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Southwest Spring Fest! (2019)

"Southwest Spring Fest" over picture of flowering tree and blue sky

April 26, 2019 - April 28, 2019

Join us for a great weekend of family-friendly activities as we kick off our 2019 season! John Heinz Wildlife Refuge and Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center will also hold fun events this weekend. A free shuttle bus will be available between Heinz, Cobbs Creek, and Bartram’s Garden and several community locations for both weekend days. See the bus schedule here.

 

Saturday, April 27th

Member Preview and Mimosa Brunch: 9am-11am at Bartram’s Garden Barn
Enjoy first choice of plants and a mimosa toast to celebrate spring and our new greenhouses. Members have first choice of plants, plus a 10% discount. Join or renew at the sale at the Family level or above and receive an additional $5 off plants! [become a member]

First Day of Boating: 11am-3pm at Bartram’s Garden
Bartram’s Garden Community Boathouse reopens for the 2019 season. Visitors can borrow a kayak or rowboat and explore the Schuylkill for half an hour at a time. Life vests provided! Boating is first-come first-served; be prepared to wait in line if it’s a busy day.

We’ve had to cancel Saturday’s free boating due to Friday’s rainfall and Saturday’s high wind forecast.

Spring Plant Sale: 11am-4pm at Bartram’s Garden
A wide variety of plants will be for sale at the annual spring Plant Sale: flowers, shrubs, trees, grasses; annuals and perennials. Horticulture staff will be around to offer advice and answer questions. [info]

BioBlitz: 9am-4pm at Bartram’s Garden
A BioBlitz is an event where people search out & document as many plants and animals as possible in a certain area. Anyone welcome to drop in at any time to help us find different species on our site. Naturalists will be around to answer questions & offer tips on where to look for certain creatures. People will be asked to download the iNaturalist app in order to collect the data of species found. [info]

Our BioBlitz is a part of City Nature Challenge, a global contest to document as many different plants & animals as possible in urban areas

BioBlitz: 9am-4pm at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge will also hold a BioBlitz on Saturday! [info]

Wetland Clean-up & Walk: 10am-1pm at Cobbs Creek C.E.C.
Help keep Cobbs Creek beautiful. There will be a wetland clean-up at 10am, and a clean-up & educational walk at 12pm. Boots, bags, gloves, and pickers will be provided.

Sunday, April 28th

Bicycle Workshop: 10am-2pm at Bartram’s Garden (56th St Pier)
The Bicycle Coalition will offer adult bike riding lessons from 10am til noon, followed by bike tune-ups from noon to 1pm, and group bike rides for all levels from 1pm til 2pm. Bikes are available to borrow for the event.

Be A Wetland Scientist!: 10am-2pm at Bartram’s Garden (56th St Pier)
Children and families can enjoy interactive games about the river and keeping it clean. Activities will focus on why maintaining a healthy river is important, and offer new ways to think about pollution and river health. This event is part of the Philadelphia Science Festival at the Franklin Institute. [info]

Family Walk on the Wild Side: 10am-4pm at Cobbs Creek C.E.C.
Families of all sizes are invited to come on an informative walking tour of Cobbs Creek Park, exploring the many different habitats that can be found, and learning about the creatures that live in them. Bring a camera!

BioBlitz: 10:30am-12:30pm at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge continues their BioBlitz on Sunday! [info]

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