River Bend Nature Center

Lunch & Learn: Land Restoration at River Bend
2022-11-16 12:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | MINNESOTA
Lunch & Learn: Land Restoration at River Bend by Brittany Smith, Natural Resources Manager
Cost: $10 ($5 for River Bend members).

Wednesday, November 16, 2022, 12:00-2:00pm
Topic: Land Restoration at River Bend by Brittany Smith, Natural Resources Manager
Come learn about the grants that River Bend is using to restore different parts of the nature center and what River Bend hopes to continue to do in the future to protect this beautiful area.

Free Estate Planning Workshop
2022-11-15 18:30 - 20:00
November 15, 6:30 to 8pm Registration is required

River Bend Nature Center is pleased to offer a free estate planning workshop for RBNC members presented by Kristin Yahnke of the law firm Schmitz, Ophaug, Blumhoefer & Yahnke, LLP.
Having a clearly spelled out estate plan is an important thing to leave your loved ones. It helps ensure that your wishes are carried out and can prevent conflict among your loved ones after you are gone. You don’t need to be wealthy to have an estate plan and it’s never too soon to put your wishes and directives in writing.
Attorney, Kristin Yahnke of Schmitz, Ophaug, Blumhoefer & Yahnke will take your questions and explain the legal documents that encompass estate planning, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives, and why you may need them. She will touch specifically on the considerations in planning including estate and income taxes, Medical Assistance planning, special needs planning, blended families, and charitable giving. She will also walk through probate and non-probate assets and what the post-death administration process entails.
This workshop is offered free of charge by RBNC. We certainly hope that you’ll remember a charitable gift to River Bend in your estate plan but that is not a requirement for attending the workshop.

Homeschool: Geocaching and Map Reading
2022-11-14 13:00 - 15:00
Learn how to read a map and go exploring River Bend. Learn about how you can join in on a worldwide treasure hunt-geocaching. You will learn what it is, the rules, how to find the caches, and how to continue to do it on your own.

Little Sprouts: Conifers and Cones
2022-11-08 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts is an adult/child class for children from birth through 5 years old. There are planned educational exploration activities with a different theme each week. Dress for the weather, as most of the class will be outside. Classes are held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 9:30-11 am unless otherwise noted.
Cost: $10/child, $5/member child

Bird Hike
2022-11-05 11:30 - 12:30
Bird Hike
Saturday, November 5, 11:30am-12:30pm
all ages. Cost: $5 member/$10 nonmember
Join a River Bend Naturalist on a walk as you learn how to identify birds.

Bats, Bones, & Bonfires
2022-10-29 14:00 - 17:00
Bats, Bones, & Bonfires
Saturday, October 29, 2022, 2pm-5pm, all ages.
Mark your calendar for Bats, Bones & Bonfires, River Bend’s annual Halloween family festival! We’re planning family fun, games, treats and much more!

Little Sprouts: Animal Homes
2022-10-25 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts is a parent/child class for children from birth through 5 years old. There are planned educational exploration activities with a different theme each week. Dress for the weather, as most of the class will be outside. Classes are held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 9:30-11 am unless otherwise noted.
Cost: $10/child, $5/member child

Lunch & Learn: All About Owls
2022-10-19 12:00 - 14:00
Wednesday, October 19, 12-2pm (presentation starts at 12:30pm)
Cost: $10 ($5 for River Bend members), Open to all ages.
Bring your own lunch and join us as we learn about the twelve types of owls found in Minnesota, what they eat, how they hunt, and more!

Fall Phenology Hike
2022-10-15 11:30 - 12:30
Fall Phenology Hike
Saturday, October 15, 11:30am-12:30pm
all ages. Cost: $5 member/ $10 nonmember
Come observe the seasonal changes with a River Bend Naturalist.

Little Sprouts Colorful Leaves
2022-10-11 09:30 - 11:00

Homeschool: Colors in Nature & Nature Art
2022-10-10 13:00 - 15:00
Autumn is the perfect time of year to explore the wonderful colors of nature and create works of art centered around the natural world.

