Memberships

Jobs, Internships & Residency

Volunteer Opportunities

Sponsor An Animal

Community Partnerships

Memberships

Memberships to the Nature Center help support and enhance our programs, and allow members to access special benefits. Membership benefits are listed below in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. 

Annual Pass

Annual Pass and Friends Membership FAQs

How long do memberships last?  

Memberships are valid for 1 year from the date of purchase. 

What are the benefits of my Annual Pass?  

• Complimentary general admission to the Center & trails
• Member-discount pricing on select programs
• 10% Member discount on purchases from the gift shop
• Optional member e-newsletter updates (center projects, upcoming programs and special offers)
• The ANCA reciprocal membership program allows Robinson Nature Center annual pass holders free or reduced admission at other nature centers that participate in the program. For a list of nature centers that participate in the ANCA reciprocal membership program, click here.

What are the benefits of my Friends Membership?  

• All the same benefits of an annual pass, plus
• Friends-only benefits (listed next to each Friends level above)
• Financial support for Title 1 school scholarships
• Friends-only activities and events

Does my Family pass include my Grandchildren/Grandparents?  

Family passes cover everyone in the immediate household. Below are two exceptions:

• Grandparents may purchase a Family pass to include their grandchildren, however the children’s parents are not included under this pass.
• A Family pass issued to parents can cover grandparents bringing the children to the center, but not when parents and grandparents are visiting together.

Jobs, Internships & Residency

Jobs

Currently, we are seeking a Buildings & Grounds Technician, a Facility Leader and two Summer Nature Camp Leaders. Buildings & Grounds Technician - Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to Brian Campbell at bcampell@howardcountymd.gov.  Facility Leader - Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to Emily Sizemore at esizemore@howardcountymd.gov. For summer camps, we seek two Nature Center Camp Leaders. Please email resume and cover letter to Ellen Reinecke at ereinecke@howardcountymd.gov. 

If you are interested in any of the positions below for which we are not currently hiring (Please click on the links for each job description), you may forward your resume to the appropriate person and we will keep it on file should an opening become available.:

Environmental Educator - Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to Ellen Reinecke at ereinecke@howardcountymd.gov

Eco-Art Residency

Our pilot eco-art residency is currently underway. Look around our grounds for nature-related murals on our outdoor waste receptacles. Our eco-artist-in-residence, Sarah Causey, has been designing and hand painting beautiful visual artwork on the receptacles. For the project kick-off in March 2018, Sarah designed a receptacle in a paint-by-numbers format and we invited the public to help us complete the mural. Continue to watch for new designs to be completed and added throughout the coming year.

Volunteer Opportunities

If you would like to become a volunteer at the Robinson Nature Center please complete the Robinson Nature Center Volunteer Application. Volunteers must also interview and complete a background check.  If you would like to become a volunteer that is only involved with outdoor gardening and trail maintenance you will not need an interview, but you will need to complete a background check. 

If you would like to find out more about our Master Naturalist Volunteer Training (held every other year with applications for the 2020 class accepted beginning in November 2019), see information on our Education Page.

If you would like additional information about volunteer opportunities at the Robinson Nature Center please contact:
Brian Campbell, Volunteer Coordinator at 410-313-0406 or bcampbell@howardcountymd.gov
Monica Horan, Assistant Volunteer Coordinator at 410-313-0674 or mhoran@howardcountymd.gov 

The Robinson Nature Volunteer Handbook is available online.

Scout Volunteer Work Days - If you are in a scout group, this volunteer opportunity allows you to get to know other scouts in your community while working together to help the environment! Potential projects include forest and stream clean up, tree plantings, invasive plant removal, trail maintenance and garden work. All groups must sign up in advance and maintain a ratio of 1 leader per 12 scouts. Scout work days are free to attend and open to scouts of all ages. Tools, gloves and snacks will be provided. If you are interested in participating in our next Scout Work Day, please contact the Nature Center’s Volunteer Coordinator at 410-313-0406. 

In addition to the volunteer opportunities available at the Robinson Nature Center, the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks has numerous other volunteer opportunities. To find out more about these opportunities, click here.

Sponsor An Animal

Photo credit: Vic Gladstone

Caring for live animals is a big job and requires many resources. The animals at Robinson Nature Center serve as educational ambassadors, providing numerous learning opportunities for the public and helping us spread a message of awareness and conservation. 

You can support the animals residing at Robinson Nature Center with an annual sponsorship. Each sponsorship comes with a package of benefits and make great gifts! Download our sponsorship flyer by clicking here.

An annual amphibian or reptile sponsorship is $60 and includes the following:

• Get your name on digital signage at the nature center celebrating your partnership with our animal care program for one year.
• Receive a certificate of sponsorship, a fact sheet about the animal, and a special gift. 
• Get the opportunity to experience a private, behind-the-scenes encounter with all of our animals.
• Receive a “letter from camp,” mid-year update from your sponsored animal.
• Have your photo with your sponsored animal added to our sponsors album on Facebook (optional).

