River Bend Nature Center

River Bend Bounty
2024-08-15 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-08-20 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-08-22 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-08-27 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-08-29 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
River Bend Bounty in partnership with PCA

Tuesdays & Thursdays, Ages 55+
With the sun, prairie, and woodlands of River Bend Nature Center you can bring new life to your creative work.If you are a knitter, quilter, painter, artist wannabe. and/or naturalist join us to identify colors you can extract from plants, trees & minerals using it to dye natural fibers during the August Course at River Bend Nature Center(RBNC). (For Ages 55+) Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning August 1 from 9AM-11AM with a concluding event August 29th. Time tbd for the final event. Tuition: Member: $120, Non-Member: $144. (Scholarships available.) If you are a member at RBNC, contact the Paradise Center for the Arts to receive the membership tuition price!

Please register here
Thursdays, August 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th

Tuesdays, August 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th

Storytime with a Naturalist: What lives in the pond?
2024-08-17 10:00 - 11:00
Storytime with a Naturalist: What lives in the pond?
All ages. Cost: Free
Saturday, August 17, 2024, 10:00 am-11:00 am
Join a naturalist for storytime on Saturdays! Free to attend. Topics coordinate with Family Painting. Make a day of it and sign up for both!

Family Painting: Duck, Duck, Grey Duck
2024-08-17 11:00 - 12:30
Family Painting: Duck, Duck, Grey Duck
All ages. Cost: Free
Saturday, August 17, 2024, 11:00 am-12:30 pm
Join artist Kate Langlais for a fun, free family painting program. Learn all about owls in Minnesota and how to paint them! Pre-registration is required to ensure enough supplies are available for participants. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board thanks to legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Themes coordinate with Storytime with a Naturalist. Make a day of it and sign up for both!

Member Saturday: Prairie Sweep Netting
2024-08-17 14:00 - 15:00
Member Saturday: Prairie Sweep Netting
All ages. Cost: Free, members only program
Saturday, August 17, 2024, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Come join us for an afternoon on the prairie! Learn how to use an ID book and sweepnet, then go explore the prairie for insects that call it home.

Little Sprouts: Water Fun
2024-08-19 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts: Water Fun
Cost: $10/child, $5/member child, adults attend for free
Monday, August 19, 2024, 9:30am-11am
Bring your adventurous side and get a bit silly with our water fun activities. Dress for the weather, as a portion of the class will be outside.
Register Here

Northfield Community Program Partnership
2024-08-20 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-08-20 13:00 - 14:30, 2024-08-23 09:00 - 14:30
Northfield Community Program Partnership

Tuesdays & Fridays, Ages 10+
These programs are in partnership with the City of Northfield. Please register here for these programs.

Tuesday, August 6, 1:00-2:30 pm; Geocaching – At RBNC
Tuesday, August 13, 1:00-2:30 pm; Compass Course – At RBNC
Tuesday, August 20, 10:00-11:30 am & 1:00-2:30 pm; Archery – At RBNC
Friday, August 23, multiple sessions from 9am-2:30pm; Canoe & Kayaking – At Alexander Park, Pavillion #4

Storytime with a Naturalist: Harry Hopper
2024-08-24 10:00 - 11:00
Storytime with a Naturalist: Harry Hopper
All ages. Cost: Free
Saturday, August 24, 2024, 10:00 am-11:00 am
Join a naturalist for storytime on Saturdays! Free to attend.

Bagels & Birds
2024-09-07 10:00 - 11:00
Bagels & Birds
All ages. Cost: Free
Saturday, September 7, 2024, 10:00 am-11:00 am
Join us on the first Saturday each month. Enjoy coffee and bagels in a relaxed atmosphere while watching wildlife from the comfort of the Interpretive Center through our Windows on the Wild viewing area. Bagels provided by The Inn at Shattuck.
Register Here

Storytime with a Naturalist: Seasonal Changes
2024-09-07 11:00 - 12:00
Storytime with a Naturalist: Seasonal Changes
All ages. Cost: Free
Saturday, September 7, 2024, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Read a story with a River Bend Naturalist!
September will be focused on the changing of seasons.
Register Here

Sweet Reads Book Club
2024-09-07 14:00 - 15:00
Sweet Reads Book Club
Teens and Adults. Cost: Free
Saturday, September 7, 2024, 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
Join us on the 1st Saturday of each month for a one group discussion on topics that include Environmentalism, Forestry, Wellness, Sustainability, Climate Change, Etc…
Book: Locally Laid by Lucie B. Amundsen
Join naturalist, Morgan Heier, for a discussion and refreshments.
Register Here

Little Sprouts: Prairie Pollinators
2024-09-09 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts: Prairie Pollinators
Cost: $10/child, $5/member-child, adults attend free
Monday, September 9, 2024, 9:30am-11am
What are pollinators? Come and see that it is more than just bees! Your little sprout will learn about the natural world through nature play and exploration. Dress for the weather as a portion of the class will be outside.
Register Here

Homeschool: Prairie Pollinators
2024-09-09 13:00 - 15:00
Homeschool: Prairie Pollinators
ages 5-12. Cost: $10/person, $5/member
Monday, September 9, 2024, 1-3pm
What are pollinators? It is just bees? Come learn about the different pollinators.
Register Here

