Riverside Nature Center — Attraction in Kerrville

Riverside Nature Center in Kerrville, Texas is a true gem in the heart of the Hill Country and a place I highly recommend visiting! They've got something that anyone can appreciate! RNC is a hub for learning about native plants, wildlife and good stewardship of the Texas Hill Country's unique resources. I particularly enjoy the various educational programs and events, as well as having access to their awesome members library! The arboretum trail is a wonderful place to check out an amazing collection of native plants (I believe this is the largest collection of native plants in the area.) My children have loved been involved in various kids programs including camps & Junior Naturalist programs and they always enjoy participating in the annual Earth Day Celebration and Down by the Riverside event, both free family fun events. If you visit RNC, be sure to check out the water! RNC is situated at the meeting of the Guadalupe River and Town Creek. This is a great place to picnic or watch birds and other wildlife. There's a good chance you may see Great blue herons, Green kingfishers, Red-shouldered hawks and many others! RNC's wildlife census team has recorded 154 bird species to date and those records are available in the visitor center as well as on the website! It's a birder's paradise :o) Of course, RNC is home to a great variety of other wildlife including deer, squirrels, raccoons, porcupine, various snakes, and BUTTERFLIES! Speaking of butterflies, there is a butterfly garden maintained by volunteers! Around March 2012, construction will begin on Kerrville's River Trail! RNC's site will be your trailhead for this path that will connect many sites along the Guadalupe River in downtown Kerrville. If you're looking for information on Rainwater Harvesting, RNC is a great place to begin that search and see a system in place. RNC has very nice facilities available for rent for various meetings and functions as well as the sweetest little gift shop in town! If you are interested in learning more about native plants and animals, consider joining one of RNC's volunteer crews. These crews are all headed up by knowledgeable volunteers who are very generous in pass along...

My toddler daughter and I are in Kerrville visiting family and decided to stop by on a particularly nice day. The staff at the visitor center are very kind and knowledgeable. There is a little childrens area in the center and a cute gift shop. Unfortunately there wasn't anything in bloom, since it is the middle of winter... but it was a great place to let my little girl wonder around and see all the trees. We also got a brochure of local butterflies and birds that frequent the garden and we were able to spot a few on our trip! The garden is free and holds special events. Hope to come back in the spring when everything...

I visited with my niece and 4 year old great niece today and it was a wonderful experience. The minute we walked in we received one on one attention from the 4 ladies that worked there. They showed my great niece a tarantula and she got to touch her shedded exoskeleton. They also gave her a personal tour of the dinosaur exhibit and they have a corn snake too named Shucks and she got to touch the shedded snake skin. There is an alphabet made of butterfly wings that is beautiful. Truly a special experience that she will not forget. The ladies that worked there truly enjoy children and love educating them on the...