Day 309 - Robinson Nature Center

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

***Scroll down to see my offer for Red Cross donations.***

Sycamore bark

Web Weaver

This morning I had the privilege to accompany my friend John Maloney on a walk at the Robinson Nature Center near Columbia, MD, where John is a volunteer.  What a treasure this place is for Howard County and all of us here in Maryland!

The nature center, located on 18 acres of land on Cedar Lane, was made possible by the foresight and generosity of Annie and James Robinson.  According to my friend John, after James passed away, Annie was approached by developers wanting to buy her land.  She refused their offer, and instead sold it to Howard County, with the condition that if they bought it from her, they would make it into a nature preserve.  The county bought the property, and she returned the purchase price to them, giving them seed money to build the nature center.

Morning Light

Yellow Swallowtail on Bee Balm

John volunteers at the center, monitoring the numerous bluebird boxes that are situated on the property.  We parked by the ruins of the old mill building along the Middle Patuxent River, then walked the wooded trails within the property.  John pointed out the mature leaves of the Jack in the Pulpits, just beginning to form their berries, bright red raspberries, and clusters of wildflowers:  daisy, bee balm, spiderwort, nightshade, and black-eyed susans.   The trail, which is at times a little slippery due to the mica and bare ground, winds by the river, and then into uplands, where fallen trees (and some selected for cutting for safety purposes) provide wonderful places for small wildlife and numerous fungi.  We saw a deer at one point, who scampered away.

The Nature Center

We eventually came upon the nature center, which is a beautiful building, one of only three LEEDS platinum certified buildings in the state.  You will need to read the link to learn about all that the center offers, because this blog is about the walk.  Suffice it to say that the building alone and the activities it offers are worth a trip to this place.

Bluebird Eggs

John opened various bluebird boxes along the route, to check on their status.  One was empty; another had three blue eggs; one had five baby birds, newly hatched.  The papa bird was watching us warily from a nearby branch.

Baby Bluebirds!

This nature center is definitely worth a day trip with the kids.  Plan to spend an hour or more inside the building, and then another hour on the trails.  Bring binoculars, a camera, and a picnic lunch.  You'll be so glad you made the effort.

Thanks, John.  It was a great walk this morning!

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Forward me by email any receipt for an online donation made to the Red Cross for disaster relief, and I will send you a 5x7 print of your choice from any of my daily photo walks or from my website.  Offer good until September 2, 2013.

Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com
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Email:  cam.miller@comcast.net

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so