Nature lovers will soon be able to go to Roseland to take advantage of a new hands-on environmental center.

The $2.4 million, single-story Essex County Environmental Center, under construction on the southern portion of West Essex Park on Eagle Rock Avenue, will give people the opportunity to learn and experience everything from bird watching, gardening and bee-keeping, to hiking, canoeing and partaking in educational programs, classes and seminars.

It is scheduled to open on Earth Day, April 22.

"We are building a modern, state-of-the-art environmental center that will provide a new generation of our students with an exciting and interactive experience to learn about and appreciate nature," Essex County Executive Joseph Di Vincenzo Jr. said yesterday. "People from throughout New Jersey will visit our center."

Construction on the 10,000-square-foot facility began in August. It will feature a roof garden, a library, a laboratory, two 800-square- foot classrooms and office space. It is a few hundred yards from the county's old Center for Environmental Studies, near the Morris County border.

Both the New Jersey Audubon Society and the nonprofit Prudential Foundation are helping to ensure the new facility's success, said Di Vincenzo, noting it should be able to accommodate anywhere from 150 to 200 people at a time.

"This is a great example of public and private partnerships working to improve the quality of life for our residents," Di Vincenzo said. "From start to finish, we have received an outpouring of support to ensure the success of our project."

The Audobon Society has entered into an ongoing partnership with the county to provide classes and nature programs at the center. The Prudential Foundation donated $75,000 to help purchase furniture and work stations.

A combination of money and grants -- state Green Acres funding, money from Essex County's Open Space Trust Fund, Essex County's capital budget, and $225,000 in federal grants obtained by Rep. William Pascrell Jr. (D-8th Dist.) -- are making the environmental center dream come true, Di Vincenzo said.

"The facility will be a place where people of all ages can learn about conservation and the environment, walk through trails, go canoe riding and study wildlife," Pascrell said.

The facility is near the Passaic River, the Hatfield Swamp and the Becker Farm.

It likely will be open from Mondays through Saturdays, generally from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with some adult classes in the evenings. Volunteers from other organizations are expected to teach classes and conduct special environmental sessions on Sundays, officials said.

Di Vincenzo said two Essex County Parks Department staffers -- Tara Casella, an environmental affairs coordinator, and Kelly Wentzel, an educational coordinator -- will run the educational resource facility.

"What a gift this is to Essex County and the surrounding communities," Thomas Gilmore, president of the New Jersey Audubon Society, said at a news conference. "We share Joe Di Vincenzo's vision for the center, which is to create a vibrant, living classroom that will provide quality environmental education for diverse audiences."

Copyright 2005 Star-Ledger