Join us at Rotary Park for a special event in collaboration with the Clarksville Arts and Heritage Council on June 21st from 6-9 PM. The Celtic band Red River Breeze will fill the woods with folk music while you stroll along to discover the Fairy and Troll House Villages! The Nature Center is organizing special DIY workshops in May that will focus on guiding participants to create their own fairy houses, which are small, whimsical structures often associated with fantasy and folklore, designed to be placed in wooded areas. Heathers Homemade Ice cream and Bondi Bowls will be on-site for tasty treats. 

Two ways to participate:

1. Attend one of the workshops to make your fairy or troll house.

• May 23, 10am-4pm
• May 24, 10am-2pm
• May 30, 10am-4pm
• May31, 10am-2pm

2. If you can't attend the workshop, you can still create your own house independently (within the guidelines) and then place it during a specific timeframe provided by Parks and Recreation.

Fairy/Troll House Guidelines:

Houses must be placed in the woods between 10am and 5pm (2 hours before the event) on June 21st. Staff will also place any houses delivered to the Nature Center between June18th or 20th at 2308 Rotary Park Drive.  Montgomery County Parks and Recreation is not responsible for any theft, damage or loss to any houses placed in the woods for the event.  

• June 18, 10am-5pm
• June 20, 10am-5pm
• June 21, 10am-3pm

Participants are to retrieve their fairy house only after the completion of the event on June 21st AFTER 9PM.  They may also be picked up on June 23rd.  Houses left after this time will be removed and discarded. 

-Houses must not exceed one foot in any dimension.

-Materials used must be securely attached to prevent wildlife hazards.

-Houses must include at least one battery-operated light for illumination.

-Houses may not be constructed using any materials harmful to wildlife, including fishing line, food, toxic or flammable substances.

2025 Exhibiting Artists

Artist interested in showing at the Nature Center, Apply here for 2026

“In the Wild: Film & Fire” Show runs Jan 20-March 8, Artist Reception: February 15

Lisa Harden, Madison Wright, Jackie Lewis

Nature Alla-Prima” Joe Mclain, Show runs March 24-May 24 

Joe Mclain

“Fairy and Troll Houses & Midsummer Magic”  Show runs June 1-28

Alex Wight

“Residents of Rotary”: Show runs July 7-Aug 30

Savannah Layne

Cumberland River Artist: Show runs Sept 15-Nov 8

Larry Richardson

DIY Tiny Terrariums

Come to the Nature Center to learn how to make a terrarium in almost any kind of container! We will supply the plants, soil, fairy garden sculptures, ect. You bring a clear container to plant in. There will be an artist onsite to assist with making oven baked personalized sculptures for inclusion in your terrarium.

The container can be new, used or recycled, with or without a lid. Mason jars, old spaghetti jars, olive oil jars, wine bottles, ect. This is a great way to relax at the end of the week and get your hands on some green plants in the winter!

• Aug 22, 5-6:30PM

DIY Garden Series

Join us as we prepare for the 2025 growing season! This garden series is your step-by-step guide to achieving a successful harvest. Whether you’re just starting out or already a seasoned gardener, you can participate in the full series or drop in for specific topics that interest you.

2025 Garden Series Schedule:
May 7 – What’s Going Right? Fixing What’s Not, 5-6:30pm
May 10 (Sat) – Outdoor Herbs: Cut & Come Again + Hydroponics, 10:30am-12pm

May 21- Get to Know Your Garden Tools, 6-7:30pm
May 28 – Supports and Trellis, 5-6:30pm

June 4, Handle Weeds and Pests without Chemicals, 6-7:30pm

June 11, Soak It Up: Watering for Thirsty Gardens

June 18, Wicked Weeds: Identification & Eco-Friendly Control for Tough Garden Invaders, 6-7:30pm

June 25, Pruning Tips & Tricks for Perennials, 6-7:30

Outdoor Action Days are your chance to put into practice what you’ve learned in our community garden. Roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and bring your knowledge to life!

Wednesday Classes combine indoor informational sessions with outdoor, hands-on experiences to provide practical reference and implementation for each topic in the Community Gardens.

Register here: https://secure.rec1.com/TN/montgomery-county-parks-recreation/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTM0NzYxNTg=

Bird Watching

Join us to learn the basics of bird watching, or hear from the pro's on their tips!  This is intended for birders of all abilities, weather brand new to watching birds or seasoned pros.  We will meet at the nature center and get an idea of where people would like to walk to for the day from a selection of birding sites.  