An annual touch tank sponsorship is $25 and includes the following:

• Get your name on digital signage at the nature center celebrating your partnership with our touch tank program for one year.
• Receive a certificate of sponsorship and a special gift celebrating aquatic animals.

Contact the front desk at 410-313-0400 for details.

Community Partnerships

Robinson Nature Center strives to connect adults and children to the world around them through offering exciting experiences and programs that focus on natural and cultural history relevant to our local area and region. We are honored to recognize the critical role that partners play in helping to achieve this mission.

What is a Community Partner?

Robinson Nature Center partners with groups and organizations that donate their time and resources to the Center. In return, the Center acts as a venue and resource where these groups and organizations can achieve their goals, improve their visibility and reach their constituents. Each organization is unique in its involvement with the nature center. If your organization is interested in finding out more about community partnerships with the center, contact Pam Reese, Community Liaison, at 410-313-0673 or pareese@howardcountymd.gov

Click on the logos to connect with some of our Community Partners and read about the contributions they make to the Center below:

Support for outdoor nature play space at Robinson, professional development, field trip assistance and environmental activities; coordinates Robinson's Friends group.	Field trip scholarships to Robinson for Title 1 schools.
	Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA) - Partner area for nature programming Bureau of Environmental Services - Recycling programs at Robinson and free compost bins for County Residents Environmental Sustainability Board - Support for sustainability initiatives at Robinson.
Animals, Animals, Animals Program Series at Robinson, appearances at special events, and loan of rotating exhibits.	Planetarium programming in Robinson's NatureSphere and appearances at special events.
Permanent exhibits, loan of traveling exhibits, and content for the Robinson's "ViewSpace" exhibit.	Live animal programs at Robinson and appearances at special events.
Safe solar-viewing and telescope viewing on Robinson's green roof.	Collaborative programs with Robinson and loan of temporary exhibits.
Photographs programming at Robinson and provides photos for use in marketing materials.	Donation of Robinson bird mounts, birding programs at Robinson, professional development for staff and appearances at special events.
Maintenance of Robinson beehives and appearances at special events.	Robinson Legacy room barn-siding carvings and bird trail carvings.
Volunteer naturalist training curriculum for Robinson volunteers.	Compost demonstrations at Robinson and appearances at special events.
Co-facilitate teacher training workshops with Robinson.	Professional development for Robinson staff and appearances at special events.
Facilitate archaeological study and excavation of Robinson's land.	Howard County Forestry Board Sponsor Robinson's arboretum and donate trees for events.
Cater and provide generous donations of food for special programs at Robinson.	Provides generous "treat" donations for Robinson's Trick or Treat programs.
Patuxent Valley Nurseries, LLC   Provide tree and shrub donations for Robinson native plant gardens and trail plantings.	Provides generous "treat" donations for Robinson's Trick or Treat programs.
Lead "Moving Field Guides" (interactive, intergenerational outdoor movement experiences) at Robinson.	Provide support for native plantings on Robinson grounds.
Members of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service conduct insect surveys and entomology research on Robinson's land.	Conduct research on Baltimore Oriole and Orchard Oriole migration on orioles that breed around Robinson.
Chesapeake Bay oyster reef restoration efforts, educational opportunities and oyster shell recycling at Robinson and other sites across the Bay watershed.	Promotes Robinson Nature Center and special programs through a Media Underwriting Partnership.
Donates prizes for Robinson's annual Adult Easter Egg hunt.	Participates in corporate volunteer projects at Robinson. Promotes Robinson through partnership. Provides donations for various programs.
Support for Nature Center staff development.	Assist with outreach events, publicity, promotion/advertising of Robinson.
Collaborates to offer professional development and joint-programming with Robinson. Supplies temporary exhibits.	Collaborates to offer professional development and joint-programming with Robinson.
Sponsors Nature Center trivia nights through brew donations; These nights raise money for field trip scholarships for Title 1 school children.	Sponsors the HCPSS Pumpkin' Chunkin' competition hosted by Robinson providing competing teams with in-kind donations of materials to build their machines
Partners for the Valentine's Day Wine-Tasting and Truffle Making classes at Robinson; provides prizes for the Adult Egg Hunt at Robinson	Provides prizes for the Adult Egg Hunt at Robinson
Provides prizes for the Adult Egg Hunt at Robinson	Provides prizes for the Adult Egg Hunt at Robinson
Provides treats for Halloween programs and past-prime produce for the Center's live animals	Provides characters for Robinson's public programs
Supports Robinson's "A to Z" Artwork Trail	Contributes work service days at Robinson and provides professional development and idea-sharing
Provides prizes for Robinson's Spring Egg Hunts	Provides prizes for Robinson's Spring Egg Hunts
Provides prizes for Robinson's Spring Egg Hunts	Provides prizes for Robinson's Spring Egg Hunts
Participates in Robinson's Native Plant Sale