By Bernheim
Discovery Stations, Fire Tower Tours, Guided Nature Hikes, & GIANTS
Come meet our Forest Giants in a Giant Forest during Bernheim’s Giant Spring Break Adventure Week, April 1-5. Along with on-your-own hiking, fishing, picnicking, wildlife exploration and free play, Bernheim will offer a special week of daily drop-in activities and guided programs to celebrate our Giants.
- Discovery Stations
- Hands-on Discovery Stations, featuring a variety of plant, animal, and nature activities will be set up daily during Spring Break between 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Visitor Center. Families are invited to explore at their leisure. Bernheim staff and Volunteer Naturalists will also be on hand to bring each Discovery Station to life!
- Guided Nature Hike
- Bernheim staff and Volunteer Naturalists will lead a guided nature hike through Bernheim’s spring landscape each afternoon between 2 – 3 p.m. starting at the Visitor Center.
Nature Concert
In conjunction with Spring Break Adventure Week, Bernheim is hosting a mid-week concert at the Visitor Center featuring Youth and Family Program Manager Mr. Dan. Come join Mr. Dan Wednesday, April 3, from 1 – 1:45 p.m. for a nature song extravaganza. Sing, dance, and rock out to songs that celebrate the plants and animals of Bernheim.
Spring Break Adventure Week is a no-cost event, though a $5 per car donation is suggested. Registration is not required for individuals or families, but groups of six or more are advised to RSVP at least one day in advance. Contact Dan Pascucci at dpascucci@bernheim.orgor (502) 955-8512.
That’s just the beginning of a month full of events and activities for people of all ages. Details are below:
Bernheim Lunch & Learn: Early Blooming Wildflowers and their Pollinators
Spring wildflowers don’t last long, and some can only be observed by those who get out in the woods early in the season. Learn where to look for these jewels and the natural processes that allow them to add their beauty to our landscape with Volunteer Naturalist Corinne Mastey on Wednesday, April 3, from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Visitor Center.
Bernheim Lunch & Learn programs are designed for those who enjoy spending time outdoors in the company of other adults who love learning about nature. Each program includes group introductions, a short, themed hike, and a delicious lunch from Isaac’s Café.
Registration and payment are due by 4 p.m. on the day prior to start of program. Please call (502) 955-8512 to register. The cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.
Arbor Day Adopt-a-Tree
Join Bernheim Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7 for its annual Arbor Day Adopt-a-Tree. The event is held from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Visitor Center both days. Participants can choose a tree to plant in their landscape and enjoy for years to come. Bernheim’s knowledgeable horticulturists will also be on hand to teach about proper planting techniques and tree care. Suggested donation is $1 per tree.
While the event is free, the regular $5 weekend environmental impact fee per car applies to non-members.
ECO Kids Discovery Days
The E-C-O stands for Every Child Outside, and that’s exactly where kids can be found during ECO Kids Discovery Days. Discovery Days take place the first and third Saturday of each month at Bernheim’s Visitor Center and include:
On Your Own Challenge from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Discovery Stations from 1 – 4 p.m.
Hike of the Day led by a Bernheim guide, starts at the Visitor Center at 2 p.m. and runs 45 – 60 minutes.
On Saturday, April 6, join Bernheim for Arboretum Seek and Find. Children will hike any arboretum trail and see how many trees and tree features they can discover with the day’s On Your Own Challenge, and then explore hands-on Discovery Stations and the guided hike of the day in the afternoon.
On Saturday, April 20, it is all about Ch-ch-ch-Changes. As seasons change, so does nature. As you hike around, try to spot some of the signs of change in the arboretum and forest with the day’s On Your Own Challenge. The fun continues later in the day as kids will explore hands-on Discovery Stations and the guided hike of the day in the afternoon.
For details on ECO Kids Discovery Days, call (502) 955-8512. Both events are free, with the regular $5 environmental impact fee per car applying to non-members.
Pollywog Play Party
Bernheim’s youngest visitors are invited to Green Team at the Pollywog Play Party on Saturday, April 6, from 10:30 a.m. – Noon at the Education Center. Early learners (infants to five-year-olds) will explore plant life by planting seeds and playing in dirt, and engage in creative recycling by making instruments, bowling with recyclables, and much more.
