Natural Lands

PlayIn Time Music Circle
2025-05-02 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-04-25 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-04-18 10:15 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Stoneleigh: a natural garden, 1829 County Line Road, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085
Join our partners at PlayIn Time Productions for a weekly, interactive musical program geared toward children up to age five and their parents or caregivers.
Instructors Virginia and Anthony will guide kiddos through warming up their bodies with movement, practicing listening skills using activities like freeze dances, and jamming to classic and new tunes. PlayIn Time’s music circles build musical connection and community through shared fun. Get ready to dance, jam, and learn!
Things to know:
Classes will run on Friday mornings from 10:15 – 11:00 AM, March 28 through June 13.
Join for the whole series or just for one or two sessions. Registration is available on PlayIn Time’s website, linked below.
If you have them, you are welcome to bring your own shakers, sticks, or other percussive instruments.
Classes will be held outside on the Great Lawn so bring a blanket or lawn pad to sit on.
Please note that, while the program is geared toward younger ages, siblings ages 6 and older are welcome and can attend free of charge.
Click here to register.

First Friday Hike
2025-05-02 10:00 - 11:30 | Green Hills Preserve, 553 Gunhart Road, Mohnton, Pennsylvania, 19540
Join Preserve Manager Erin Smith and Events Coordinator Tianna Godsey for a guided hike at Green Hills Preserve. Together, we’ll get to know other outdoor-loving friends during one of the best seasons at the preserve. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a beginner, the trails offer a mix of challenges and rewards for all levels.
We’ll make a few stops along the way to point out preserve highlights and the land management strategies we use to enhance wildlife habitat and facilitate public use.

Volunteer - Love our trees, please
2025-05-02 09:00 - 11:30 | Peacedale Preserve, 160 Peacedale Road, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, 19352
Love nature and want to lend her a helping hand? Grab gloves and join fellow volunteers in straightening tree tubes and cutting invasive vines to nurture young trees. Good fun (and dirt) is guaranteed! Natural Lands cares for more than 23,000 acres and 120 miles of trails, and we couldn’t do it without volunteers like you.
Volunteering with Natural Lands is a great way to learn more about the natural world, give your time to a great cause, and connect with enthusiastic, like-minded people.
The health and safety of staff and volunteers is our highest priority during this volunteer event. Please review “before you go” details.
Capacity is limited for this small-group event. If you sign-up, please show up. If you need to cancel, please let us know so another volunteer can attend. All are welcome, ages 12 and up. Minors must be accompanied by an adult and registered in the same transaction as their guardian.

Volunteer - Spring Gardening
2025-05-01 08:30 - 11:30, 2025-04-29 08:30 - 11:30, 2025-04-24 08:30 - 11:30, 2025-04-22 08:30 - 11:30, 2025-04-17 08:30 - 11:30, 2025-04-15 08:30 - 11:30 | Stoneleigh: a natural garden, 1829 County Line Road, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085
Did you know more than 40,000 plants thrive at Stoneleigh: a natural garden? Grab gloves and join staff and fellow volunteers in weeding, planting, mulching, and other seasonal garden projects.
Volunteering with Natural Lands is a great way to learn more about the natural world, give your time to a great cause, and connect with like-minded people.
The health and safety of staff and volunteers is our highest priority during this volunteer event. Please review “before you go” details.
Capacity is limited for this small-group event, and pre-registration is required. If you sign-up, please show-up. If you need to cancel, please let us know so another volunteer can attend. All are welcome, ages 12 and up. Children age 12-14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Bird Walks on the Preserves
2025-05-01 08:00 - 11:00 | Willisbrook Preserve, Titans Cricket Ground, 110 Line Rd, Malvern, Pennsylvania, 19355
Join Assistant Preserve Manager Claudia Winters on a leisurely stroll through Willisbrook Preserve to spot and listen to a wondrous assortment of resident and migratory birds. Claudia will share tips and tricks to enhance your birding experience, ensuring you don’t miss a single fluttering friend.
Can’t attend this one? Check out these other walks:

Thursday, April 24, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Hildacy Preserve (Media, PA)
Saturday, April 26, 8:00 – 11:00 AM, Green Hills Preserve (Mohnton, PA)
Tuesday, April 29, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, ChesLen Preserve wetlands (Coatesville, PA)
Thursday, May 1, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Summerhill Preserve (Willistown, PA)
Thursday, May 8, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Saunders Woods Preserve (Gladwyne, PA)
Thursday, May 8, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, Stroud Preserve (West Chester, PA)
Thursday, May 15, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Gwynedd Preserve (North Wales, PA)
Saturday, May 17, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Crow’s Nest Preserve (Elverson, PA)
Tuesday, May 20, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, Peacedale Preserve (Landenberg, PA)
Thursday, May 22, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Hildacy Preserve (Media, PA)