Family Tree ID Hike
2022-10-01 11:30 - 12:30
Family Tree ID Hike
Saturday, October 1, 11:30am-12:30pm
Can’t tell and oak from a maple? Want to know if you have an elm tree in your yard? Come learn the basics of tree identification from a River Bend Naturalist.

Bagels & Birds
2022-10-01 10:00 - 11:00
Bagels and Birds
Free program on the first Saturday of the month. Join us for bagels while watching birds through the windows on the wild viewing area.
October 1, November 5, December 3,

Saturday Little Sprouts: Prairie Flowers
2022-10-01 09:30 - 11:00

Little Sprouts: Prairie Flowers
2022-09-27 09:30 - 11:00

National Public Lands Day
2022-09-24 09:00 - 12:00
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands, held annually on the fourth Saturday in September. The next day is September 24, 2022, from 9 am-12 pm. Free, all ages. River Bend Nature Center is unique in that the land is owned by the City of Faribault which has an agreement for River Bend Nature Center to operate it as a nature center. River Bend is a 501(c)3 nonprofit nature center and depends upon memberships and donations for operations as well as volunteers. River Bend Nature Center is not a city park but is open for public use.

Lunch & Learn: Prairie Seeds and Collection by Matthew Johnson, River Bend Naturalist
2022-09-21 12:00 - 14:00
Wednesday, September 21, 12pm-2pm (presentation starts at 12:30pm)
Cost: $10 ($5 for River Bend members), Open to all ages.
Learn all about native prairie plants, then join Matt out in the prairie at River Bend to collect prairie seeds for future use at River Bend.

Little Sprouts: Terrific Turtles and Fabulous Frogs
2022-09-13 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts is a parent/child class for children from birth through age 5 to learn about and explore the natural world together. Dress for the weather, as most of the program is held outside. Held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month and occasional Saturdays.
$10/child, $5/ member child (adults are free)

Homeschool: Plant Life Cycle
2022-09-12 13:00 - 15:00
From the prairie to the forest to the wetlands, plants have many adaptations to make sure they can survive. While exploring River Bend, learn all about plants and how they reproduce.

Forest Therapy Walk
2022-09-09 20:00 - 22:00
Forest Therapy Walk
Cost: $50/members, $60/nonmembers
Friday, September 9, 8pm-10pm
Improved mental health. Lower stress levels. Heightened immune response. Deep gratitude. A renewed connection with creation and Creator. Through a series of invitations designed to boost your senses and evoke discovery, the ANFT-certified Jerad Morey will guide you on a Forest Therapy Walk. Past participants have called their experience “transformative,” “meaningful,” and “spiritual” and reported feelings of refreshment, relaxation, and peace.

A Forest Therapy Walk is not an extended hike – you will not be huffing and puffing or racking up your step count – but you will be invited to traverse unpaved and uneven ground. Please bring a full water bottle and dress appropriately for a few hours in the weather including sunscreen, bug deterrent, a portable chair or clothes in which you can sit on the ground, and shoes in which you can walk off-trail.

Adult Night Out: Splatter Paint Archery
2022-09-08 17:30 - 19:00
Adult Night Out: Splatter Paint Archery

Cost: $15/person, $10/member
Thursday, September 8, 2022 from 5:30-7:00pm
Have an adult night out with anyone special in your life. Learn how to shoot a bow and arrow and get some practice shooting before we add some paint balloons to the target and watch them splatter. Leave with a piece of art created in a one-of-a-kind way. Pre-registration required.

Ramble: Building Community through Nature
2022-08-26 17:30 - 20:00
You can purchase tickets online, over the phone at 507-332-7151, or in person at the interpretive center. If you are unable to attend you can purchase raffle tickets in person at the interpretive center, bid on auction items, or make a donation.

Archery Session 2 (ages 16+)
2022-08-18 10:00 - 11:00
August Archery Month
Fee: $20/member, $30/non-member
Structure: 2-part program, One-hour sessions
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am
The NASP archery equipment provided for this program was sponsored by a No Child Left Inside grant through the Minnesota DNR.

