W. Brooks Paternotte
Host, The Nature of ThingsW. Brooks Paternotte took the helm of Irvine Nature Center as executive director in July 2013 and immediately began building on the strong 35-year foundation. Brooks is a Baltimore native who was a teacher, coach, advisor, dean and Head of the Middle School during his 13 years at Boys’ Latin School in Baltimore. He is also an instructor and ambassador of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and is a Leave No Trace Master, as well as an avid outdoorsman and a features writer for FlyLife Magazine.
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A few days ago, one of our teachers pitched me an idea for a weekend program, something called “forest bathing.” I’ll admit I was skeptical at first as… -
At Maryland’s famous Benji’s Drive-In Movie Theater last weekend, my family and some friends enjoyed an evening playing outside, eating popcorn and candy,… -
Sometimes, walking through the woods can be an unsettling experience. The damp ground yields a little too much under my feet, releasing the smell of… -
There’s not much about the weekly lawn and field maintenance I do that makes me nervous. Actually, I think there’s really just one thing. One amazing, yet… -
There are 27 kinds of snakes in the state of Maryland, but only two are dangerous to humans.While both species are in the pit viper family, the more… -
As the tender buds of spring flower and bloom to make way for summer’s lush greenery, an annual battle begins anew. This clash pits our big human brains… -
A few weeks ago, I visited a friend. We were sitting outside, enjoying the weather with a couple local brews while his daughter played nearby. Suddenly,… -
Moths are often regarded as the less appealing cousins of butterflies.Moths are seen as the night-flying pests that harass our summer porch lights and eat… -
The Animal Care Team at Irvine Nature Center is always busy. When they’re not caring for Irvine’s 60-plus Animal Ambassadors, they’re fielding interesting… -
On a walk through the forest you might spot rows of shallow holes in tree bark. In our listening area, this is likely the work of the yellow-bellied…
