Nature
The Burlington County Parks System offers many educational nature programs. Taking place both indoors and outdoors, a vast array of topics are covered for all age groups throughout the year. Whether you're enjoying a guided walk in the park, a lecture series, butterfly walk, or canoeing, there's always something to learn about nature! You will find these and other programs on our website calendar, seasonal booklet of programs, and in our online registration catalog. Some examples of recurring nature programs are:
- Junior Ranger Program
- Sunset Walks/Crepuscular Creatures
- Tuesday Talks & Friday Forums
- Moonlit Walks
- Young Naturalist Program
In the summer months the Burlington County Parks System provides special youth programs: The Young Naturalist Program and the Junior Ranger Program.
Junior Ranger Program
The Junior Ranger Program is a free summer program for children ages 5-12. When you register online, you will be given a link to download the activity packets for the appropriate age group. The activities in the program packets can be completed on your own time throughout the summer. There are also many individual events led by park staff that coincide with the Junior Ranger Program.
Young Naturalist Program
The Young Naturalist Program (YNP) is a free summer program for teenagers who have an interest in the environment to develop a greater appreciation of the outside world. The group meets once a week for a 7 week series through out the summer.
Programs for schools and scouts
Customized programs for school groups and scout groups are available by appointment. Email Parks@co.burlington.nj.us to request a program. Virtual options are available upon request as well.
Indoor Programs
Please see our listings of virtual programs in the right column of this page, as well as our archived presentations on the Burlington County Parks YouTube channel. The following presentations are potentially available for your group or Burlington County organization:
Click here for a full description of each presentation (PDF).
To request information or to schedule one of the listed programs, please contact us at 609-265-5858 or request by email.
Rancocas Nature Center
The Rancocas Nature Center offers programming and a summer day camp! Visit www.rancocasnaturecenter.org
for more information.
Park data
The Wildlife Sightings Log is where we post significant sightings of birds and other animal species that are not seen on a regular basis. If you see something that is not a regular resident species in one of the Burlington County Parks, please submit it using the form on the wildlife log page. To see which species have been reported in the parks, you can go to the individual Park's webpage to see a cumulative summary of species. For birds, you can also view the overall cumulative bird checklist to see which birds are present at different times of the year, and their resident vs migratory status.
This is a current list of all the bird species that have officially been documented in the Burlington County Parks and what time of year they can be found. For complete species lists for individual County Parks, please go to the corresponding park page on our website.
Nature-related activities & Information
Backyard Habitats - information on the benefits of using native plants and a variety of ways to help attract pollinators and other beneficial wildlife to your yard.
Backyard Wildlife - additional information on dead trees, how to live responsibly with wildlife, native milkweeds for monarchs, and dispelling myths about bird strikes
Natural Remedies for common pest problems - list of natural remedies to repel or remove common household pests without toxic chemicals
iTree Tools - iTree is a set of free tools built on scientific data from the US Forest Service that pertain to tree species.. There are many resources available on this website. These are free tools and free support for students of all levels, homeowners, community advocates, sustainability officers, urban foresters, etc.
Backyard Birding - an interactive visual and audio guide to birds you're likely to see right in your backyard! Listen to their calls and see which ones you recognize!
Do-it-yourself Bird Feeder Ideas:
Pine Cone Feeder
Plastic Bottle Feeder
Spotted Lanternfly Resources for homeowners
Burlington County Parks Crossword Puzzle
Coloring Pages from Park Rangers
Crafting with Nature
Crafting with natural objects is a great way to learn about wildlife and appreciate its beauty. Naturalist Kate Forte's craft tutorial uses resources right from nature! Create a unique craft that can be done with objects found right in your backyard.