Lunch & Learn: All About Bats
2024-09-18 12:00 - 14:00
Virtual Presentation, Lunch & Learn: All About Bats
Cost: $5 ($0 for River Bend members).
Join online or come to the nature center to watch online. The meeting link will be emailed to you on Tuesday, September 17.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 12:00-2:00pm
Topic: All About Bats
We often look at Bats with fear and creepy feelings, but they are beneficial animals that help play an important role in our ecosystem. Come learn all about bats with guest speaker, Melissa Boman with the MN DNR. Bring your own lunch and join us as we learn about a new topic each month.
Register Here

Boy Scout Badge Day
2024-09-21 10:30 - 13:30
Boy Scout Badge Day
Saturday, September 21, 2024
10-1:30 pm Bird Badge
Cost: $15/person, $10/member
Ages: 11-17
Come work on your Bird Badges at River Bend! Register and bring a lunch to eat during the day. *Note some specific requirements are more time-consuming than what can be done during this program, it is up to the scout/scout leader to help fulfill any remaining requirements.*
Register Here

Little Sprouts: Terrific Turtles and Fabulous Frogs
2024-09-23 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts: Terrific Turtles and Fabulous Frogs
Cost: $10/child, $5/member-child, adults attend free
Monday, September 23, 2024, 9:30am-11am
Come stride or hop along with us in this terrific turtles and fabulous frogs session to see how amazing our aquatic friends are. Your little sprout will learn about the natural world through nature play and exploration. Dress for the weather as a portion of the class will be outside.
Register Here

Bagels & Birds
2024-10-05 10:00 - 11:00
Bagels & Birds
All ages. Cost: Free
Saturday, October 5, 2024, 10:00 am-11:00 am
Join us on the first Saturday each month. Enjoy coffee and bagels in a relaxed atmosphere while watching wildlife from the comfort of the Interpretive Center through our Windows on the Wild viewing area. Bagels provided by The Inn at Shattuck.
Register Here

Storytime: Migration & Bird Hike
2024-10-05 11:00 - 12:00
Storytime with a Naturalist: Migration and Bird Hike
All ages. Cost: Free
Saturday, October 5, 2024, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Join a naturalist for story time on Saturdays! Free to attend. Today’s topic is about bird migration. We’ll read a story and then get out on the trails for a bird hike.
Register Here

Sweet Reads Book Club
2024-10-05 14:00 - 15:00
Sweet Reads Book Club
Teens and Adults. Cost: Free
Saturday, October 5, 2024, 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
Join us on the 1st Saturday of each month for a one group discussion on topics that include Environmentalism, Forestry, Wellness, Sustainability, Climate Change, Etc…
Book : A year in the Wilderness: “Bearing Witness in the Boundary Waters” by Dave and Amy Freeman
Book Club attendees can use the code RBNC on milkweed.org to get 15% off the books Braiding Sweetgrass, A Year in the Wilderness, and The Seed Keeper for upcoming Sweet Read book club sessions
Register Here

Little Sprouts: Colors, Shapes, & Textures in Nature
2024-10-07 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts: Colors, Shapes, and Textures in Nature
Cost: $10/child, $5/member-child, adults attend free
Monday, October 7, 2024, 9:30am-11am
Discover how amazing our natural world is with its spectacular patterns, colors and textures! Your little sprout will learn about the natural world through nature play and exploration. Dress for the weather as a portion of the class will be outside.
Register Here

Little Sprouts: Icy Weather
2024-10-09 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts: Icy Weather
Cost: $10/child, $5/member-child, adults attend free
Monday, February 3, 2025, 9:30am-11am
Water rains down on the earth in many different forms from pretty snowflakes to large ice balls called hail. What makes our weather icy in the winter? Your little sprout will learn about the natural world through nature play and exploration. Dress for the weather as a portion of the class will be outside.
Register Here

Homeschool: Survival Skills & Compass Course
2024-10-14 13:00 - 15:00
Homeschool: Survival Skills and Compass Course
ages 5-12. Cost: $10/person, $5/member
Monday, October 14, 2024, 1-3pm
Join us as we learn important survival skills like building a fire and using a compass to navigate the woods of River Bend Nature Center. These are some of our most popular activities. Your child is sure to have fun!
Register Here

Lunch & Learn: Freshwater Mussels
2024-10-16 12:00 - 14:00
Lunch & Learn: Freshwater Mussels
Cost: $10 ($5 for River Bend members).

Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 12:00-2:00pm
Topic: Freshwater Mussels
The MN Zoo takes part in many conservation projects around the world. Join Ben Minerich, Mussel Conservation Specialist, with the MN Zoo as he shares his studies and research in restoring our freshwater mussel, skipper and skipperling populations. Bring your own lunch and join us as we learn about a new topic each month.
Register Here

Boy Scout Badge Day
2024-10-19 10:00 - 13:30
Boy Scout Badge Day
Saturday, October 19, 2024
10-1:30 pm Environmental Science
Cost: $15/person, $10/member
Ages: 11-17
Come work on your Environmental Science Badges at River Bend! Register and bring a lunch to eat during the day. *Note some specific requirements are more time-consuming than what can be done during this program, it is up to the scout/scout leader to help fulfill any remaining requirements.*
Register Here

Little Sprouts: Creepy Crawlies
2024-10-21 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts: Creepy Crawlies
Cost: $10/child, $5/member-child, adults attend free
Monday, October 21, 2024, 9:30am-11am
Are you daring enough to creep with the creepy crawlies? Your little sprout will learn about the natural world through nature play and exploration. Dress for the weather as a portion of the class will be outside.
Register Here
