Bear Branch Nature Center

Last updated
Bear Branch Nature Center
Entrance to Bear Branch Nature Center visitor center.jpg
Bear Branch Nature Center
Type Nature Center
Location300 John Owings Road
Westminster, Maryland
Coordinates 39°38′39″N76°59′26″W / 39.64417°N 76.99056°W / 39.64417; -76.99056 Coordinates: 39°38′39″N76°59′26″W / 39.64417°N 76.99056°W / 39.64417; -76.99056
Area4,000 sq ft (370 m2)
Created1993
Operated by Carroll County, Maryland
Hiking trails5 miles (8.0 km)
ParkingOn-site lot
Other informationexhibits, live animals, observatory, planetarium
Website ccgovernment.carr.org

Bear Branch Nature Center is a nature center in Carroll County, Maryland near Westminster. It features interpretive exhibits about local plants and animals, an outdoor water feature and play area, a Discovery Room for children, an observation beehive, live animals including an eagle, hawks, owls, snakes, salamanders, turtles, frogs, and toads, a planetarium and observatory. The center is a facility of Carroll County Recreation & Parks.

Contents

The nature center is adjacent to Hashawha Environmental Center, a residential facility that is also operated by Carroll County Recreation & Parks. Hashawha Environmental Center is home to Carroll County Public Schools' Outdoor School, a residential environmental education program open to every sixth grade student in the county.

The two facilities are located on approximately 320 acres, with more than five miles of multi-use trails, a restored 19th century cabin, a lake, a pond, and access to both Bear Branch and Big Pipe Creek. [1]

History

In 1972, the county purchased the land on which Bear Branch Nature Center and Hashawha Environmental Center are built. The name "Hashawha" is a Native American word meaning "old fields." [2]

Hashawha Tower

The Hashawha Tower is a 10 m (35 ft) tall windmill donated to Hashawha Westminster, Maryland, located at Hashawha Environmental Center.

The "Hashawha Tower," a windmill at Hashawha Environmental Center, Carroll County, Maryland. Hashawha Windmill.jpg
The "Hashawha Tower," a windmill at Hashawha Environmental Center, Carroll County, Maryland.

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References

  1. Carroll County Department of Recreation & Parks: Hashawha/Bear Branch, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-04-03. Retrieved 2010-01-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), accessed 29 Aug 2014.
  2. A Bark in the Park: The 50 Best Places to Hike With Your Dog in the ... - Doug Gelbert - Google Boeken