It's All About the Kids

WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?

How does an organization like Cylburn Arboretum Friends (CAF) focus on educating the environmental stewards of the future? Better still, how can we generate a sustainable program of inquiry and discovery that will capture the naturalists of tomorrow? How can we transform a crumbling edifice into a nature education center in Northwest Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on Planet Earth?

CAF always saw the potential the Carriage House offered and, over the years, pursued the dream of creating a Nature Education Center in a historic building that, with a little coaxing and modest expansion, would fit the need.

With the Carriage House historically restored, the addition, affectionately known as the ‘Barn,’ is meant to provide a more contemporary counterpoint to the traditional Carriage House. Weathering steel cladding will draw upon the iron rich oranges of the adjacent stone. Utilizing contemporary material and technology, a traditional gabled form mimics the carriage house while providing a cathedral like interior.

HOW WE GOT FROM THEN TO NOW

2006: Thanks to Joy Wheeler, Patsy Pearlman and the ADA, the Nature Museum moved from the Mansion to the Carriage House with most of its collections. The space was small and the need to expand was evident from the beginning.

2010: CAF began offering a summer nature camp. The Mansion was the camp HQ, and that presented its own limitations. Our agreement with the City restricted the camp to four weeks, and it quickly became obvious we needed more time and space to provide the kind of experience for kids that would start them on the path of discovery.

2019: After many years of negotiating with the City, we signed a lease for 50 years.* With the signing, the project took a huge step forward, and CAF began in earnest to move ahead.

As an entirely instructional building, even the rear boasts educational and functional features. Along with much needed storage, this home for horticultural pursuits will be a hub for volunteers and training.

The addition sits at the junction between cultivated and wild. The view through bird friendly glass depicts the “wild” forest beyond while the opposite side of the exhibit space captures the “cultivated.”

The wall between is made of portals to the garden exhibits just outside. Each window curates an aspect of exterior tree growth with accompanying indoor exhibits.

The library space will accommodate self-directed learning and quieter study.

The vestibule is a transitional space marrying the historic carriage house with the contemporary addition. As the introduction to the NEC, this space will also house an iconic exhibit transforming the simple task of entering a building into an immersive experience.

We would be remiss in not acknowledging those who encouraged us to pursue this dream, especially Delegate Samuel (Sandy) Rosenberg, who embraced the project and supported our request to the General Assembly for capital bond funding. Through his leadership, and with the support of the entire delegation from District 42, we were awarded Bond Bills in 2016 and 2017 to start the process of building the addition and renovating the Carriage House.

And so, the Nature Education Center at Cylburn begins to take shape. We’ve hired a team of very creative organizations to get us to the next phase- a huge step in making this dream a reality. We invite your company along on this journey. The theme underlying it all, Discovering the Hidden World, is surely an invitation for explorers of all ages.

THE TEAM

ZIGER/SNEAD, project architects

METCALFE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN OF PHILADELPHIA, exhibits designers (both indoor and outdoor)

INTREEGUE DESIGN, INC., landscape architects

CITYSCAPE ENGINEERING, LLC, storm water management

LEWIS CONSTRUCTION, construction management

GRATITUDE

There are so many people who have inspired us, supported us emotionally and financially along the way, it would be impossible to list them all. We thank all who have made this dream possible. We do, however, acknowledge our City partners in the Department of Recreation and Parks who share our vision that this beautiful learning space can bring knowledge and joy to all who visit, that an appreciation of being outdoors and discovering the hidden world is the starting point of a lifelong love of the natural world.

We were and are enormously grateful to the legal services provided, pro bono, by Courtney Capute and Samantha Gutridge of Venable, LLP, in the lease negotiations and finalization.