We have NEW binoculars for checkout or you can bring your own. 

• May 16, 8:30- 9:30AM
• August 15, 8:30- 9:30AM

Snake Snacks!

 Snake Feeding Demonstration: Watch Buggie in Action! 

Join us for an exciting look at Buggie the Corn Snake's feeding time! Snakes have fascinating eating habits, and you’ll get to see it firsthand.

• When: Every first Saturday of the month at 2 PM
• Duration: 15 minutes
• Where: Wade Bourne Nature Center Lobby

Parents, please use your discretion to decide if this educational experience is suitable for your little ones.

Don’t miss this slithery spectacle!

Turtle Time!

Our new Eastern Box Turtle, Penny, will be outside for exercise today in the field in front of the Nature Center every Tuesday and Thursday. She is a fast tiny turtle and will certainly put on a show! Sometimes our animals hide while inside of their enclosures, but Penny will 100% be out and running around. 

• May: T and TH @ 4 PM
• August: T and TH @ 2 PM

This is a drop-in, free, event. No registration required.  If the weather is undesirable, we will move her exercise pen inside the Nature Center. 

Story Tails

Every 3rd Saturday of the month the Nature Center will hold "Story Tails," a program promoting literacy to children by creating a wonder for the natural world. Each session will include the reading of 2-3 nature books, songs, games and, activities! Sessions will be held inside and/or outside, depending on the weather. This program is for children ages 1-6 and the special needs community. The program runs from 10:30 am to 11:30 pm, snacks provided. 

• May 17, Midsummer Magic
• July 19, Hippity Hoppity Frogs

Register here: Catalog - Montgomery County Parks & Recreation (rec1.com) 

Puzzle Palooza

Get ready to dive into the ultimate puzzle challenge at Puzzle Palooza! Grab your puzzle-loving pals and form teams of 1-4 players to tackle a 500 piece puzzle. Each team will receive the same puzzle and will have 2.5 hours to complete it. The first team to finish will earn a prize! Don't miss out on the puzzle showdown of the year! Register your team and let the puzzle madness begin! Only 1 person will register for the entire team. For all ages. 

This is a family-friendly, free event, we supply all materials. 

• Aug 30, 10:30AM-1:00PM

Binocular Check-Out

The Wade Bourne Nature Center Foundation is generously sponsoring the new binocular checkout program.  Simply fill out a request with your preferred time and day and you can pick them up from the Nature Center reception desk.  There is no cost for this program, we simply ask you return the set before 4 pm T-F and by 2 pm on Saturdays. 

To reserve a pair, please click here: https://secure.rec1.com/TN/montgomery-county-parks-recreation/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTI1ODA4MDg=  

Live Taxidermy Demonstrations

Every 3rd Wednesday from 4:00-5:30 PM

• May 21
• June 18
• August 20

A taxidermist will walk participants step by step through the process of skinning a bird to the final stuffing/mounting. The chosen specimen will be the Yellow Billed Cuckoo. This bird was found deceased on the park property. 

Bird mounts are unique in that they do not require harmful chemicals for preservation. No eating or drinking will be allowed in the room for the duration of the process. Participants will not be permitted to touch the specimen.

*Passed in 1918, The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) prohibits the take (including killing, capturing, selling, trading, and transport) of protected migratory bird species without prior authorization by the Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is illegal for an individual to collect eggs, feathers and/or nests. 99% of birds are protected by this law, typically not covered by the MBTA include house sparrow, European starling, and rock pigeons.*

Register here: Catalog - Montgomery County Parks & Recreation (rec1.com) 

 Reading Round-Up

Join us on the first Friday of the month to enjoy a group reading for your little ones! This program is sponsored by The Blue Star Families of Tennessee in an effort to build home libraries. Each child who attends gets to pick out a free book to take home! Snacks are also provided. After the reading, feel free to stay in our Community Room or go outside on the deck to enjoy your goodies. Arts for Hearts will lead a related art activity afterwards as well! This Program is suitable for children age 2-5 and. Parents are expected to stay with their children for the duration of the event.

