Placer Nature Center

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Placer Nature Center

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Explore Today...Protect Tomorrow.

Our Mission: Placer Nature Center delivers community-based, volunteer supported environmental education programs to children, families, schools, and community groups. Saturdays are open to the public, reserved 'Green' Birthday parties, and events that will help you connect to nature and the surrounding area.

10/09/2026

You can swing by PNC tomorrow between 9am-12pm and help us out in the garden! Our monthly Volunteer Work Day is Saturday October 10th. We'll be working outside in perfect weather!

10/05/2026

Yes, that is a squirrel, lying flat as a pancake on our pond-side bench, tail up in the breeze!

Squirrels are many things, but most of all they are fun to watch! Would you like to join in the fun? We will have a Little Tykes class dedicated to all things squirrel, and we invite you to join!

Little Tykes Family Nature program is a program for preschoolers and their families. We meet every other Tuesday, Monday, or Wednesday. We will be focused on our squirrel theme Tuesday October 6th, Monday Octover 12th, and Wednesday October 14th. All classes meet 10am-11:30am at the Placer Nature Center.

To sign up, please follow this link to our online registration form: https://forms.gle/6od2KZR6aywfKnWW9

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

And if you just want to keep the fun going, share your own funny photos of squirrels!

10/02/2026

Join us this Sunday October 4th from 4-7pm at Crooked Lane Brewing Company for a PNC BINGO FUNDRAISER! Placer Nature Center is celebrating 35 years of environmental education in the Sierra Foothills. Help us make it 35 more by playing bingo with us! There'll be bingo prizes, a raffle, and silent auction - all with items donated by local businesses.

09/28/2026

A huge thank you to all the visitors, volunteers and participating organizations who came to our 35th anniversary last Saturday! We are so grateful to our community for showing up to support and engage with nature with PNC. If you missed the event but still want to celebrate - join us this Sunday October 4 at 4pm at Crooked Lane Brewing Company. They are hosting a BINGO FUNDRAISER for Placer Nature Center! This family-friendly event will include bingo prizes, a raffle, a silent auction and snacks.

We appreciate all the local orgs that came out to table at our event:
California State Parks Foundation
California Wolf Foundation
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Redbud Chapter - California Native Plant Society
Davis Forest School
FAWN - Friends Aiding Wildlife in Nature
Hawks Honkers & Hoots
Live Oak Waldorf School
Jessy Davis the Butterfly Lady
UC Master Gardeners of Placer County
Placer Mosquito & Vector Control District
NorCal Bats
Sierra Foothills Audubon Society
Sierra Club Placer Group
Sierra Streams Institute

And our sincerest gratitude to all the individuals, businesses and organizations that donated money, raffle and auction items to our event!

09/25/2026

Tomorrow - Saturday September 26, join Placer Nature Center in celebrating our 35th Anniversary Event! We'll be hosting a free event for the public from 10am-4pm, with talks, walks & activities for the whole family!

Be sure to arrive early so you don't miss Sierra Foothills Audubon Society guided bird walk, starting at 10:30am. Hawks Honkers & Hoots wild birds presentation will be from 11am-1pm. Talks and activities from our participating organizations and vendors will be scheduled throughout the rest of the event.

📅 Saturday, September 26
⏰ 10am–4pm
🌿 Placer Nature Center 3700 Christian Valley Road, Auburn

Local organizations will be offering talks, games & crafts throughout the day.
We'll be holding a raffle and silent auction fundraiser with items from local businesses. There will be drinks and snacks for sale, but you are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to eat at our tables

09/21/2026

This Saturday September 26, join Placer Nature Center in celebrating our 35th Anniversary Event! We'll be hosting a free event for the public from 10am-4pm, with talks, walks & activities for the whole family!

Be sure to arrive early so you don't miss Sierra Foothills Audubon Society guided bird walk, starting at 10:30am. Hawks Honkers & Hoots wild birds presentation will be from 11am-1pm. Talks and activities from our participating organizations and vendors will be scheduled throughout the rest of the event.

📅 Saturday, September 26
⏰ 10am–4pm
🌿 Placer Nature Center 3700 Christian Valley Road, Auburn

Both Jessy the Butterfly Lady and Placer Mosquito & Vector Control District gave amazing presentations during our BUGS summer camp week. We're so happy they'll be joining us again at our Sept 26 event!

More local organizations will be offering talks, games & crafts throughout the day.
We'll be holding a raffle and silent auction fundraiser with items from local businesses. There will be drinks and snacks for sale, but you are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to eat at our tables.

09/11/2026

Grab your gloves and get over to our September Volunteer Work Day - tomorrow Saturday 9/12 from 9am-12pm! We need all hands on deck as we prepare our facilities for a busy fall season, including our 35th Anniversary Event on September 26.

We'll be cleaning up the garden, pruning branches, moving mulch, cleaning cobwebs and trying to fix this place up!

Contact us for more information, or just show up! [email protected]

09/09/2026

Our first class for Little Tykes Family Nature program was this Tuesday, and everyone was *blown away* by our Weather and Seasons theme!

We used our senses and tools to observe the weather and look for seasonal changes in nature. We learned about the relationship between the sun and plants, animals, and people. We had a lot of fun exploring the garden, and each kid took home a windsock make of upcycled materials!

We have space in all of our upcoming fall classes, which
are held about every other Tuesday, Monday or Wednesday from 10-11:30am at Placer Nature Center in Auburn.

Our class themes and dates this fall will be:
Week 1: Weather & Seasons; September 8th, 14th, & 16th
Week 2: Towering Trees; September 22nd, 28th, & 30th
Week 3: Squirrels; October 6th, 12th, & 14th
Week 4: Night & Day; October 27th, 26th, & 28th
Week 5: Turkeys; November 3rd, 9th, & 11th
Week 6: Marvelous Mud; November 17th, 23rd, & 25th
Week 7: Bears; December 1st, 7th, & 9th

To learn more about this amazing preschool program, check out our website: https://placernaturecenter.org/programs/little-tykes/

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

08/17/2026

We hope you're ready, because Little Tykes Family Nature Program is back this fall at Placer Nature Center!

🧐Never been?
🍂The Little Tykes Family Nature program at the Placer Nature Center is:
🐾What: a family-inclusive (not drop-off) 1.5 hour education class including a story, hands-on activities and games, a nature walk, and a craft to take home!
😊Who: We recommend this class for children aged 2-6 (and their families!) but we do not have strict age limits.
⏰When: 10-11:30am on alternating Tuesdays (1st & 3rd of each month), Mondays or Wednesdays (2nd & 4th of each month) from September 8th - December 9th 2026
🌳Where: Placer Nature Center, 3700 Christian Valley Road, Auburn, CA 95602

Fall registration is open and easy to complete online: https://forms.gle/UrNM6PCnyqNHE2sJA

Our themes this fall will be:
Week 1: Weather & Seasons
Week 2: Towering Trees
Week 3: Squirrels
Week 4: Night & Day
Week 5: Turkeys
Week 6: Marvelous Mud
Week 7: Bears

To learn more about this amazing preschool program, check out our website: https://placernaturecenter.org/programs/little-tykes/

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Address

3700 Christian Valley Road
Auburn, CA
95602

Telephone

+15308786053

Website

http://www.placernaturecenter.org/

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