The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is a unique environmental education and research facility located along the banks of the West and Rhode Rivers in Edgewater, just off the western shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The 2,800-acre research center is overseen by the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, operated out of Washington, D.C. It was established in 1964 following the donation of lands once used as a dairy farm by Baltimore resident Robert Lee Forrest. Visitors can learn about coastal zone ecosystems, including the estuary and wetland habitats of the Chesapeake Bay region, through a variety of exhibits and open programming events hosted at the center throughout the year for visitors of all ages.

647 Contees Wharf Rd, Edgewater, MD 21037, Phone: 443-482-2200

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