Bird Walks on the Preserves
2025-05-01 08:00 - 10:30 | Summerhill Preserve, 6029 Goshen Road, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, 19073
Join Preserve Manager Mike Coll on a leisurely stroll through Summerhill Preserve to spot and hear a wondrous assortment of resident and migratory birds. Mike will share tips and tricks to enhance your birding experience, ensuring you don’t miss a single fluttering friend.
Can’t attend this one? Check out these other walks:

Thursday, April 24, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Hildacy Preserve (Media, PA)
Saturday, April 26, 8:00 – 11:00 AM, Green Hills Preserve (Mohnton, PA)
Tuesday, April 29, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, ChesLen Preserve wetlands (Coatesville, PA)
Thursday, May 1, 8:00 – 11:00 AM, Willisbrook Preserve (Malvern, PA)
Thursday, May 8, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Saunders Woods Preserve (Gladwyne, PA)
Thursday, May 8, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, Stroud Preserve (West Chester, PA)
Thursday, May 15, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Gwynedd Preserve (North Wales, PA)
Saturday, May 17, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Crow’s Nest Preserve (Elverson, PA)
Tuesday, May 20, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, Peacedale Preserve (Landenberg, PA)
Thursday, May 22, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Hildacy Preserve (Media, PA)

Creative Writing Workshop - sold out
2025-04-30 10:00 - 11:30 | Stoneleigh: a natural garden, 1829 County Line Road, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085
This event is sold out. Please join us for a future event.
Join Villanova professor and author Catherine Staples for a writing workshop in the garden. Explore the concept of place and the living network of flora and fauna at Stoneleigh—bog garden, pergola, and meadow. Under Cathy’s guidance, you’ll experiment with free-writes and word hoards to generate journal entries that may become poetry or prose and use short passages from Thoreau’s Journal and various poets and writers as prompts for wonder, wandering, and writing.
Catherine Staples’ newest poetry collection, Vert, came out in May 2024. She’s the author of two other poetry collections: The Rattling Window and Never a Note Forfeit. Her poems have appeared in the Kenyon Review, Poetry, The Common, The Yale Review, Academy of American Poets at poets.org, and others. She teaches in the honors and English programs at Villanova University. She can be found at www.catherinestaples.com

Radiant Redbuds
2025-04-29 10:30 - 12:00 | Stoneleigh: a natural garden, 1829 County Line Road, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085
Adorned in blooms of ivory, magenta, or dusty rose, eastern redbuds are among the showiest and most beloved of our spring-blooming trees. During this guided walk, explore Stoneleigh’s spectacular collection of nearly 30 eastern redbud varieties and bask in the beauty of the many other early-blooming trees in the spring garden.

Bird Walks on the Preserves
2025-04-29 08:30 - 11:00 | ChesLen Preserve – Corcoran’s Bridge, 1722 Embreeville Road, Coatesville, Pennsylvania, 19320
Join Mike Niven, volunteer team leader for Natural Lands’ crew of volunteer bird surveyors, on a leisurely stroll through ChesLen Preserve’s wetlands to spot and hear a wondrous assortment of resident and migratory birds. Mike will share tips and tricks to enhance your birding experience, ensuring you don’t miss a single fluttering friend.
Please note – event attendees will meet at the Corcoran’s Bridge parking lot, NOT at the main parking lot.
Can’t attend this one? Check out these other walks:

Thursday, April 24, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Hildacy Preserve (Media, PA)
Saturday, April 26, 8:00 – 11:00 AM, Green Hills Preserve (Mohnton, PA)
Thursday, May 1, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Summerhill Preserve (Willistown, PA)
Thursday, May 1, 8:00 – 11:00 AM, Willisbrook Preserve (Malvern, PA)
Thursday, May 8, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Saunders Woods Preserve (Gladwyne, PA)
Thursday, May 8, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, Stroud Preserve (West Chester, PA)
Thursday, May 15, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Gwynedd Preserve (North Wales, PA)
Saturday, May 17, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Crow’s Nest Preserve (Elverson, PA)
Tuesday, May 20, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, Peacedale Preserve (Landenberg, PA)
Thursday, May 22, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Hildacy Preserve (Media, PA)