Dates

• May 2
• August 1
• Sept 5
• October 3
• November 7
• December 5

Register here: https://secure.rec1.com/TN/montgomery-county-parks-recreation/catalog 

Guided Hikes with TN Trails Association

Join us for a hike in Clarksville’s wonderful Rotary Park that will suit both beginner and experienced hikers. We will have a two guides from Tennessee Trails Association, a leader and sweep (back marker) to ensure everyone has a great hike. The trail is shaded with mostly natural turf and some short inclines. Wear good walking or hiking shoes. Items to bring include, water, snacks, clothing to suit the weather, a rain jacket, extra layers and sun screen, bug spray as needed. Trekking poles are helpful if you have them. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Dogs are welcome if on a leash. The hike is not suitable for Strollers due to terrain. 

• May 3
• June 7
• July 5
• August 2
• Sept 6
• October 4

Hike will commence at 8am CT at Rotary Park - Plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to departure. Meet at the Wade Bourne Center Parking Lot. There are bathrooms at the trailhead.

Please register

Field Trip Offerings

If you are bringing a group to any of our parks for a trip, PLEASE notify us in advance.  

Field trips are available to any group with 10 or more participants, FREE!  

The Wade Bourne Nature Center offers Bus Transportation Support for schools needing assistance.  Please indicate your interest in this funding option in the comments section during the reservation process. Funding is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.  Teachers may only apply ONCE in a calendar year. 

Spring Trips: March, April and May

Fall Trips: September, October and November

Click Here for a full list of activity options

Register for Field Trip programs here: https://secure.rec1.com/TN/montgomery-county-parks-recreation/catalog 

Volunteer Information

Whether you need service hours for an organization or want to serve your local park, we have many opportunities for you to get involved!  

Example positions include: Host Volunteer, Exhibit Interpreter, Trail Guide, Trail Monitor, Special Event Assistant, Field Trip Program Facilitator, Field Trip Support, Volunteer Coordinator, and Program Assistant

Please make an account on CivicRec and indicate what your interests are.  We will reach out for an orientation meeting to decide where you will be a good fit.  

Visit this link: Catalog - Montgomery County Parks & Recreation (rec1.com)

Animal Care, Volunteer

The second Friday of the month is our dedicated animal care day, from 8:30am to 9:30am.  Join our Animal Care Specialist, Jenna, while she cleans and performs routine maintenance on our animal enclosures.  Jobs vary from sanitizing, plant watering/change outs, refilling substrate, cleaning algae from the aquarium, feeding the animals, ect.  We currently house 2 green tree frogs, a green anole, a corn snake, an eastern box turtle and a variety of freshwater fish. We also care for plants that live inside the tanks.

• May 9
• August 8

Bird Care, Volunteer

The second Friday of the month is our dedicated bird feeder care day, from 8:30am to 9:30am.  Join our Programming Specialist, Nicole, while she cleans and performs routine maintenance on our outdoor bird feeders.  Jobs consist of taking down the feeders, emptying seed, sanitizing the feeders, refilling seed and re-hanging.   We currently maintain 4 large hopper feeders, 2 finch tube feeders, one woodpecker suet feeder and a bird bath. This maintenance is conducted behind the nature center on the concrete benches.  Please use the side walk to the right of the center and take the path down around the back. 

• May 9
• August 8

This is a great opportunity for students who are interested in learning how to care for animals as well as anyone who needs service hours.  Volunteers must be at least 10 years of age and able to perform tasks with great care and detail, as our animals lives depend on it!

Seed Sorting, Volunteer

New Volunteer Opportunity!  We are starting a "Seed Library" at the Nature Center!  This is what it sounds like, an inventory of different types of seeds of native plants from around the park and nearby areas.  We often collect seeds from our gardens, community members do them same in their home gardens, and then donate the seeds to us.  Some seeds need to be separated from leaves, or pods in order to be stored properly.  This activity will go over how to separate and sort the seed parts as well as how to label and store them for distribution.  I bet there will be extras for the volunteers to take home!

• August 9, 10am-12pm

Event and Program Assistance, Volunteer

We have several activities throughout the year that would not be possible without assistance from the community, Montgomery County Thanks you!  The most important factor is being punctual and committed to the date you sign up for, we will be counting on your help! If you are tracking service hours, please being any relevant paperwork with you.  

All volunteer assignments and details will be sent the week prior to your scheduled date, and you will always have a staff member available on site for directions and questions!

• Midsummer Magic Trinket Preparations, May 16
• Fairy House Making Workshop, assistance, May 23 
• Fairy House Making Workshop, assistance, May 24 
• Fairy House Making Workshop, assistance, May 30 
• Fairy House Making Workshop, assistance, May 31 
• Midsummer Magic Fairy House Village Set-up, June 21
• Midsummer Magic Event Assistance, June 21