Session Two
Thursday, August 18th – Intro to Archery
Thursday, August 25th – Competition Archery

Family Archery
2022-08-16 18:00 - 19:00
Family Archery
August 16, 6-7:00pm
ages 8+ Cost: $5member/$20member family; & $10person/$40 family; * A family is 2 adults & up to 4 children under 18
Learn the basics of archery and have fun practicing with a compound bow. The NASP archery equipment provided for this program was sponsored by a No Child Left Inside grant through the Minnesota DNR.

Archery Session 2 (ages 8-15)
2022-08-16 10:00 - 11:00
Fee: $20/member, $30/non-member
Structure: 2 part program, One-hour sessions
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am
The NASP archery equipment provided for this program was sponsored by a No Child Left Inside grant through the Minnesota DNR.

Session Two
Tuesday, August 16th – Intro to Archery
Tuesday, August 23rd – Competition Archery

Archery Session 1 (ages 16+)
2022-08-04 10:00 - 11:00
August Archery Month
Fee: $20/member, $30/non-member
Structure: 2 part program, One-hour sessions
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am
The NASP archery equipment provided for this program was sponsored by a No Child Left Inside grant through the Minnesota DNR.

Dates for Ages 16+
Session One
Thursday, August 4th – Intro to Archery
Thursday, August 11th – Competition Archery

Archery Ages 8-15 Session 1
2022-08-02 10:00 - 11:00
Fee: $20/member, $30/non-member
Structure: 2 part program, One-hour sessions
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am
The NASP archery equipment provided for this program was sponsored by a No Child Left Inside grant through the Minnesota DNR.

Tuesday, August 2nd – Intro to Archery
Tuesday, August 9th – Competition Archery

Summer Camp Herons (3rd-5th grade) Survival Skills Camp!
2022-07-24 - 2022-07-26
Herons-entering 3rd through 5th Grade in Fall 2022
July 25-26 Survival Skills Camp!
What are the basics of human survival? How have humans survived in the past? This two-day camp will be spent having fun outside, working collaboratively, and learning lifelong skills that will be sure to excite any outdoor enthusiastic learner!
Bring lunch and snacks needed to get through a busy day. Join the River Bend naturalist team for a summer of discovery. Experience all of your favorite camp activities while making memories, learning new skills, and exploring nature. Each camp has limited space available and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Upon completion of registration, you will receive a confirmation email with an attached information packet including the River Bend liability form and health form. Two weeks before the camp, you will receive an additional reminder email. These forms can also be found here.

Summer Camp - Meadowlarks& Herons (K-5) Water, Water, Everywhere!
2022-07-17 - 2022-07-19
Meadowlarks & Herons (Grades K-5)
July 18 & 19, Mon-Tues, 9am – 4pm
$55 ($30 for members)
Join us as we explore WATER! Where does water come from and where does it go? How do living things use water? We will explore the different forms of water that are or were at River Bend, including the ocean! Yes, River Bend was once an ocean and we will explore what lived here during that time.
Experience all of your favorite camp activities while making memories, learning new skills, and exploring nature. Each camp has limited space available and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring a lunch and snacks needed to get through a busy day.

Forest Therapy Walk
2022-07-16 04:00 - 06:00
Forest Therapy Walk
Cost: $60/person, $50/member
Saturday, July 16, 2022, 9-11am
Improved mental health. Lower stress levels. Heightened immune response. Deep gratitude. A renewed connection with creation and Creator. Through a series of invitations designed to boost your senses and evoke discovery, the ANFT-certified Jerad Morey will guide you on a Forest Therapy Walk. Past participants have called their experience “transformative,” “meaningful,” and “spiritual” and reported feelings of refreshment, relaxation, and peace.
A Forest Therapy Walk is not an extended hike – you will not be huffing and puffing or racking up your step count – but you will be invited to traverse unpaved and uneven ground. Please bring a full water bottle and dress appropriately for a few hours in the weather including sunscreen, bug deterrent, a portable chair or clothes in which you can sit on the ground, and shoes in which you can walk off-trail.
