Located in 1800-acre Rock Creek Regional Park, Meadowside Nature Center opened in February 1972 and is dedicated to local resident Colonel Lathrop E Smith, for his commitment to conservation, nature, and ecology. Surrounded by 350 acres of rolling hills and 8 miles of nature trails, the nature center offers hands-on natural and cultural history interpretive programs for families, schools, and community groups. The nature center hosts several special events during the year --- including Pawpaw Festival, Apple Festival and Campfire, and Raptor Festival. Meadowside is the only Montgomery Parks facility housing and programming with birds of prey. Rehabilitated, unreleaseable birds of prey are housed in the Raptor Walkway adjacent to the building, and visitors are able to observe them whenever the Center is open. Inside the nature center visitors can explore the diverse habits found in Maryland as they crawl through a cave or look at the world from a fish's point of view in the Legacy of the Land exhibit. The Curiosity Corner discovery room contains books, games, puzzles, and more live animals for young naturalists to explore in child-friendly environment. Visitors can also experience the lives of the Maryland pioneer and Eastern Woodland Indian families in the Legacy of the People exhibit where they can try on clothes, play games, and touch animal skins. In 2013, Meadowside Nature Center became a certified Green Center through the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education.