Placer Nature Center

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Auburn, CA
Placer Nature Center

Explore Today...Protect Tomorrow.

Our Mission: Placer Nature Center delivers community-based, volunteer supported environmental education programs to children, families, schools, and community groups. Saturdays are open to the public, reserved 'Green' Birthday parties, and events that will help you connect to nature and the surrounding area.

05/28/2026

Join us for our last Open House of the Spring!

The weather is warming up and summer is almost upon us. We're holding one more Open House while the grass is still green - join us on May 30 from 10-1pm for docent-led activities, a bird & plant walk on our trail with Sierra Foothills Audubon Society Sierra Foothills Audubon Society and PNC director Kira Greene, and special educational swag from Placer County Mosquito & Vector Control (May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month)

Open House runs from 10am-1pm

SFAS Trail Walk at 10:30am

Things you might spot right now at PNC: Monarch butterfly caterpillar, Superb mariposa lily and Ash-throated flycatcher nest with eggs

05/25/2026

One week to register before PNC summer camp prices go up on June 1! We've got six weeks of day camp on the calendar, and we're calling in all nature lovers - campers ages 6-12 and camp counselors ages 13-18!

Join us for day camps full of science & nature, exploration & adventure, nature crafts & games, sing-a-longs & puppet shows, fun & friends! Our camp sessions focus on different nature-related
themes with hands-on science investigations.

This year we’re adapting our schedule to add extra hours of educational fun, as well as offering a new summer camp week: Wild about Nature. Read more on our website: https://placernaturecenter.org/programs/summer-camp/

Camp at Placer Nature Center means:
● Small Groups: Small camper to counselor ratio to
ensure safety and engagement with counselors.
● Inclusive Environment: Each camper gets
individualized attention and encouragement.
● Fun Learning: Each camp incorporates art,
structured and unstructured play, music, and
theme-related science experiments.

PNC Junior Naturalist Program: Additionally, campers will have the opportunity to participate in a unique program throughout the summer – our PNC Junior Naturalist program!

Summer Camp 2026 Dates
June 23-25: Dirt Made My Lunch
June 30-July 2: Bugs
July 7-9: Howlers
July 14-16: Rocks & Fossils
July 21-23: Water Worlds
July 28-30: Wild About Nature

Camp brochure and registration form can be found on our website: https://placernaturecenter.org/programs/summer-camp/

05/08/2026

We are so grateful for all the donations we received on yesterday's Big Day of Giving. Year after year, our community continues to show up for us! If you weren't able to donate but still want to lend a hand - our monthly Volunteer Work Day is tomorrow May 9, from 9am-12pm. We've got lots of tending to do on the trails and gardens - scotch broom to pull, trails to clean up, and plants to put in the ground (donated by Redbud Chapter - California Native Plant Society and Green Acres Nursery & Supply

Join us!

05/07/2026

Together, we are so much stronger! When we teach our students to make cordage from iris leaves, we show how one strand on its own is easy to break, but two strands woven together are strong and durable - a rope capable of holding weight. Little ones make cordage with a partner, practicing communication, trust and teamwork until they are coordinated enough to do it on their own.

We at PNC need you to be our cordage partner; when we weave ourselves together, we become so much stronger! On this , we are so grateful for all the strands of our community that come together - Placer Nature Center donors, volunteers, members, collaborators and visitors make this place better!

2026 is our 25th anniversary - thank you for helping us get this far! Since 1991, Placer Nature Center has been leading the next generation by the hand through engaging environmental education and meaningful nature connection. Let's keep weaving our community into the next 25 years. Lend us a hand and we'll get there together!

Donate today: https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/organization/placernaturecenter

05/06/2026

The is tomorrow! As a small non-profit in the Sierra Foothills, we depend on generosity from our community and donations from this fundraiser to keep getting kids outside. At Placer Nature Center, hands-on learning is at the heart of all our programs; while we teach our students to engage with nature with all of their senses, we know that touch is essential for cultivating care and connection to the natural world.

We're careful about touching plants on our nature trail (where poison oak grows freely and abundantly), but we encourage kids to touch ALL the plants while in our gardens. There, we learn to identify trees by the textures of leaves and bark, we explore the world blindfolded, we hand-pollinate flowers, dig our hands through compost, and develop the curiosity and gentleness needed to be a scientist.

