A Brand New Floating Park Is Coming To Maryland And It Looks Amazing

With nearly 20,000 animals, the National Aquarium in Baltimore is one of the finest in the entire country… but it’s about to get even better!

One of the National Aquarium’s conservation projects is the protection and cultivation of the many unique ecosystems found in the Chesapeake Bay. In honor of World Wetlands Day on February 2nd, the National Aquarium reported an update on one of their latest projects, which aims to expand the city’s urban wetland environment.

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Facebook / National Aquarium (Image by Ayers Saint Gross Architects) The project, dubbed "Inner Harbor 2.0," will bring a beautiful, interactive greenspace to the Baltimore Waterfront campus between piers 3 and 4. The project promotes the restoration of an area of the Chesapeake Bay widely know as a historic center of early industrialization - which has taken a toll on the natural environment and native species here. National Aquarium Website You may have seen the Aquarium’s cool floating wetland islands, which have thrived in the Inner Harbor since 2010. Flickr / Ron Cogswell The Inner Harbor 2.0 plan will expand upon the success of these islands, which have already shown positive effects on water quality and native species stabilization. National Aquarium Website / Image by Ayers Saint Gross Architects Over the next few years, the National Aquarium will develop a larger exhibit featuring more of these green islands, as well as terraced landscapes, walkways that allow visitors to explore the environment, and even areas for kayaking in an open environment that will be open to the public and free to enjoy. Flickr / Brook The Inner Harbor 2.0 project will be expanded in phases over the next three years, and we can’t wait to see this amazing urban oasis in action!

For more information, check out the National Aquarium website. Progress reports and updates will continue to appear on their blog as the Inner Harbor 2.0 project moves forward!