Riveredge Nature Center Education Programs

Riveredge Nature Center Education Programs include summer camp, field trips, scout group experiences, homeschool programs, classes, and educational family events. The programs also include outreach programs, opportunities to hike over 10 miles of trails, and the option to reserve an all-terrain wheelchair. Additional offerings include One Watershed Community Conversations, Summer Art Series Wednesday Workshops, learning about sturgeon conservation at Riveredge, bird banding, a student research symposium, QPR Training, volunteering, scouting group programs, and family programs.

• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Phones and on-site services are available most days during daytime hours, with buildings closed on Sundays

Riveredge Nature Center Education Programs are part of an organization that has served the community since 1968 and is described as the region’s oldest independent nature center and the first independent nature center in southeastern Wisconsin. The mission of Riveredge is to support conservation through education that awakens curiosity, engages the body, and explores connections to nature for all people. The programs focus on immersive environmental education workshops for youth and adults and are guided by strategic initiatives called Nature-Rich Lifestyles for All, Wellness in Nature, Nurturing the Next Generation, and Putting Conservation Into Action. Riveredge raises and releases young lake sturgeon in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, with over 20,000 sturgeon raised to date, and has been a regional destination for ecology research and documentation for more than 50 years.

Riveredge welcomes people from across the region for field trips, scout group experiences, summer camps, homeschool programs, classes, and educational family events, and its outreach programs bring learning into schools and community spaces. Community involvement also includes bird banding, a student research symposium, and One Watershed Community Conversations. The organization describes its mission and values as emphasizing inclusivity, stewardship, and discovery, and it continues to build connections with partners and communities to be active, engaged stewards of natural resources.

Phones are staffed from 8:30–4:30, Monday–Friday and 9:00–4:00 on Saturdays, and the Visitor Center and Nature Store are open Monday–Friday from 8:30am–4:30pm and Saturdays from 9:00am–4:00pm, with buildings closed on Sunday. Riveredge does not allow pets; ADA-qualifying service animals are welcome, must be on a leash, stay on the trails, and be under the control of their owner or handler at all times, except when being off-leash is necessary to perform tasks. An all-terrain wheelchair is available by reservation.

Leadership and contact roles for Riveredge Nature Center Education Programs include John for questions about donations, memorials, sponsorships, or corporate partnership; Hannah for QPR Training and Community Engagement questions; Abby for volunteering or special event questions; Jana S. for field trip, school program, or outreach program questions; Renee for membership questions, venue rental questions, or event registration troubleshooting; Nathaniel for conservation and land management questions, including conservation programs; Jana G. for bird banding and student research symposium questions; Mary for questions about wildlife at Riveredge, the sturgeon program, and adult education programs; Steff for homeschool, summer camp, winter camp, and outdoor wheelchair questions; Alina for scouting group and family programs questions; and Amy for other questions and press inquiries.

Last updated July 28, 2026.