River Bend Nature Center

10/21/2026

PRESS RELEASE

Thanksgiving Break Nature Camp

River Bend Nature Center offers Nature Camp during the Thanksgiving school break for children ages 7 through 12.

Looking for a fun and enriching way for kids to spend their Thanksgiving school break?

Join us at River Bend for Nature Camp! Campers will explore the outdoors, discover local wildlife, participate in hands-on nature activities, build campfires, and learn about the natural world around them. It’s the perfect opportunity to get outside, make new friends, and spark curiosity during the fall season. Give your child a break from the classroom filled with fresh air, exploration, and nature-inspired fun!

Thanksgiving Break Camp is available on November 25th and 27th from 9am – 2pm. Come one day – or come for both.
Registration is required. Space is limited. -$50 per day for members, $55 per day for non-members.

For more information, visit www.RiverBendRacine.org or call 262-639-1515.

River Bend Nature Center exists to provide environmental education and outdoor recreation for adults, children and families of Racine County and surrounding areas.

10/20/2026

Nature by Water
October 24th, 1pm to 3pm
Open to the public, Reservations Required
$30 per boat

Experience the river from a new perspective through “Nature by Water,” a guided canoe and kayak program led by a River Bend naturalist. The program offers participants an opportunity to paddle on the Root River while learning about local wildlife, native plants, river ecology, and the natural features along the way.

Participants can choose either a canoe or kayak. After a brief review of water safety and paddling techniques, they will paddle at a relaxed pace with guidance from an experienced naturalist. Along the way, the group will look for birds, aquatic life, shoreline plants and animals that make up the river ecosystem. The program is designed for nature lovers, families, paddlers of any level, and anyone interested in learning more about the river in an engaging outdoor setting.

Children must be accompanied by a parent. Children under 10 must be in boat with a parent.

Since group size will be small, reservations are required.

For reservations, call 262-639-1515 or email [email protected]

10/17/2026

Forest Bathing Night Walk 🌳🌔
Tuesday, October 20th, 2026
6pm – 8pm
Ages 18+
$20 per participant
Reservations required: [email protected] or 262-639-1515

River Bend Nature Center invites you to step into the quiet wisdom of the land for a restorative evening of forest therapy.

You will be guided by Pam Whyte of Cedar & Stone Forest Therapy through a gentle, sensory-based experience designed to help you slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the natural world as it slips into darkness.

This is not a hike. There is no destination to reach, no pace to keep.
Instead, through a series of simple invitations, you’ll be encouraged to:
● Notice the textures, sounds, and rhythms of the forest
● Experience nature through your senses
● Set down the weight of daily life, even if just for a moment

The walk is slow, accessible, and welcoming to all, with plenty of time to pause, reflect, and simply be.

This special event is more than a personal wellness experience; it is also a fundraiser supporting Riverbend Nature Center.

Guests often leave feeling:
● Grounded and calm
● More connected to nature and themselves
● Reminded that they are part of something larger
…And perhaps… with a quieter mind and a softer way of moving through the world

10/16/2026

Archery Classes

Archers will learn bow and arrow anatomy as well as the basic skills needed to shoot archery in a safe and controlled environment! Enjoy competing against others to shoot a variety of target centers such as mosquitoes, ticks, and more! Archers must be at least 7 years old to participate and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. All equipment is provided.

Dates:
Wednesday, October 28, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm (Adult Only, indoor)

Wednesday, November 18, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm (indoor)

Wednesday, December 16, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm (indoor)

Cost Per Class: $15.00.

Reservations required. Please contact us at 262-639-1515 or by email at [email protected]

10/15/2026

Discover the Benefits of Tai Chi at River Bend Nature Center

Join us for an eight-session Tai Chi class designed to help you build balance, flexibility, focus, and relaxation through gentle, flowing movements.

The style of Tai Chi is called Yang’s style Tai Chi, which was developed in the past 100 years to be more of a wellness practice than competitive martial arts. It is first of all a meditation in motion. When practiced in natural surroundings, accompanied by Zen music, it helps one to reduce stress and to achieve harmony with nature and inspiration from nature. Secondly, being a physical exercise, it helps to increase lower body strength such as thigh and knee. Last but not least, being a full body movement, it improves coordination and balance. This is why Tai Chi is one of the most popular wellness exercises in China and is rapidly gaining popularity here in the US.

This class will be conducted by Bodan Ma. Boden studied Tai Chi for years in China. He is certified as level V Tai Chi Master by the Chinese Martial Art Association and won the Bronze award in the 2025 Shanghai International Martial Art Festival.

Start with our open house sample session! Try the first session free and experience Tai Chi in a welcoming, supportive setting before committing to the full series. No prior experience is necessary.
• Session 1: Open house sample—everyone is welcome
• Sessions 2–8: Continue developing your practice with guided instruction and progressive exercises.

