[1] The center, which is set on 210 acres (0.85 km2) of land in the Caves Valley Historic District, includes a 17,200-square-foot (1,600 m2) green exhibit hall, classrooms, outdoor classroom, a Native American Education site, amphitheater and 8+ miles trails.

Its mission is educate and inspire current and future generations to explore, respect and protect nature.

The center relocated to Owings Mills in 2008,[4] after St. Timothy’s sold part of its property, reducing the space available for Irvine ‘s outdoor programs.

In October 2015, Irvine received a large gift from the Charles T. Bauer Charitable Foundation, which enabled Irvine to purchase an additional 93 acres of neighboring land, now named Bauer Preserve, and brings the total acreage to 210 acres.

[7] The current site has a diverse array of Piedmont habitats, including open wetlands, upland forest, meadow, forested wetlands and farmland, and includes also the headwaters of the Jones Falls and Gwynns Falls watersheds.