River Bend Nature Center
Encyclopedia
River Bend Nature Center is a non-profit day-use nature center in the city of Faribault, Minnesota
. It was established in the late 1970s as a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people discover, enjoy, understand and preserve the natural world. The nature center encompasses 743 acres (3 km²) cradling the Straight River
. There are 10 miles (16.1 km) of formal hiking trails with some also available for skiing, snowshoeing, biking, and snowmobiling. The main Interpretive Center houses naturalist staff, displays, Windows on the Wild backyard bird habitat, and the Carlander Nature Library. The Trailside Center is a 3-season programming and maintenance facility. Five peripheral parcels of River Bend are owned by The Nature Conservancy
.
. There is also a population of wood turtle
s.
.
Faribault, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
. It was established in the late 1970s as a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people discover, enjoy, understand and preserve the natural world. The nature center encompasses 743 acres (3 km²) cradling the Straight River
Straight River (southern Minnesota)
The Straight River is a tributary of the Cannon River, 45 miles long, in southeastern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Cannon River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of approximately 450 square miles in an agricultural region.Its name is a...
. There are 10 miles (16.1 km) of formal hiking trails with some also available for skiing, snowshoeing, biking, and snowmobiling. The main Interpretive Center houses naturalist staff, displays, Windows on the Wild backyard bird habitat, and the Carlander Nature Library. The Trailside Center is a 3-season programming and maintenance facility. Five peripheral parcels of River Bend are owned by The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
.
Notable Flora and Fauna
The center contains a variety of habitats including wetlands, forests, and more than 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) of restored and original prairie. The center contains some specimens of the endangered dwarf trout lilyErythronium propullans
Erythronium propullans is a rare plant endemic to the Cannon River and North Fork Zumbro River watersheds in Rice County, Goodhue County and the extreme northern edge of Steele County, Minnesota, in the United States...
. There is also a population of wood turtle
Wood Turtle
The wood turtle is a turtle endemic to North America. It is in the genus Glyptemys, a designation given to only one other turtle: the bog turtle. The wood turtle reaches a carapace length of , its defining characteristic being the pyramidal pattern on its upper shell...
s.
Programming and Staff
The River Bend Nature Center staff conducts interpretive programs for adults and children throughout the year. Children from public and several charter elementary schools in Rice County visit the center regularly as part of the science curriculum at those schools. In addition, River Bend staff travel to schools and home-schooled students throughout Rice County to provide natural and environmental education in a several off-site programs.Location
River Bend is located just off state highway 60 in the southeast corner of the city of Faribault in central Rice CountyRice County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 56,665 people, 18,888 households, and 13,353 families residing in the county. The population density was 114 people per square mile . There were 20,061 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
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