Robinson Nature Center to Open Saturday

The new Robinson Nature Center in Columbia will hold its grand opening Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the Howard County Times.

The center, according to its website, includes interactive exhibits on local habitats and wildlife, a children’s discovery room and a digital domed nature theater.

The 25,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, Platinum LEED-certified structure is located at 6692 Cedar Lane, near the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, on land donated to Howard County for a nature center by the late Anne Robinson.

The center’s building is contemporary in style and boasts a large number of natural materials, including wood and stone. The floor of the main lobby includes a mural of the Chesapeake Bay. Just off the lobby is a gift shop and a “living room,” complete with sofa and fireplace. The walls of the living room are covered with rough-hewn boards salvaged from the

The center has numerous systems and components to make it environmentally sustainable, including porous pavement, 54 geothermal wells, “green” roofs and solar panels. The solar panels are designed to produce at least 12 percent of the building’s electricity and might yield as much as 17 percent, according to county officials.

The $17.6-million center’s hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Adults pay $5 for admission and children pay $3; children under the age of 3 are free, according to the Times. There will be no admission charge on opening day.