Reserve your spot today and discover how Tai Chi can become a meaningful part of your wellness routine. This class is for adults age 18+. Reservations are required, and class size is limited. Full session - $100.00 per participant.

All classes will be held on Saturday, 9:30am – 10:30am

Open House Session –November 21

Tai Chi Class –November 28; December 5, 12, 19; January 9,16, 23

For reservations, call 262-639-1515 or email [email protected]

10/14/2026

PRESS RELEASE
Free and Open to the public
10:00am – Saturday, October 24, 2026

River Bend Nature Center
Tree Identification Hike

River Bend Nature Center is pleased to offer a series of guided interpretive nature hikes at no charge to the public. These environmental education presentations and hikes are made possible through a grant received from SC Johnson, A Family Company.

Next in the series is a guided walk to identify trees that exist in the forest at River Bend. Guided by a naturalist, hikers will embark on a tree identification journey which will transform a simple nature walk into a relaxing educational experience. Hikers will learn to spot key characteristics like shape of leaves, branch configurations or unique patterns of bark as clues to the identity of the trees. Through tuning their observation skills, the participants will enjoy a richer, more insightful connection to the natural world.

Be prepared to walk over wood chipped, grass, and gravel trails. This presentation is best for adults and older children.

RSVP’s encouraged to help plan staffing, but not required
[email protected] or 262-639-1515

Upcoming programs include:
November 14th, 10am Winter Readiness Hike

River Bend Nature Center exists to provide environmental education and outdoor recreation for the children, families and adults of Racine and southeastern Wisconsin.

For more information about River Bend Nature Center and its programs, please visit www.RiverBendRacine.org, or contact us at 262-639-1515.

10/14/2026

10/12/2026

Nature by Water
October 14th, 24th
Open to the public, Reservations Required
$30 per boat

Experience the river from a new perspective through “Nature by Water,” a guided canoe and kayak program led by a River Bend naturalist. The program offers participants an opportunity to paddle on the Root River while learning about local wildlife, native plants, river ecology, and the natural features along the way.

Participants can choose either a canoe or kayak. After a brief review of water safety and paddling techniques, they will paddle at a relaxed pace with guidance from an experienced naturalist. Along the way, the group will look for birds, aquatic life, shoreline plants and animals that make up the river ecosystem. The program is designed for nature lovers, families, paddlers of any level, and anyone interested in learning more about the river in an engaging outdoor setting.

Three dates are offered, with one program for adults only, and two for families. Children must be accompanied by a parent. Children under 10 must be in boat with a parent.

Adult program: Wednesday, October 14th 9am–11am

Family program: Saturday, October 24th, 1pm-3pm

Since group size will be small, reservations are required.

For reservations, call 262-639-1515 or email [email protected]

10/11/2026

Forest Bathing Night Walk 🌳🌔
Tuesday, October 20th, 2026
6pm – 8pm
Ages 18+
$20 per participant
Reservations required: [email protected] or 262-639-1515

River Bend Nature Center invites you to step into the quiet wisdom of the land for a restorative evening of forest therapy.

You will be guided by Pam Whyte of Cedar & Stone Forest Therapy through a gentle, sensory-based experience designed to help you slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the natural world as it slips into darkness.

This is not a hike. There is no destination to reach, no pace to keep.
Instead, through a series of simple invitations, you’ll be encouraged to:
● Notice the textures, sounds, and rhythms of the forest
● Experience nature through your senses
● Set down the weight of daily life, even if just for a moment

The walk is slow, accessible, and welcoming to all, with plenty of time to pause, reflect, and simply be.

This special event is more than a personal wellness experience; it is also a fundraiser supporting Riverbend Nature Center.

Guests often leave feeling:
● Grounded and calm
● More connected to nature and themselves
● Reminded that they are part of something larger
…And perhaps… with a quieter mind and a softer way of moving through the world

10/09/2026

It looks like we're in for another beautiful weekend! Looking for a way to spend it outside? Come to River Bend! Our trails are open from dawn until dusk so you can check out the early fall colors, and we've got other great options (more details on each photo):

🍄‍🟫 Join us for Fascinating Fungi – Learning About Mushrooms. This free guided interpretive nature hike will teach you about the diverse array of mushroom species native to this area. The event is tomorrow (Saturday) at 10am.

📖 The October book on the Chickadee Trail is “Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!" by Cori Doerrfeld. Thank you to Maggie and Justus Morgan for sponsoring this book!

🛶 Canoes and kayaks are available for rent. Rental hours are 8:00 to 4:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 5:00 on weekends (boats must be back by 4pm on weekdays & 5pm on weekends).