By Ian Jett
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
The residents of Roland Park will have a new environmental and nature center in April 2016, the Baltimore County Council announced early last week.
The Lake Roland Nature and Environmental Education Center will be located in Lake Roland Park, formerly Robert E. Lee Park. The center will cost $1.2 million to build but officials say it is worth the money because it will give children a new place to learn about nature.
“It’s a year round education program and needing space,” said Marjorie Hampson, the director of the Office of Tourism and Promotion for Baltimore County. “It will be equipped with classrooms that have audio and visual capabilities.”
The center will benefit the community and children, said Shannon Davis, the head park ranger of Lake Roland Park.
“It will offer meeting space and programs we can run limited on indoor space,” Davis said.“The new center will allow us to accommodate more people.”
Davis said the park rangers will play an important role in educating the children who come to the center.
“We will be running weekend programs and after school programs too,” she said. “We have a partnership with Baltimore County Schools for field trips and even some city schools come too.”
Lester Davis, the deputy chief of staff for the Baltimore City Council, also said the center will have a positive impact for students.
“Students, young people, will have access to prime ecological habitat,” he said. “There will be great teaching tolls out of the classroom.”
Davis said he believes the center will be critical in allowing students to step out of the classroom.
“It is highly beneficial for kids to get out of the classroom,” he said. “They will be able to do real world learning.”
In addition to classrooms and learning opportunities for students, students will also be able to participate in performing arts activities during the summer, Hampson said. “There will be an outdoor children’s amphitheater for summer education programs,” she said.
When it opens in the spring, Davis believes there will be huge events planned. He said that the center will be an asset to both students who are home schooled and to parents who want to further enrich their kid’s minds.
Hampson said the center will be focused on activities geared towards students and children but will be friendly for the whole family.
“There will be an off the leash dog park and the dogs will be able to get in the lake,” she said. “There will also be a bike path.”
Hampson said biking events held anywhere in the county bring tons of participants and having the new center will only add to it.
As far as the center’s impact on the other parts of the county, Hampson said it is only going to add.
“It’s going to enhance nature and environmental aspects of resources,” she said.“It’s good for the entire county.” Hampson said.