Wissahickon Trails

Join printmaker Rhonda Babb at Wissahickon Trails for a fun, 2-hour workshop where you'll use found and foraged natural objects to create monoprints. This art-making process invites you to slow down, observe, and appreciate the delicate balance of local ecosystems, like the Wissahickon watershed, which provides clean water and habitat for plants and animals. Finished nature prints can be displayed in frames or used in collage and scrapbooking projects. No prior printmaking experience is required. All materials, including paper, inks, and natural objects, will be provided. We'll be using water-soluble inks, but some pigments may stain, so we recommend bringing

Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days people spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting them using eBird. These observations help scientists better understand and protect global bird populations. Join Wissahickon Trails for a family friendly, kid-focused event to learn about, count and celebrate birds. We’ll spend some time learning about bird identification, how to use binoculars, and take a walk around the Four Mills Preserve to count all the birds we can find. Dress for the weather

Everything is connected—from the scraps in your kitchen to the water in our streams. When food waste is composted instead of thrown away, it transforms into a powerful soil conditioner that benefits watersheds in major ways: Reduces runoff: Compost-enriched soil acts like a sponge, holding rainwater and filtering out pollutants before they reach rivers and streams. Builds healthier landscapes: Compost restores soil health, which supports stronger plants and ecosystems that naturally protect water quality. Reduces chemical pollution: By naturally enriching your soil, compost decreases the need for synthetic fertilizers, which often wash into waterways, causing harmful algae blooms and disrupting ecosystems. By

The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz invites community scientists from across North America to come together with the shared goal of helping to protect and conserve the beloved and emblematic monarch butterfly. In 2024, over 5,000 volunteers monitored more than 68,000 milkweed stems and reported more than 16,000 monarch sightings in support of trinational efforts to better understand the monarch butterfly’s breeding productivity, range, and timing in North America. Join Senior Naturalist, Kristy Morley at one of the sessions to monitor milkweed plants for monarch eggs and caterpillars as well as adult monarch butterflies. No experience necessary, all training will be

What's in your backyard? Meet us at Backyard Beans and find out! We will be leading a nature walk from Backyard Beans in Ambler to the Wissahickon Waterfowl Preserve, through Four Mills Nature Reserve to Wissahickon Trails' headquarters, and back. This 2-mile journey will highlight easily-accessed natural areas just outside of downtown Ambler. Backyard Beans Coffee Co. has partnered with Wissahickon Trails to support the stewardship of their nature preserves and trail systems. With the purchase of Backyard Beans' "Get Outside" Coffee Blend, customers directly contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of Wissahickon Trails' open spaces. Backyard Beans encourages people to

Join us for an easy, family friendly bird walk at Briar Hill Preserve. All skill levels are welcome. We'll explore the diversity of habitats on this preserve as we hope to encounter some late fall migrants as well as arriving winter visitors. Walk Distance is 0.5 -1.0 miles depending on bird activity on a fairly flat natural trail Trail may be muddy or wet Bring your own binoculars (or borrow ours) We are happy to offer our programs at no cost to participants, but if you are able, a $10 suggested donation would be greatly appreciated. Wissahickon Trails is a