You can lend us a hand in giving kids hands-on connection to nature - donate today! Your donation keeps our program prices low, our facilities maintained and our gardens blooming.

Donate today: https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/organization/placernaturecenter

05/05/2026

Tiny worms often go unnoticed under our feet - but their constant work in breaking down organic matter makes a huge impact on the health of our soil. Today's Little Tykes Family Nature Program focused on gardening - plant anatomy, planting seeds, and playing in the dirt that makes our lunch! Our worm bin was a highlight for students; they felt the silkiness of worm castings, found worm eggs, and watered our garden with worm tea!

At Placer Nature Center, we bring the hidden world of worms and soil to light. Through hands-on programs, composting education, and soil stewardship, our staff and volunteers help visitors understand how healthy soil is essential for everything - from native plants and wildlife to our own food systems.

As Big Day of Giving approaches on Thursday May 7, we invite you to get your hands in the dirt! Your support helps us sustain these programs, care for our gardens, and create more opportunities for kids to connect with the world below their toes.

Join us in connecting our community to nature - one handful at a time.

Donay today: https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/organization/placernaturecenter

05/01/2026

Summer is coming, and we can't wait to see this year's campers and teen counselors at PNC Summer Camp!

We have scheduled 6 wonderful sessions of nature and fun-filled summer camp at Placer Nature Center! When: Tuesday-Thursday, 9am-2pm from June 23-July 30. All camp sessions are open. Campers are aged 6-12, and counselors are 13 and up.

Prices go up June 1st, so send in your registration now and take advantage of our Early-Bird prices!

We are actively recruiting teens to volunteer as camp counselors (no prior experience necessary).

Give your kids and teens the excuse you need to get them outside, off screens, and making lasting memories!

For additional details, and links to our camper and teen counselor registration forms, please visit our website: https://placernaturecenter.org/programs/summer-camp/

Contact us directly at [email protected]

We hope you will join us this summer at Placer Nature Center, located at the end of Christian Valley Road in Auburn!
3700 Christian Valley Rd, Auburn CA 95602

04/24/2026

Celebrate the Earth this Saturday
at our April Open House!

Staff and volunteer docents will be on hand to welcome you to our exhibits and gardens, and the Sierra Foothills Audubon Society will once again lead a bird walk at 10:30am.

Spring is deepening on the land; our trails are lush, birds are hatching, and late-season wildflowers are still making a strong showing. It’s a lively, exciting time at PNC! Arrive early if you’d like to join the bird walk and catch the chorus.

Open House runs from 10am-1pm

SFAS Bird Walk starts at 10:30am

Our Open House days are FREE to the public - this is made possible thanks
to our members, donors and
the Big Day of Giving
foothills.audubon

04/22/2026

Earth Day on April 22 is a reminder that caring for nature is a year-round commitment. At Placer Nature Center, our staff, volunteers, and community work together to tend habitats, lead the next generation into love of nature, and create meaningful connections between people and the natural world.

As Big Day of Giving approaches on May 7, we need to ask you to lend us a hand! A gift during this season helps sustain our programs, care for our grounds, and expand opportunities for people of all ages to engage with nature.

Please consider supporting Placer Nature Center this Earth Day and join us in nurturing the land and community for generations to come.

https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/organization/placernaturecenter

04/10/2026

We may be getting some weather this weekend, but we’ve still got work to do! Our April Volunteer Work Day is this Saturday the 11th from 9am-12pm. We’ll be prepping the center for hosting CDFW’s Nature Bowl semi-finals next week!

Volunteer Days are every second Saturday of the month, but there are endless other ways to lend a hand.

03/27/2026

Bring your family and a picnic lunch to PNC’s first Open House of 2026! Tomorrow, Saturday March 28 from 10 AM to 1 PM, Placer Nature Center will be open to the public. Staff and volunteer docents will be on hand to introduce you to our exhibits and gardens, and Sierra Foothills Audubon Society will be leading a bird walk at 10:30 AM.

Our nature trail is green and verdant, tadpoles are wriggling, birds are singing and wildflowers are popping up - this is the most beautiful time of year at PNC! Get to our open house on time to make sure you don’t miss the bird walk, led by SFAS President Rudy Darling. He’ll be heading out on the trail at 10:30am.

Address

3700 Christian Valley Road
Auburn, CA
95602

Telephone

+15308786053

Website

http://www.placernaturecenter.org/

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