Riverbend Environmental Education Center

Join us with your family to help the Riverbend Preserve!Volunteers are invited to help ready the preserve for the fall. This event is free and open to all.Before the colors of fall set in, we need your help! Invasive vines threaten the health of our trees and native plants, and we're calling on our community to lend a hand. We'll work together to identify, cut, pull, and remove invasive vines before they spread further. This is a great way to spend a morning outdoors with your family, meet fellow nature lovers, and make a real difference for the preserve. Every

In collaboration with Bird Town, PA, Riverbend invites you to our Fall Bird Walk.In collaboration with Bird Town, PA, Riverbend invites you to our Fall Bird Walk with birder and conservationist, Phil Witmer. Mr. Whitmer will lead participants on a leisurely walk around Riverbend's preserve to check out the many species of birds that call it their home.We are offering separate start times for adults and families.Adult Bird Walk: 9:00am - 10:30amFamily Bird Walk: 10:30am - 11:30amThe Adult Bird Walk is for participants ages 12 and over. Limit of 20 participants for the Adult Bird Walk. This is a free

Join us for a hands-on habitat restoration volunteer event as we care for local ecosystems together.MLK Day of Service: Habitat Restoration EventJoin us this Martin Luther King Jr. Day as we honor Dr. King’s legacy through hands-on service that strengthens our local environment. This year’s project focuses on improving wildlife habitat and restoring the health of our natural areas.What we’ll be doing:• Removing invasive plants including vines, amur honeysuckle, and devil’s walking stick• Working together to care for and clear the landscape around last year’s TreeVitalize planting site• Supporting a healthier habitat for native plants and wildlifeWhether you’re a regular

Learn about hosting a garden that will create welcoming habitat for native bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators.Join us to learn about what it takes to plant and maintain a pollinator garden at your home or community center. Michelle Detwiler of Wild About Native Plants will present on the benefits of planting native for the ecosystem and what goes into designing a plan for a native garden. Snack on a slice of pizza while Michelle guides us through a demonstration of the process of preparing soil for planting.Attending this interest meeting makes you eligible to receive up to $350 of

Princesses, Princes, and Frog Lovers of all ages are cordially invited to Riverbend’s Tea Party.Princesses, Princes, and Frog Lovers of all ages are cordially invited to Riverbend’s Tea Party.Dress your best and enjoy an afternoon that’s all about amphibians: stories, crafts, and an animal encounter with Riverbend’s Green Tree Frog ambassadors. Guests will enjoy tea party fare and the event is hosted by a very special princess who loves frogs!Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their finest prince, princess or frog attire for a family-friendly magical afternoon in Riverbend’s Snider Barn. The gala is a caregiver and child event and

Learn about hosting a garden that will create welcoming habitat for native bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators.Join us to learn about what it takes to plant and maintain a pollinator garden at your home or community center. Michelle Detwiler of Wild About Native Plants will present on the benefits of planting native for the ecosystem and what goes into designing a plan for a native garden. Snack on a slice of pizza while Michelle guides us through a demonstration of the process of preparing soil for planting.Attending this interest meeting makes you eligible to receive up to $350 of

Grab your partner and head over to Riverbend’s BARN DANCE!This spring, we invite you to gather in our Historic Snider barn for our Barn Dance!Local musicians Box & String and a caller will be on hand to provide lively music and dancing instructions. No dancing experience needed. Just bring your joy and maybe a memory or two!Don’t miss an unforgettable night at Riverbend!Refreshments, including light snacks, beer for attendees over age 21, and soft drinks, will be served.

