Archives August 2020

Review of Irvine Nature Center

Nature is the source of our learning. From the primitive age onwards, mother nature has helped us to discover and decode a lot of mysteries. May it be the discovery of fire by rubbing the stones or learning about gravity with a falling apple, nature has been always with us in our learning. So, if one feels bored in his regular schooling, or if one wants to give his child ‘nature-alistic’ learning then this place is just for them. Irvine Nature Center provides more than 800 nature-oriented education programs annually for over 95,000 children and adults. Here the students learn amidst nature about nature and at the same time contribute to saving nature. Here is a brief review of the Irvine Nature Center. Let’s start- 

environmental education
Kids participating in a Nature Camp

About Irvine Nature Center

The journey of Irvine Nature Center starts in 1975 in an old barn at St. Timothy’s School in Stevenson, Md. And now it is the only non-profit nature center in the region. The founder of Irvine Nature Center is Olivia Irvine Dodge. She first understood the significance of preserving ecologically important places to provide quality education for children and grownups. And now Irvine conducts award-winning programs to more than 4,400 private and public-school students from all communities.

The Irvine Nature Center spreads across 211 acres of woodland, meadows, and wetlands. You can learn in the interactive exhibit hall completely free and also communicate with various species of animal that live there.

What are the Advantages of Learning in a Nature park?

Nature has its therapeutic and healing effects on the human body. Some of the advantages of learning in nature are:

  • The sight of greenery is relaxing and improves mental and immune health.
  • The fresh and pure air will charge your heart and lungs.
  • Sharing space with nature, trees, and fellow creatures of this Earth from an early age will make your child kind, helpful, and sensitive.
  • What bookish and computer-oriented smart classes cannot teach, our nature can.

What Concepts Irvine Nature Center Follows

The goal or main mantra of Irvine Nature Center is to show children and adults the importance of environmental literacy. Through their literary campaigns, interactive classes, and seminars they try to motivate their visitors, members, and students to care for nature. Only the care and concern from a human can save our planet from environmental destruction. And here your child can learn caring from the beginning of his or her life.

Why They are Different

Irvine Nature Center is different as their approach to education is completely different from others. They believe that 3 steps are mandatory for growing a plant as well as a human; plant, nurture, and bloom. Here they kindle the curiosity of learning in your heart. Their interesting and practical learning techniques will never let you feel exhausted. In the second step, they nurture and nourish each student individually according to their abilities. And in the third stage, you will feel free to gather knowledge from everything around you.

The Bottom Line

Apart from learning purposes this nature park is also famous for a tourist destination. You can throw your birthday party, have a FERN day camp, or visit here for a picnic. So, it is an all-rounder in all ways. For your nature time, call or visit the official page of Irvine Nature Center now.

Short video introduction to Irvine Nature Center

Review of Maryland SPCA

The world is not meant for humans alone, but we act as if we’re the sole owners of the planet. With this kind of mindset, humans have been exploiting animals for centuries. The saving grace is that there still are people who respect and care for animals. Maryland SPCA is one such organization that has fought and continues to fight for the rights and well-being of animals. In this article, we will know more about Maryland SPCA. Let us start with their history. 

Background of the Organization

Maryland SPCA is not a new organization. It has been serving and caring for animals in Maryland since 1869. In the last 150 years, it has helped save thousands of animal lives. The organization was founded with one principle: “Every animal deserves to be treated with compassion and care.” The activities of the organization first got noticed during four years of the American Civil War when volunteers of the organization fought against the ill-treatment and abuse of workhorses. 

Service Areas

The Maryland SPCA provides essential services with the aim of making the lives of pets and their owners better. Let us look at the kind of services they are involved in.

Education

Anyone interested in animal care can join their community classes. The courses are designed to teach humans from all walks of life to be able to treat animals with affection, respect, and compassion. To date, over 13,000 students have completed one or more of the programs on offer. More than 2,200 pet owners have been provided training and behavior consultations. Education at Maryland SPCA covers the following:

  • Behavioral Training – Certified experts help improve pet behavior.
  • Workforce Development – Skill training and animal welfare courses for people interested in interacting and working closely with dogs, cats, and other pets. 
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing – Propagate how pet ownership can help improve mental health and overall wellbeing of people. 

Humane Care

Maryland SPCA primarily provides safety to vulnerable dogs and cats. In addition, they connect people with pets through innovative and targeted techniques. Many studies have proved that people who are in touch with pets are less likely to fall into depression or have other mental health issues.

Veterinary Services

Pets need the same level of medical attention as we do. For the same reason, Maryland SPCA provides a broad range of veterinary services. You can schedule regular checkups of your pets to avoid diseases and illnesses. In 2018 alone, they delivered over 14,000 veterinary services. And in 2019, they conducted nearly 7,000 spay/neuter surgeries. The veterinary services include:

  • Spay/Neuter clinic: The clinic helps in animal birth control. The spay/neuter surgery is available for cats and dogs. The surgery is provided free of cost or at a reduced rate to people belonging to low-income groups. 
  • Shelter Medicine: Takes care of general examination, vaccination, and other such types of pet care services. 
  • Wellness clinic: Deals with animal health problems. Pet treatment and medication is available for curing and recovering from various types of illnesses.

Conclusion

Maryland SPCA has been providing lots of valuable services to save thousands of vulnerable animal lives. If you wish to contribute to the noble cause, you have the option to donate so that more lives can be saved. What stands out about Maryland SPCA is that the donations are used to provide free or reduced-price services to low-income pet owners.