The city’s new Maplewood Nature Center opens Tuesday.
The facility provides interactive environmental education that lets children discover native plants and animals. There also is a story corner with books, a teaching kitchen and food garden, a bird-watching station and a new playground.
“Think of this as nature's welcoming mat,” Mayor Malik Evans said during a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Thursday. “When you arrive at the Maplewood Nature Center, we'll welcome you in and introduce you to all that nature has to offer — for kids and families and solo explorers alike. We have binoculars, activity backpacks, educational programming, and more. You just have to bring your sense of curiosity.”
The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and is located on Bridge View Drive near the Maplewood Drive exit off 104 near Eastman Business Park.
City Council President Miguel Meléndez said the nearly $8 million project is just the latest investment in northwest Rochester.
“Just in the last month and a half or so, we've cut the ribbon on a playground here at the Maplewood Center,” he said. “We cut the ribbon on a library that was renovated in Maplewood, and now we're here today to celebrate this great nature center here in the city of Rochester. So, for me, you know, this is about creating access to opportunities for our community.”
