River Bend Nature Center

Stewardship Day: Kiosk Repair
2023-08-19 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-08-19 12:30 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Stewardship Day: Kiosk Repair
All ages. Cost: Free
Saturday, August 19, 10:00-11:30 am and 12:30 – 2:00 pm
Help clean and repair our informational kiosks

45th Anniversary of Building Community through Nature; Ramble Fundraiser
2023-08-25 17:00 - 20:00 | Inn at Shattuck, 1000 Shumway Ave, Faribault, MN, 55021, United States
45th Anniversary of Building Community through Nature; Ramble Fundraiser
Fundraiser Dinner: $75/person
Friday, August 25, 2023, 5:00-8:00 pm
at The Inn at Shattuck, 1000 Shumway Ave, Faribault, MN 55021
River Bend’s annual fundraising event is Ramble. Please join River Bend staff and supporters on Friday, August 25, for a dinner and live auction at the Inn at Shattuck. All proceeds directly support River Bend Nature Center’s mission to help people discover, enjoy, understand, and preserve the incredible natural world around us.

Little Sprouts
2023-09-11 09:30 - 11:00, 2023-09-23 09:30 - 11:00, 2023-09-25 09:30 - 11:00, 2023-10-09 09:30 - 11:00, 2023-10-30 09:30 - 11:00, 2023-11-13 09:30 - 11:00, 2023-11-27 09:30 - 11:00, 2023-12-04 09:30 - 11:00 and 1 more date | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Little Sprouts, an adult/child class for ages birth-5. There are planned educational exploration activities with a different theme each week. Dress for the weather, as most of the course will be outside.
Beginning in the fall, classes will be held on Mondays from 9:30-11:00 am with pop-up Saturdays.
Monday, Oct 30: Colorful Leaves – As summer ends and fall arrives, leaves begin to change to brilliant shades of yellow, red and orange. Come and learn about colorful leaves and see if you’ll find more!
Monday, Nov 13: Rocks Rock! – Rocks rock because they come in so many different types of colors, textures and can be dull or crystals! Come and explore how fascinating rocks can be!
Monday, Nov 27: Clouds and Weather – With winter arriving, clouds gather and the temperature begins to drop. Rain soon begins to fall as snow. Come learn about clouds and weather at different times of the year.
Monday, Dec 4: Animals of Minnesota – Winter is a great time to see wildlife as you can easily track who has been where in the snow. Let’s discover what animals call Minnesota home.
Monday, Dec 18: Snow Fun – Playing in the snow is so much fun and you can do so many things with it, from sledding to snow angels, snowman or snowballs, the fun is endless! And just like you and me, no two snowflakes are alike. Join us and have some snow fun!

Homeschool Classes
2023-09-11 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-10-09 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-11-13 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-12-11 13:00 - 15:00 | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Homeschool Classes: River Bend Nature Center invites all learners, grades K-5th, the opportunity to experience all of the seasons at River Bend! Classes are held on the second Monday of the month from 1pm-3pm.
Monday, September 11: Prairie Pollinators – From beetles to butterflies and bees, many animals visit prairie plants. Come learn about what pollination is and why it’s important!
Monday, October 9: Birds, Beak to Tail Feathers – Come learn all about how to identify birds, the adaptations different birds have, and how/why some birds migrate for the winter.
Monday, November 13: Orienteering – Looking to do more exploring in the wilderness? Come learn the art of the compass, and use it to navigate off trail.
Monday, December 11: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – With increasing populations and some limited resources, we must learn to use our resources wisely. Come learn about ways to reduce, reuse or recycle items you purchase on a regular basis.

Archery for Beginners
2023-09-16 11:00 - 12:00 | MINNESOTA
Archery for Beginners: Did you know archery is one of the oldest sports still practiced today? Bring your family to learn the fundamentals of archery. Practice shooting at stationary targets, play exciting games, and participate in challenges as you develop your skills. The NASP archery equipment provided for this program was sponsored by a No Child Left Inside grant through the Minnesota DNR.
Saturday, September 16, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Ages 10+, $15/person, $10/member

Archery II
2023-09-16 12:30 - 13:30 | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Archery II – Do you already know the basics of archery and want more practice with the help of an instructor? Practice shooting at stationary targets, play exciting games, and participate in challenges as you develop your skills with an instructor. The NASP archery equipment provided for this program was sponsored by a No Child Left Inside grant through the Minnesota DNR.
Saturday, September 16 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm
Ages 10+, $15/person, $10/member

Fall Lunch & Learn Series
2023-09-20 12:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-18 12:00 - 14:00, 2023-11-15 12:00 - 14:00 | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Fall Lunch & Learn Series: Join us every 3rd Wednesday of the month from 12:00-2:00 pm for a featured guest speaker. Bring your own lunch and learn about the topic of the month.
September 20: Sodexo with guest speaker Lexi Vanderlinde
October 18: Butternut Canker with guest speaker Melanie Moore. Butternut Canker Disease and selection of Resistant Hybrid Butternut trees US Forestry Service
November 15: Squirrels with guest speaker Charlotte Devitz
Cost: $10 ($5 for River Bend members).

Bagels & Birds
2023-10-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-11-04 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-12-02 10:00 - 11:00 | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Bagels & Birds
10:00 am – 11:00 am
All Ages
Cost: Free!
Join us for bagels from The Inn at Shattuck on the first Saturday each month Fall through Spring.

Nature Notebook
2023-10-07 11:30 - 13:30 | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Nature Notebook – Drop by the nature center anytime between 11:30-1:30, to make your very own nature notebook to take on adventures outside! No need to register.

Saturday, October 7, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Cost: FREE!, All Ages

Storytime with a Naturalist
2023-11-04 11:00 - 12:00 | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Storytime with a Naturalist – Join us for nature story time and free play!

Saturday, November 4 , 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Cost: FREE!, All Ages

Trash to Art
2023-11-18 10:30 - 13:30 | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Trash to Art – Turn trash into art! Use materials that would otherwise be disposed of (cleaned) to create beautiful works of art.

Saturday, November 18, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Cost: FREE!, All Ages

Storytime with a Naturalist
2023-12-02 11:00 - 12:00 | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Storytime with a Naturalist – Join us for nature story time and free play!

Saturday, December 2 , 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Cost: FREE!, All Ages

Storytime with a Naturalist: The Mitten by Jan Brett
2023-12-16 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-12-16 12:30 - 13:30 | River Bend Nature Center, 1000 Rustad Rd., Faribault, MN, 55021
Storytime with a Naturalist: The Mitten by Jan Brett – Join a River Bend Naturalist as they read “The Mitten” by Jan Brett, then make your own “mitten” with animals to stuff inside!

Saturday, December 16 , 10:00 – 11:00 am & 12:30-1:30 pm
Cost: FREE!, All Ages
