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Our Case Statement
Modern life has disengaged people from nature.
How can we reconnect to the natural world? One way is through interaction with nature—through direct experiences with natural history.
Imagine a place where an eight-year old, fascinated by snakes, meets a state reptile expert who invites him to join her research team. Where wildflower enthusiasts meet with botanists each month to compare flowers from a recent field trip to those collected in the 1920s. Where a scientist helps neighbors map Northern Cardinal nesting sites. Where a researcher monitoring northern flying squirrel populations accesses statewide, historic collections. Where an entomologist sets up a display of caterpillars in a 4th grade classroom so students may watch them metamorphose into cecropia moths. Where a Boy Scout troop spends an evening knee-deep in a vernal pool identifying frog calls. Where a high school senior can find guidance in pursuing a career in paleontology.
Reconnecting people to nature in Maryland demands a creative new vision built on the strength of assets already in place: natural history collections and a statewide network of scholars, researchers, teachers, and organizations committed to preserving and sharing Maryland’s natural heritage. The Natural History Society of Maryland seeks to be the catalyst that joins these assets. This vision will create unprecedented public access to a rich body of natural history resources and educational experiences—a first step in reconnecting people to nature. This reconnection, in turn, will foster stewardship of Maryland’s natural resources.
The Natural History Society of Maryland seeks to develop the Maryland Naturalist Center, both a physical space for collections and a network of organizations studying, preserving, and teaching about Maryland’s natural heritage.
Originating at the Naturalist Center and extending into parks and neighborhoods, educational programs will draw on the riches of the collections and the expertise of the Consortium members. This combination of collections and expertise will produce programs that offer a greater depth of understanding and knowledge.
The acquisition of physical space is crucial—the first step toward saving and assembling disparate collections in need of proper and professional care. The development and organization of a consortium are the next essential steps—providing the core expertise and knowledge for public outreach.
Currently housed in a Baltimore rowhouse, some significant collections
of Maryland fossils, shells, insects, minerals, and bird eggs have been
inaccessible to the public. With proper care and management, the collections
will illustrate and extend educational programs. They will help tell
people the story of how the natural world works.
The Naturalist Center will:
o offer multiple venues and staging areas for educational programs and
exhibitions
o assure statewide access to educational resources by using a network
of existing sites
o offer a relaxing place for people to gather and learn about/extend
interests
The Educational Programs will:
o connect people with nature found in their own backyards
o cultivate interest piqued at nature centers and in schools
o offer advanced staff training to existing nature organizations
o extend into neighborhoods and communities
o expose students to careers in ecology and the environment
o increase environmental literacy
o extend existing school curricula in Maryland
The Consortium will:
o unite existing nature organizations to increase efficiency and effectiveness
o partner with organizations that are already serving communities
o offer members opportunities for professional development
o streamline communications among nature organizations
o provide ecological expertise to organizations fostering environmental
literacy in Maryland
The Collections Facility will provide:
o safe environmental conditions for fragile specimens
o expertise in collections care and management
o opportunities for long-term, coordinated study that will reveal patterns
of nature in Maryland
o a repository for natural history collections now shipped to other
states or discarded in landfills
We are seeking funding to:
o renovate our building to house the Maryland Naturalist Center
o hire a director to organize educational activities
o organize a consortium of Maryland nature organizations
o provide the proper care and management for our natural history collections
o educate the public
Please help us reconnect Marylanders to the natural world.