What's Taking Shape Inside
The new Barn is being designed for more hands-on learning, more moments of discovery, and a better experience for everyone who visits Riverbend.
More room for hands-on learning
A brighter, more interactive education space will give classes, campers, and families more room to explore together.
New ways to bring outdoor discoveries inside
Smart screens will help educators take something found on the trail and turn it into an even bigger learning moment.
A closer look at Riverbend's animals
Larger animal habitats and a new window bench will create a calmer, more inviting place for kids to observe wildlife up close.
A new Naturalists' Sensory Greenhouse
A hands-on space designed for touching, smelling, noticing, and asking questions.
A true welcome center for the preserve
The Barn will be open to the public, giving visitors a place to begin their Riverbend experience.
A more sustainable building
New heat pumps and solar power will help reduce the Barn's carbon footprint by 44%.
More Room for Kids to Experience Nature
Some of the most important learning at Riverbend happens when a child turns over a log, spots something moving in the stream, or asks a question no one planned for.
Those experiences matter. Time spent playing in nature during childhood is closely connected to caring for the environment later in life, yet many children have fewer opportunities to spend meaningful time outdoors.
Each year, Riverbend welcomes students from 85 schools for outdoor field trips and provides free environmental education to thousands of children attending Title I schools.
A renovated Barn gives our educators more space and better tools to welcome even more children into those moments of curiosity, discovery, and connection.
The Preserve Is Still Yours to Explore
The Barn may be under construction, but Riverbend is still open.
All 30 acres of the preserve and our trails remain open throughout the renovation, so you can keep walking, exploring, visiting the stream and ponds, and spending time outside while the Barn takes shape.
Visit us:
1950 Spring Mill Road
Gladwyne, PA 19035
Our Current Pollinator Gardens Across Lower Merion and Narberth
For More Information
Erin Reilly
