Learn About Nature at the Benjamin Olewine Nature Center

The Benjamin Olewine Nature Center is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at the intersection of Industrial Road and Wildwood Way. There are several different entrances into Wildwood Park, so make sure you enter and drive through the one that's marked the Nature Center Parking Lot. You'll want to drive up the road just a little bit and you'll find a parking lot right in front of the nature center that you can use.

Every year we like to take our grandchildren to the Nature Center to explore some of their on-site activities. It's free to visit and throughout the year they host a variety of events. Once you enter the building you'll be standing in their small gift shop. You'll want to head to the area on your right which takes you back into the center where you can enjoy the exhibits and activities.

One thing that you'll learn during your visit is how the Harrisburg area plays an important part in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and how we need to protect it. There are all kinds of volunteer programs available in the area that you can join if you want to get hands-on with some projects. You'll also learn how the Wildwood Lake and Marsh area plays a vital role in the watershed.

There are several exhibits where you and the kids can learn about the wildlife that calls this area home. We saw realistic representations of black bears, red-tailed foxes, raccoons, squirrels, beavers, turtles, birds and more. As you walk around these exhibits, you'll want to take your time and read all of the information boards to learn more.

There is a small Monarch Butterfly exhibit where you can watch butterflies hatch and flutter their wings for the very first time. We learned about the great Monarch Migration and on the day that we were there...we watched two butterflies emerge to explore their new world. The kids loved this exhibit and I hope they consider expanding it a little bit more in the future.

As an avid birdwatcher, I enjoyed sitting down in the bird observation area and looking out the windows to watch some of the birds feeding at the provided bird feeders. I spotted a Downy Woodpecker, a few finches, a cardinal and a dove. Of course...right below the bird feeders were two squirrels and a chipmunk who were fighting over the leftovers.

Another exhibit that we had fun exploring was called the "Wetland Plants with a Purpose" where we learned all about the different type's of plants that live in the wetlands and how important those plants are to our ecosystem. This exhibit was fascinating and we all learned a lot!

The Benjamin Olewine Nature Center is on the small side, but is FREE to visit. Every time we take the grandchildren down to the Nature Center we learn something new. It's a great family-friendly activity that your entire family will enjoy.