrens’ education. Why? Because it is healthy to be outdoors. Watching animals, insects and plant life can enhance our childrens’ skills of observation, problem-solving and awareness. Anyone who has taken a walk with a child through the woods and experienced their wonder at trees, animals and the sheer beauty and quiet of nature can appreciate the impact of outdoor education.
To have the Irvine Nature Center right in the heart of Owings Mills is a true blessing. The programs that are offered will appeal to all ages and interests. I urge you to take your children there.
For information on Irvine, go to www.ExploreNature.org. Better yet, visit the center at 11201 Garrison Forest Road.
Prayers were answered for the safe return of Chad Stachowiak, who recently served seven months in Iraq. Chad, a 2005 graduate of Owings Mills High School, and 60 other marines arrived at the Raleigh/Durham, N.C. airport and were then bused to the Marine Drill Center in Roanoke, Va. The Marines arrived about 1 a.m. Aug. 23 and were greeted by family, friends and news crews.
Chad’s parents, Brian and Donna, were there with his three brothers Tyler, Brody and Jake. The family now lives in Lynchburg, Va. Proud grandparents Herb and Ginger Basler, formerly of Owings Mills, made the trip and were front and center holding a welcome home banner. Everyone who knows Chad and his family has been praying for them during his deployment and sends thanks for his devotion to his country.
Here’s some valuable news that I learned recently: The Verizon Center for Customers with Disabilities provides communication options for people with a disability other than a hearing loss. The TTY phone service for the hearing-impaired is widely known, but there is a service for the visually impaired as well. These callers are allowed free 411 and operator-assisted phone calls. Also, when a number is obtained from the 411 service, the caller may be connected immediately without being charged. This makes using the telephone easier for those with a vision problem, and also less costly. For more information, call 1-800-974-6006.
Condolences to the family of Samuel “Gus” Wagenfer, who died Sept. 9. Mr. Gus, a resident of Tollgate, was a self-employed roofer, and had also worked as a meat cutter. He volunteered each morning in Reisterstown, opening the McDonald’s for early customers. He will be missed.
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