In collaboration with Bird Town, PA, Riverbend invites you to our Spring Bird Walk.In collaboration with Bird Town, PA, Riverbend invites you to our Spring Bird Walk with birder and conservationist, Phil Witmer. Mr. Whitmer will lead participants on a leisurely walk around Riverbend's preserve to check out the many species of birds that call it their home.We are offering separate start times for adults and families.Adult Bird Walk: 8:00am - 9:30amFamily Bird Walk: 10:00am - 11:00amThe Adult Bird Walk is for participants ages 12 and over. Limit of 20 participants for the Adult Bird Walk. This is a free

Be a Habitat Hero and help document the incredible biodiversity right here at Riverbend Environmental Education Center!Join us on April 26 for a hands-on nature exploration as we join the Philly City Nature Challenge, a global community science event where people around the world work together to record wildlife in their local areas.Participants will learn how to use the iNaturalist app to photograph and identify plants, insects, birds, fungi, and other living things found along Riverbend’s trails and meadows. Staff will guide you through how to upload observations and contribute real data that helps scientists better understand the natural world.Whether

Join us for a morning of caring for the preserve!Join us for a morning of caring for the preserve! Volunteers will help refresh mulch along trails and picnic table areas to keep these spaces welcoming and enjoyable for visitors. If time allows, we’ll also plant a few shrubs to help beautify and support the landscape. Come ready to get your hands dirty and make a difference outdoors!Please wear well-fitted boots and bring a water bottle.

This overnight experience is designed for families with tweens & teens who are ready for something different.Nature Strong Camp OutJune 6th- June 7th 4:00pm-11:00amBuild fires. Wander at night. Create, move, explore or simply be.With choice-based activities and shared moments around the fire, Nature Strong Camp Out gives everyone, teens and adults alike, the freedom to find their own rhythm and come back together in meaningful ways.What to ExpectChoose your own path throughout the experience:Nature ParkourForest BathingYoga & BreathworkSurvival Skills (fire-building, shelter basics)Nature MandalasNature CrownsThe Experience IncludesS’mores during our evening campfireA light breakfast spread in the morningFamilies bring:Picnic dinnerTent and overnight

Families are invited to a FREE Caregiver Workshop and Family hike at Riverbend's nature preserve as we mark the start of Fall.Come learn from parenting experts from the world of psychology, education, and learn about how the local public school district handles screens in school. Our panelists will discuss setting healthy screen limits with kids, plus how to replace screens with outdoor activities.While caregivers participate in the workshop, Riverbend educators will lead children in fun, nature-based activities and outdoor exploration on the preserve.This event is designed for caregivers of children in Pre-K through 8th grade. If you plan to bring

A wonder-filled program for our littlest explorers, ages 2–5, and their caregiversGet ready for hands-on, nature-filled fun for our littlest explorers! Join Riverbend educators for a preschool-friendly, nature-based program featuring a story, art, nature activity, and a "hike".While Riverbend's barn undergoes renovations this fall, we're excited to host Budding Naturalists at Natural Lands' Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden or Natural Lands' Saunders Woods Preserve.Pick your perfect time:Wednesdays at 10:30am at Natural Lands' Stoneleigh: A Natural GardenThursdays at 2:00pm at Natural Lands' Stoneleigh: A Natural GardenFridays at 10:30am at Natural Lands' Saunders Woods PreserveClasses begin October 14th, 15th, and 16th and run

Join us for a fun-filled morning with your family to adopt and plant trees at Riverbend.Fall is a wonderful time to plant trees just before it turns colder in the winter months. Planting trees at the preserve helps to provide habitat to local wildlife, combat climate change and helps to maintain our local water supply as the trees we plant keep runoff from heading to the Schuylkill River watershed.This event is open to ALL ages! Registration is required as spaces are limited.Please bring your own water and work gloves to the event.

In collaboration with Bird Town, PA, Riverbend invites you to our Fall Bird Walk.In collaboration with Bird Town, PA, Riverbend invites you to our Fall Bird Walk with birder and conservationist, Phil Witmer. Mr. Whitmer will lead participants on a leisurely walk around Riverbend's preserve to check out the many species of birds that call it their home.We are offering separate start times for adults and families.Adult Bird Walk: 9:00am - 10:30amFamily Bird Walk: 10:30am - 11:30amThe Adult Bird Walk is for participants ages 12 and over. Limit of 20 participants for the Adult Bird Walk. This is a free

Join Riverbend and Michelle Detwiler, owner of Wild About Native Plants, for our Fall information session for Peter's Pollinators!