Berks Nature Education Programs and Eco-Camp
The Nature Place, 575 St Bernardine St, Reading, PA 19607
About
Berks Nature Education Programs and Eco-Camp include Eco-Camp sessions, field trips, events, farm tours, and tours of The Nature Place campus. Eco-Camp is offered at The Nature Place and at Hamburg. The Nature Place is free to visit and is known locally and regionally as a demonstration campus for environmental best management practices and a demonstration center for education and connection to nature.
• Ages: 3–13 years old
• Schedule: Office hours Monday–Friday 8 am to 4 pm; The Nature Place public hours Tuesday and Saturday 10 am to 3 pm
• Price: Compensation for Berks Nature Preschool Assistant Teacher (Substitute): $17.50–$18.50 per hour (based on experience)
Berks Nature has been serving the Berks County community since 1974 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization. Berks Nature owns and operates The Nature Place at Angelica Creek Park as a gathering place for schools, events, educational programs, and community needs, and The Nature Place is a LEED Gold certified building. Berks Nature stewards over 11,000 acres of conservation easements, owns 926 acres of preserves, and manages nearly 27 miles of trails, and manages community gardens and a nature preschool that spends the majority of the school day outside exploring in nature.
A Berks Nature Substitute Preschool Assistant Teacher is responsible for the health, safety and overall well-being of children ages 3–6 years of age and works cooperatively with the lead teacher to aid in the implementation of daily plans in accordance with the curriculum, spending days outdoors in all weather. Interns are expected to have an interest in the environment and stewardship, often work outdoors, and support Berks Nature’s nature preschool, field trips, events, and work with children and the public, with good writing, communication, and interpersonal skills and an appreciation for working with diverse audiences described as necessary. Application contacts include English Dawson for internships and Human Resources at Berks Nature for the preschool assistant teacher role.
Berks Nature’s mission statement describes it as the leading agent for the conservation of the environment in Berks County, with a vision to be a cornerstone of excellence in the stewardship of the environment and to provide environmental leadership, direct action, expertise, land use planning, advocacy, research, and education programs. The organization states that it owns and operates The Nature Place at Angelica Creek Park and leverages the building and the park as a gathering place for schools, events, educational programs, and community needs, and that it will connect and share its conserved lands and trails with the public when compatible with stewardship goals.
Berks Nature works with local watersheds and associations including Angelica Creek Watershed Association, Hay Creek Watershed Association, Maiden Creek Watershed Association, and Tulpehocken Creek Watershed Association, and is committed to partnerships that support other local on-the-ground groups. The Nature Place is included on BARTA’s Route 9 schedule starting in 2026, providing transportation from the heart of Reading to Angelica Creek Park and back to the BARTA Transportation Center on Franklin Street.
One testimonial from Berks Encore staff describes a tour of The Nature Place campus as professional and informational, highlighting learning about sustainability, history, and walking through nature habitats. Another testimonial from a Kutztown Middle School teacher describes a farm tour at Burkholder farm with Berks Nature as an opportunity for students to see farming practices, sustainability, clean water, and buying locally in action.
Last updated July 15, 2026.
• Ages: 3–13 years old
• Schedule: Office hours Monday–Friday 8 am to 4 pm; The Nature Place public hours Tuesday and Saturday 10 am to 3 pm
• Price: Compensation for Berks Nature Preschool Assistant Teacher (Substitute): $17.50–$18.50 per hour (based on experience)
Berks Nature has been serving the Berks County community since 1974 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization. Berks Nature owns and operates The Nature Place at Angelica Creek Park as a gathering place for schools, events, educational programs, and community needs, and The Nature Place is a LEED Gold certified building. Berks Nature stewards over 11,000 acres of conservation easements, owns 926 acres of preserves, and manages nearly 27 miles of trails, and manages community gardens and a nature preschool that spends the majority of the school day outside exploring in nature.
A Berks Nature Substitute Preschool Assistant Teacher is responsible for the health, safety and overall well-being of children ages 3–6 years of age and works cooperatively with the lead teacher to aid in the implementation of daily plans in accordance with the curriculum, spending days outdoors in all weather. Interns are expected to have an interest in the environment and stewardship, often work outdoors, and support Berks Nature’s nature preschool, field trips, events, and work with children and the public, with good writing, communication, and interpersonal skills and an appreciation for working with diverse audiences described as necessary. Application contacts include English Dawson for internships and Human Resources at Berks Nature for the preschool assistant teacher role.
Berks Nature’s mission statement describes it as the leading agent for the conservation of the environment in Berks County, with a vision to be a cornerstone of excellence in the stewardship of the environment and to provide environmental leadership, direct action, expertise, land use planning, advocacy, research, and education programs. The organization states that it owns and operates The Nature Place at Angelica Creek Park and leverages the building and the park as a gathering place for schools, events, educational programs, and community needs, and that it will connect and share its conserved lands and trails with the public when compatible with stewardship goals.
Berks Nature works with local watersheds and associations including Angelica Creek Watershed Association, Hay Creek Watershed Association, Maiden Creek Watershed Association, and Tulpehocken Creek Watershed Association, and is committed to partnerships that support other local on-the-ground groups. The Nature Place is included on BARTA’s Route 9 schedule starting in 2026, providing transportation from the heart of Reading to Angelica Creek Park and back to the BARTA Transportation Center on Franklin Street.
One testimonial from Berks Encore staff describes a tour of The Nature Place campus as professional and informational, highlighting learning about sustainability, history, and walking through nature habitats. Another testimonial from a Kutztown Middle School teacher describes a farm tour at Burkholder farm with Berks Nature as an opportunity for students to see farming practices, sustainability, clean water, and buying locally in action.
Last updated July 15, 2026.
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