Montgomery Parks will celebrate 60 years of the Brookside Nature Center in Wheaton with a slate of free programs and activities from 1-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9. Brookside is Montgomery County’s first nature center and has been a staple in the community, educating the public as well as introducing people to environmental stewardship.
Brookside Nature Center is located within the 536 acres of Wheaton Regional Park. The Nature Center address is 1400 Glenallan Ave. in Wheaton.
The Brookside Nature Center’s consistent mission has been to provide natural history interpretation to the community. While the nature center has changed over the years, some features, including the distinctive interior wood paneling, have remained intact.
The lineup of free activities for the anniversary celebration includes:
“Generations of Montgomery County residents and visitors from around the world have visited Brookside Nature Center over the last 60 years and learned about the flora and fauna of the County,” said Suzanne Bode, the nature center’s manager. “We look forward to continuing to serve the community for the next 60 years.”
Brookside Nature Center is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. The park area is open daily from dawn to dusk. Indoor and outdoor exhibits provide nature education as well as opportunities to view live animals up close.
Various habitats including ponds, gardens and meadows surround the center. A network of natural surface trails connects to other areas of Wheaton Regional Park. The grounds include the Harper Homestead, an 1870s log cabin and smokehouse, a wooded nature play area, an outdoor amphitheater and picnic pavilions.
The Brookside Nature Center’s consistent mission has been to provide natural history interpretation to the community. While the nature center has changed over the years, some features, including the distinctive interior wood paneling, have remained intact.
The lineup of free activities for the anniversary celebration includes:
- Sing Happy Birthday and enjoy a slice of cake. 1 p.m.
- Live critter feeding from 1:30-1:45 p.m. (program requires advanced registration).
- Brookside Nature Center memory collection booth (of illustrations, pictures and stories, written or voice recorded) from 2-3 p.m. and 4:30-5:30 p.m.
- Turtle Talk. 2-2:30 p.m. and 3-3:30 p.m.
- Nature Story Time. 3:30-4:30 p.m. (program requires advanced registration).
- S’mores around the campfire. 5:30-7 p.m.
- Crafts and a memory activity table throughout the event.
- First 100 visitors will get a free souvenir to remember the special day.
“Generations of Montgomery County residents and visitors from around the world have visited Brookside Nature Center over the last 60 years and learned about the flora and fauna of the County,” said Suzanne Bode, the nature center’s manager. “We look forward to continuing to serve the community for the next 60 years.”
Brookside Nature Center is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. The park area is open daily from dawn to dusk. Indoor and outdoor exhibits provide nature education as well as opportunities to view live animals up close.
Various habitats including ponds, gardens and meadows surround the center. A network of natural surface trails connects to other areas of Wheaton Regional Park. The grounds include the Harper Homestead, an 1870s log cabin and smokehouse, a wooded nature play area, an outdoor amphitheater and picnic pavilions.
