Irvine Nature Center

Irvine Nature Center Hosts Habitat Stewards™ Training To Encourage Wildlife Conservation  First NWF Certified Training Program In MarylanD

Owings Mills, MD (June 15, 2009) – This fall Irvine Nature Center will host its seventh Habitat Stewards™ program, a highly acclaimed training series created by the National Wildlife Federation® (NWF). Individuals who complete this program will become “certified” Habitat Stewards™ and will be equipped with the knowledge to help residents in their communities transform their backyards into wildlife habitats. Irvine Nature Center, located in Owings Mills, Maryland (Baltimore metro area), was the first organization in the state of Maryland certified by NWF to offer this program.

Communities that are enriched with green space and environmental health provide a critical connection with nature that is becoming scarce in traditional developments. To help communities create or preserve wildlife habitats, Irvine is teaming up with the National Wildlife Federation® to train community volunteers to serve as Habitat Stewards™.  A Habitat Stewards volunteer is someone who is interested in wildlife, ecology, gardening, and habitat conservation, and believes in hands-on, experiential learning.

These volunteers will make themselves available as resource persons to assist members of their community to create an environment that is beneficial for humans and for wildlife. Specifically, Habitat Stewards volunteers will help others create and restore wildlife habitats in backyards, schoolyards, and other private and public areas in the community.

Habitat Stewards training includes comprehensive study on topics ranging from butterfly habitat to creating your own backyard pond. It will be offered at the Irvine Nature Center, 11201 Garrison Forest Road in Owings Mills, Maryland, on September 14, 17, 21, 24, October 1 and 5 from 5-8pm and September 26 from 8am-2pm. Completed applications are due by July 27, 2009.  Spaces are limited so early registration is encouraged. Participants must be able to attend all classes and contribute 30 volunteer  hours towards a project in their community in order to be certified. There is a $60 fee to cover course materials.

Persons interested in registering for the stewards training should request an application, by contacting: Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills, Maryland, 443-738-9215 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit our website at

www.ExploreNature.org.

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Note to Editor: Please run this announcement now since it requires a substantial time commitment and registrants will need to allocate time on their schedules.

         ABOUT NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION:

NWF believes that enhancing and conserving wildlife habitats in your community fosters a sense of ecological awareness and responsibility in children and adults alike, and provides limitless hands-on learning opportunities, as well as the ability for individuals to positively impact their local environment. Native wildlife, citizens of the community, and neighboring communities all feel the rewards of efforts to preserve wildlife and wildlife habitats.

Through the Backyard Wildlife Habitat™ and Schoolyard Habitats™ programs at the National Wildlife Federation, over 35,000 backyards, schoolyards, workplaces, and other community spaces across the nation have become certified since the program began in 1973. For a habitat site to become officially certified by the National Wildlife Federation, it must provide four essential habitat elements: a source of food, water, cover, and places to raise young.

   ABOUT IRVINE NATURE CENTER:

The Irvine Nature Center is a non-profit educational organization, offering programs of environmental studies and natural science to children and adults of the greater Baltimore area.  Its mission is to inspire appreciation and respect for the natural world, to increase awareness of environmental issues, and to encourage individuals to sustain Earth’s ecosystem.