Little Sprouts: Clouds, Snow, and Ice
2023-01-10 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | MINNESOTA
Little Sprouts (Parent/child class for ages birth-5. ($5/member, $10 for non-members)
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 some of the class will be outside.

Homeschool Survival
2023-01-09 13:00 - 15:00
Do you know what to do if you’re lost in the woods? Come learn about all of the safety and survival techniques you need to know for your next excursion into the wild.

Animal Tracking
2023-01-07 12:30 - 13:30
Join a River Bend Naturalist on a hike to look for and learn different animal tracks.

Bagels & Birds
2023-01-07 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.

Full Moon Luminary Snowshoe/Hike
2023-01-06 18:00 - 20:00
Enjoy the full moon with a luminary hike through River Bend. Trails are packed snow, participants are welcome to bring their own snowshoes. Please pre-register for an entry time.
Cost: $10/member, $15/member with rental;
$15/non-members, $20/non-members with rental; 5 & under free.

Citizen Science Bird ID
2022-12-17 11:30 - 12:30
Citizen Science Bird ID
Saturday, December 17, 11:30am-12:30pm
all ages, Cost: $5 members/ $10 nonmembers
Learn how to identify birds that visit the feeders and help record them as part of a larger citizen science project.

Lunch & Learn: Wetland Conservation by Dusty Dienst, RBNC President
2022-12-14 12:00 - 14:00
Lunch & Learn: Wetland Conservation by Dusty Dienst, RBNC President
Wednesday, December 14, 12-2pm
Cost: $10 ($5 for River Bend members), Open to all ages.

Little Sprouts: Snow Fun
2022-12-13 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

Homeschool: How do Animals Survive Winter?
2022-12-12 13:00 - 15:00
Animals have different ways of surviving as the weather gets colder. Come play some games and learn about these different adaptations. Ages 5-12 years old. $10/child

Little Sprouts: Animal Signs
2022-12-10 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

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Rot
2022-12-03 11:30 - 12:30
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Rot
Saturday, December 3, 11:30am-12:30pm
all ages. Cost $5 member/$10 non-member
Help the environment and come learn about the 4 R’s by creating take-home crafts!

Little Sprouts Rocks Rock
2022-11-22 09:30 - 11:00
Little Sprouts is a parent/child class for children birth through 5 years old. There are planned educational exploration activities with a different theme each week. Dress for the weather, as some 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

Animal Ambassadors
2022-11-19 11:00 - 12:00
Animal Ambassadors
Saturday, November 19, 11:00am-12:00pm
all ages. Cost: $5 member/ $10 nonmember
Come meet River Bend’s live Animal Ambassadors! Learn all about Minnesota Reptiles and Amphibians.

Lunch & Learn: Land Restoration at River Bend
2022-11-16 12:00 - 14:00
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

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

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.
