September 12, 2022
Content sponsored by
Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River/for PhillyVoice
Throughout September and October, the 23 nature centers that make up the Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River (AWE) will host fun, family-friendly, mostly free events as part of the organization’s annual River Days festivities.
The annual River Days series brings environmentally-focused activities to communities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Over 15 million people depend on the Delaware River watershed for clean drinking water. AWE centers share a mission to collectively increase and enhance constituent appreciation and stewardship of the Delaware River watershed.
The series casts a light on recognition of the Indigenous people and native land our region was built on. To close the series, Bartram’s Gardens will bring together local Indigenous groups and individuals for community ceremonies and performances on October 9th, and on the 10th will host the ecoWURD Environmental Justice Summit, exploring topics at the intersection of Black and Indigenous rights, income, and the environment. This daylong, multimedia event will bring together artists, thought-leaders, and environmental justice advocates for groundbreaking conversations about climate change, land reclamation, water quality, and how it all converges in the Philadelphia region and beyond.
The Alliance is funded by The William Penn Foundation. Follow the Alliance for Watershed Education on your favorite social media: Facebook.com/dralliance. On Instagram.com/alliance4watersheded.
Below is a full schedule of this year's River Days events:
Saturday, Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
South River Walk Park by Trenton Thunder Stadium
Free to attend
Enjoy the fourth annual Trenton River Days festival, with exhibits and games designed to spur curiosity and interest about the Delaware River and the importance of caring for it. Activities will include flyfishing and rowing demonstrations, canoeing on the pond, and a naturalist-led pontoon boat tour of the Delaware River. Kids will love the touch tank with live fish, crafts, a live children’s orchestra, and a live band! Trenton River Days is presented by The Watershed Institute, Tulpehaking Nature Center, and Mercer County Park Commission. Note: The Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund will provide translation services.
Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lehigh Gap Nature Center
8844 Paint Mill Rd., Slatington, PA
Free to attend
Annual celebration of wildlife migration and Delaware River Watershed ecology.
Saturday, Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Gateway Park
2798 Admiral Wilson Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ
Free to attend
Local residents and park neighbors are invited to join us to learn about our local rivers and keeping them clean! Receive training to do water quality testing on the Cooper River and learn about the connections between what happens on the land to what's in our waterways.
Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Camden Waterfront at Wiggins Park
2 Riverside Dr, Camden, NJ
Penn's Landing
101 N. Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
Free activities and free ferry ride between both waterfronts
Family-friendly, community event with canoe rides, pedal boats, face and hand painting, One River, Many Stories scavenger hunt, crafts, games and activities, music, food, and more fun to raise awareness of the importance of the Delaware River watershed for wildlife and the role of green infrastructure in keeping our waterways clean. Presented by the Center for Aquatic Sciences, Camden County Environmental Center, Independence Seaport Museum, New Jersey Natural Lands Trust, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Pennsylvania Coastal Resources Management, and Philadelphia Water Department. Info: delawareriverfest.org
Saturday, Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Begins and ends at Pottstown Riverfront Park
140 College Drive, Pottstown, PA 19464
Free for kids 12 and under
Pre-registration and fees required for adults
Celebrate the Schuylkill River Trail with bikes, beer and bands! Ride for
the River, then enjoy the FREE CAN JAM Music Festival with Sly Fox Brewery.
The cycling event serves as a fundraiser for Schuylkill River Greenways,
which works with partners to build, improve and promote the Schuylkill
River Trail. One of the largest finished trail sections is the Pottstown to
Reading stretch, which totals about 20 miles. The CAN JAM FREE music
festival includes a day of hand-picked artists you’re gonna love!
Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Pilot School
208 Woodlawn Road, Wilmington, DE
Free to attend
Help us protect our waterways by removing trash along the trails and streams that feed into Brandywine Creek. There will be fun activities for learning about the animals that live in and around our streams, and what you can do to help protect their habitat. This event is free and open to everyone! Hosted by The Nature Conservancy and First State National Historical Park.
Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dupont Environmental Education Center
1400 Delmarva Ln, Wilmington DE
Free to attend
Enjoy an afternoon of culture and nature. Learn about Monarch butterflies
and the other awesome animals that call DEEC and the Peterson Wildlife
Refuge home. Enjoy free activities for all ages. See live butterflies,
turtles and frogs; Tag and release Monarch butterflies to help science;
Explore nature center exhibits; Try your hand at beginner canoeing, and
more!
Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Bristol Marsh Nature Preserve
1 Canals End Rd, Bristol, PA 19007
Free to attend but volunteers must
pre-register online
In honor of National Public Lands Day, help us to keep our important freshwater tidal marsh clean. Join guides from the Heritage Conservancy along with our partners The Nature Conservancy and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to help remove trash from the marsh banks and trails, or with kayaks for a cleanup of the river and marsh. The more trash we collect, the less trash will get washed into our waterways! No experience is necessary and supplies will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring their own kayaks. This event is sponsored by MOM’s Organic Market.
Saturday, Sept. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
8601 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA
Free to attend
Celebrate River Days at the refuge with a guided walk! All walks will meet at the Visitor Center and binoculars are available for loan.
8 - 10 a.m. | Bird Walk with In Color Birding Club and Philly Queer Birders
10 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Birds and Butterflies Walk with Cliff and Nancy Hence
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Free Kayaking with L.L. Bean (Walk up registration)
1 - 3 p.m. | Beginner Bird Walk with Lynn Roman
1-2:30 p.m. | Free Kayaking with L.L. Bean (Walk up registration)
2 - 4 p.m. | Photography Walk with Photography is Medicine
Saturday, Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Petty’s Island Preserve
Pennsauken, NJ
Free to attend | Limited - Pre-register online
Saturday, Oct. 1 from 1 to 5 p.m.
Tacony Creek Park
E Olney Ave and E Clarkson Ave. Philadelphia, PA
Free to attend
Harvest Festival & Concert featuring hands-on activities to engage families and create awareness of their local creek, park and trail.
Thursday, Oct. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Audubon Discovery Center
3401 Reservoir Drive, Philadelphia, PA
Free to attend
Join Audubon staff as we take a deep dive into the history and current use of the Strawberry Mansion Reservoir. Guests will have a private tour, exploring the history of the site (Did this water actually come from the Delaware River watershed?), its connection to Strawberry Mansion (How can residents use the space?), and how Audubon utilizes this Important Bird Area (IBA, as recognized by The National Audubon Society). Guests will get first-hand experience in our Community Science Initiative of Mussel Measurement, as well as help the riparian buffer zone, a critical habitat we want to protect and preserve.
Saturday, Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pocono Environmental Education Center
538 Emery Rd, Dingmans Ferry, PA 18328
Free to attend
Learn about your local watershed and get out on the water at PEEC during their 50th anniversary celebration and Harvest Festival. Fun for all ages!
Saturday, Oct. 8 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
8480 Hagy's Mill Road, Philadelphia PA
Join a guided bird walk along Smith Run, one of Philadelphia's last remaining first order streams. In Color Birding, a Philly-based, BIPOC-led organization, will co-lead the hike along with a Schuylkill Center educator. We'll spot gorgeous fall migrants and beautiful foliage as we hike the length of Smith Run from the headwaters to the Schuylkill River. Hike will be approximately 1 mile over moderate to steep terrain. This event will be held in conjunction with Audubon Discovery Center's Philly Birding Weekend.
Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center
700 Cobbs Creek Parkway, Philadelphia, PA
Free to watch. $2 donation per duck
Join the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center for its
annual Rubber Duck Race; numbered rubber ducks will race down the creek in
heats for prizes. This event is perfect for all ages and is FUN!
Saturday, Oct. 8 from 12 to 3 p.m.
Fairmount Water Works
640 Waterworks Drive, Philadelphia., PA
Free to attend
Exploring Our Urban Watershed provides the public with the opportunity to
learn about what makes a healthy watershed via walking tours, games, art
activities, and exploring freshwater mussels and aquatic microorganisms.
Sunday, Oct. 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bartram’s Garden
56th St. Plaza and the South Mile Trail extension
Free to attend
Enjoy and learn from presentations, ceremonies and performances from local Indigenous groups and individuals.
Monday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bartram's Garden
400 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA
Free to attend
In recognition of Indigenous People’s Day, ecoWURD (WURD radio) will host
an Environmental Justice Summit to explore topics at the intersection of
Black and Indigenous rights, income, and the environment. This daylong,
multimedia event will bring together artists, thought-leaders, and
environmental justice advocates for groundbreaking conversations about
climate change, land reclamation, water quality, and how it all converges
in the Philadelphia region and beyond.