Registration is required by 4 p.m. on the day prior to program by calling (502) 955-8512. The cost is $10 for Bernheim members and $15 for non-members. The fee covers one caregiver and one child. Non-members are required to pay a $5 per car environmental fee at the gate.
First Sunday Nature Hike
Join a Bernheim Volunteer Naturalist at the Visitor Center on Sunday, April 7, from 2 – 3 p.m. for an engaging 45-60 minute nature walk. Registration is not required for this free event, andall ages are welcome. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes. The regular $5 environmental impact fee applies at the front gate for non-members.
Before Bernheim: History of the Land and People
Join Daniel Buxton, vice president of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, for a presentation on Saturday, April 20 from 11 a.m. to noon that includes mystery, murder, Civil War activity, Jesse and Frank James, and many other people and activities that existed on the land that is now Bernheim.
Buxton will follow history from the early colonial period to the 1920s, just before I.W. Bernheim purchased the property. Participants will also learn about family cemeteries and other historical landmarks still onsite.
The presentation will be at the Garden Pavilion and is limited to the first 60 attendees. While the event is free, the regular $5 weekend environmental impact fee per car applies to non-members.
Wildflower Walks
Another great way to learn about spring wildflowers is to follow their progression from bud to blossom over several weeks. Join Bernheim for two Wildflower Walks on Saturday, April 13 and Saturday, April 20, from 1 – 3 p.m. each day.
The walks will begin at the Visitor Center. Each walk will hear engaging stories that focus on wildflower adaptation, ecology, folklore, and history.
Registration and payment required by 4 p.m. on the day prior to the start of the program by calling (502) 955-8512. The cost for each stroll is $10 for members and $12 for non-members, with the regular $5 per car environmental impact fee for non-members applied at the front gate.
Volunteer Orientation
Want to give back while having fun in the great outdoors? Volunteers can give a few hours or several hundred hours, providing support to Bernheim and our visitors. Take the first step in becoming a Bernheim volunteer by attending this general orientation on Saturday, April 20, from 10 – 12 p.m.
An Evening at Isaac’s: Spring Garden Supper Club
Taste all that the spring garden has to offer at a one-of-a-kind event, Friday, April 26, from 6-8 p.m. Enjoy an evening of live music, appetizers, a spring garden tour, cooking demonstration and of course, supper at Isaac’s Café.
Registration and payment are due by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24 by calling (502) 955-8512. The cost is $25 for Bernheim members and $30 for non-members.
Honeybee Hive Installations
Join the Bernheim Beekeepers on Saturday, April 27, from 2 – 3 p.m. in the Education Center to welcome 10,000 honeybees to their new home. From the safety of the Wildlife Viewing Room, visitors can watch as the bees are moved from delivery package to hive. Beekeepers will guide visitors through the installation process and provide the fascinating “buzz” about beekeeping efforts at Bernheim.
The program is weather dependent. Participants are encouraged to arrive early, as space fills quickly. The event is free, with the regular $5 environmental impact fee applying at the front gate for non-members.
Bernheim at Night
Bernheim at Night programs provide ample opportunities to marvel at the moon, ponder distant planets, and be awed by the vastness of space. Something new yet ancient appears in the heavens and on earth with each turn of the season.
Quarter Moon Hike
The Quarter Moon Hike on Friday, April 12 from 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. includes a trek through Bernheim’s holly collection, around the Olmsted Ponds to the Earth Measure sculpture, and into the Big Prairie.
Full “Frog” Moon Hike
Bernheim at Night programming continues on Friday, April 19, from 8:15 – 10:15 p.m. in a Full “Frog” Moon Hike. Full Moon programs weave together stories about night ecology, moon lore, history, and the magic of nature at night.
Creatures of the Night: Whip-Poor-Wills
Spring is an opera, complete with throaty vocals, high pitched vibratos, and an expert cast of creatures, each playing its part in this ancient drama. Journey on a driving tour into sections of Bernheim where crepuscular and nocturnal creatures are most active from 8 – 10:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26.
All Bernheim at Night programs are intended for ages 8 and up and cost $10 for members and $12 for non-members. Groups meet at the Garden Pavilion unless otherwise noted in the event description. Registration and payment are required by 4 p.m. on the day prior to the program. Call (502) 955-8512 to reserve a spot. Space is limited for events and pets are not allowed.
