Connect with the outdoors at Kern River Parkway Nature Center

The Kern River Parkway Nature Center located at Hart Memorial Park offers a range of programs and activities seeking to connect people with the local habitat of Kern County.

Housed in an old adobe building near the banks of the Kern River, the center provides educational opportunities for adults and children. The building was constructed during the Great Depression and formerly served as the residence for the original park ranger. It is known locally as the “Peacock House” for the decorative birds that call the park home.

“We like to picture ourselves as the hub, the nature center hub,” said Raeyana Ross, the center’s director.

The adobe house was renovated in 2021 and the center had its grand opening in 2022. The center is run by the Kern River Parkway Foundation and is a nonprofit that is mostly volunteer run, Ross said.

“We’re always looking for more volunteers and expanding our programs,” Ross said. “We are open to any kind of programs, anything the community wants or needs.”

The center is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends but Ross said they’re hoping to expand hours to Thursday and Friday in the fall. The center offers nature tours every Saturday and every other month holds a park clean-up event as part of the county’s adopt-a-park program.

Other programs regularly offered at the center include bird watching, plant tours and gold panning.

The center has a schedule of programs meant to engage people with the local environment and its mission statement is “to inspire connection, understanding, and stewardship of Bakersfield’s beautiful Kern River through hands-on education and interpretation.”

The center has recently added some “animal ambassadors” to its collection, including three red-eared slider turtles recovered from Hart Memorial Park’s lake. The turtles are not native to California and are considered an invasive species, but they’re on display at the nature center and visitors can interact with them.

Earlier this summer the center held a naming contest for its turtle ambassadors, now dubbed Sage, Rex and Shelly.

Visitors can also interact with the center’s resident California king snake (not venomous) as a way of teaching about the importance of snakes in the environment.

Many of the center’s programs are run by volunteers, including many former educators who share their expertise and knowledge.

In September, programs include “Sharks on Your Plate” with David Hanley, featuring hands-on activities involving…