Riverbend Environmental Education Center

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Gladwyne, PA
Riverbend Environmental Education Center

Growing Greener Children for over fifty years!

Since 1974, Riverbend Environmental Education Center has been enriching the lives of children and families through engaging environmental education. From its beginnings as a quiet nature preserve, Riverbend has evolved to a thriving center for environmental education that touches the lives of nearly 19,000 people annually. Whether it is to participate in a public program or just to wander on our t

rails, a visit to Riverbend offers families a quiet place to relax, unwind and observe the wonders of nature.

09/03/2026

Shiverfest tickets go on sale to the public Tuesday, September 8! 🎃

Camp families get exclusive early access to Shiverfest tickets, available now! Tickets open to the rest of our community on Tuesday, September 8. Shiverfest sells out every year, so mark your calendar and don't wait to get your tickets.

Riverbend's biggest community event of the year is packed with fall fun for the whole family, including food trucks, pony rides, insect and circus shows, professional face painting, tree climbing with Shreiner Tree Care, a trick-or-treat candy trail, and, of course, THE Haunted Trail. It's also our biggest community fundraiser, helping us provide free and accessible nature education to kids all year long.

📅 Saturday, October 3
🕒 3–8 PM
📍 1950 Spring Mill Road, Gladwyne, PA

Head to the link in our bio to get a ticket reminder, become a sponsor, or sign up to volunteer.

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education.

09/02/2026

Another week of camp we won't forget!

Camp days at Riverbend are packed with hands-on discovery. Campers tracked animals through our preserve, caught crayfish in the stream, met frogs at the pond, and built forts at Decomposers.

This is what a Riverbend summer looks like.

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education.

📍Gladwyne, PA

08/27/2026

They're on the move.

Right now, monarch butterflies are passing through Riverbend on one of the most remarkable journeys in the animal kingdom. Swipe through to see how they do it.

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education. 💙🌿

Come see it for yourself. Our preserve is open 365 days a year, from dawn until dusk.

📍 1950 Spring Mill Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035

08/26/2026

Join us for a FREE Caregiver Workshop & Family Hike at Riverbend as we welcome the start of fall. Hear from experts in psychology and education, plus learn how our local public school district approaches screens in the classroom. Our panel will dig into setting healthy screen limits at home and swapping screen time for real outdoor time.

Best suited for caregivers of children Pre-K through 8th grade.

📅 Tuesday, September 29
🕒 5:30-7:30 PM
📍 1950 Spring Mill Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035

Meet our panelists:
Dr. Jill Shashaty, Associate Director of Education at Riverbend
Dr. Melissa Anderson, licensed clinical psychologist working with children, adolescents, and families
Dr. Mike Balkin, representative from Pencils Over Pixels

This event is free and open to the community. Head to the link in our bio to register!

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education. 💙🌿

08/25/2026

Another great week at camp!

Our 5-6 year olds learned about animal tracking and got hands-on with animal bones. 7-8 year olds built their own bows and arrows, while 9-10 year olds tested their engineering skills with an egg drop challenge. Everyone explored the stream, discovered what's living in our frog ponds, and of course, ate their weight in gooey s'mores.

This is what summer at Riverbend looks like.

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education. 💙🌿

Having FOMO? Head to the link in our bio to check out our open camp slots!

08/21/2026

Even though it still feels like summer, the preserve is already telling a different story.

Swipe through for 5 signs that summer is starting to wind down at Riverbend.

Come see for yourself. Our preserve in Gladwyne, PA is open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.

📍 1950 Spring Mill Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education. 💙🌿

08/19/2026

Ever climbed a tree using real arborist gear?

At Shiverfest, Shreiner Tree Care brings professional tree climbing right to the preserve, giving kids the chance to safely scale the trees they've been staring up at all year.

Shiverfest is Riverbend's fall festival in Gladwyne, PA that brings the whole community together for an evening in nature. It's also our biggest community fundraiser, helping us provide free and accessible nature education to kids all year long.

📅 Saturday, October 3
🕒 3-8 PM
📍1950 Spring Mill Rd, Gladwyne, PA 19035

Ticket sales open in just two weeks, head to the link in our bio to get ticket reminders.

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education. 💙🌿

08/18/2026

Another week in the books at camp!

Our 5-6 year olds designed their own Riverbend banner and learned to track animals across the preserve. 7-8 year olds built their own ecosystems and constructed forts at Decomposers, while 9-10 year olds got delightfully messy with oobleck. Our 11-13 year olds put their engineering skills to the test with an egg drop competition and built their own escape room out of sticks.

Everyone cooled off in the stream, made memories in nature, and capped off the week with a well-earned s'more.

This is what summer at Riverbend looks like.

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education. 💙🌿

Having FOMO? Head to the link in our bio to check out our open camp slots!

08/14/2026

What a night for s'mores! 🔥

Thank you to everyone who joined us for S'mores & More this year. Families gathered around the campfire for s'mores, wandered the preserve, and spent an unhurried summer evening making memories together.

Some kids roasted their first s'more while parents relived their own childhood summers. It was a night to slow down and connect with nature together.

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education. 💙🌿

08/13/2026

Right now at Riverbend, summer phlox is in full bloom. 🌸

This native wildflower puts on one of the longest displays in the preserve, often blooming for 6-8 weeks straight through midsummer and into early fall. Each cluster is made up of dozens of small, five-petaled flowers, creating a landing pad for pollinators exactly when many other plants have finished flowering for the season.

Keep an eye out for eastern tiger swallowtails, skippers, and even hummingbirds stopping by for a taste while you're on the trails.

At Riverbend, our mission is to inspire curiosity, respect, and care for the natural world through environmental education. 💙🌿

Come see it for yourself, Riverbend is open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.

Address

1950 Spring Mill Road
Gladwyne, PA
19035

Website

http://www.riverbendeec.org/

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