Yoga in the Garden
2025-04-27 10:15 - 11:15 | Stoneleigh: a natural garden, 1829 County Line Road, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085
Relax the mind and strengthen the body with an all-levels yoga class and meditation session guided by Christina Fittipoldi in the tranquil setting of Stoneleigh. The gentle pace will allow us time to linger in poses and build a deeper connection to the body using our breath.
Please bring a mat, water bottle, and any props you may like to use.
Can’t attend this one, or want to enjoy more? Check these out:

Sunday, May 4, 10:15 – 11:15 am
Sunday, May 11, 10:15 – 11:15 am
Sunday, May 18, 10:15 – 11:15 am
Sunday, May 15, 10:15 – 11:15 am
Sunday, June 1, 10:15 – 11:15 am
Sunday, June 8, 10:15 – 11:15 am
Sunday, June 15, 10:15 – 11:15 am
Sunday, June 22, 10:15 – 11:15 am
Sunday, June 29, 10:15 – 11:15 am

Volunteer - Give Back to Nature
2025-04-27 09:00 - 11:30 | ChesLen Preserve, 1199 Cannery Road, Coatesville, Pennsylvania, 19320
Love nature and want to lend her a helping hand? Grab gloves and join fellow volunteers in nurturing nature. Good fun (and dirt) is guaranteed! Natural Lands cares for more than 23,000 acres and 120 miles of trails, and we couldn’t do it without volunteers like you.
Volunteering with Natural Lands is a great way to learn more about the natural world, give your time to a great cause, and connect with enthusiastic, like-minded people.
The health and safety of staff and volunteers is our highest priority during this volunteer event. Please review “before you go” details.
Capacity is limited for this small-group event. If you sign-up, please show up. If you need to cancel, please let us know so another volunteer can attend. All are welcome, ages 12 and up. Minors ages 12-17 must be accompanied by an adult and registered in the same transaction with their guardians

The Peace of Wild Things: A Nature Poetry Share - CANCELLED
2025-04-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Bryn Coed Preserve, Flint Road, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, 19425
This event has been cancelled due to the weather forecast. Please stay tuned for another date to occur this fall. We hope you’ll just us at another event soon.
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
– Wendell Berry
For as long as there has existed the written word, people have written about the natural world. To explore their connection with and deepen their understanding of it. To express an appreciation for its beauty and to raise awareness about issues that threaten it. To reflect on their place within the larger ecosystem that includes us all.
Join us in the shade of Bryn Coed Preserve’s great oak to celebrate National Poetry Month with an open share of nature-inspired poems. Share your own poems, the poems of others you appreciate, or simply listen.
This event will be one for conversation and connection, not critique; it is not intended as a workshop. Participants may join a short hike around the preserve after the poetry reading.

Volunteer - Care for Nature - CANCELLED
2025-04-26 09:00 - 11:30 | Binky Lee Preserve, 1445 Pikeland Road, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, 19425
This event has been cancelled due to the weather forecast. Please connect with us for another volunteer event.
Love nature and want to lend her a helping hand? Grab gloves and join fellow volunteers in nurturing nature. Good fun (and dirt) is guaranteed! Natural Lands cares for more than 23,000 acres and 120 miles of trails, and we couldn’t do it without volunteers like you.
Volunteering with Natural Lands is a great way to learn more about the natural world, give your time to a great cause, and connect with enthusiastic, like-minded people.
The health and safety of staff and volunteers is our highest priority during this volunteer event. Please review “before you go” details.
Capacity is limited for this small-group event. If you sign-up, please show up. If you need to cancel, please let us know so another volunteer can attend. All are welcome, ages 12 and up. Minors ages 12-17 must be accompanied by an adult and registered in the same transaction with their guardian.

Volunteer Day at Mariton
2025-04-24 09:00 - 11:30, 2025-04-19 09:00 - 11:30 | Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary, 240 Sunnyside Road, Easton, Pennsylvania, 18042
Thanks for joining this volunteer event at Natural Lands Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary. Volunteering with us is a great way to learn more about the natural world, give time to a great cause, and connect with your peers and community.
Grab gloves and plan to learn, have fun, and get hands dirty caring for nature! Natural Lands cares for more than 23,000 acres and 120 miles of trails, and we couldn’t do it without volunteers like you.
The health and safety of staff, volunteers, and visitors is our highest priority during this volunteer event. Please review “before you go” details below.
All participants must sign Natural Lands’ Volunteer Waiver, by completing the registration below. We look forward to seeing you at the event.

Bird Walks on the Preserves
2025-04-24 08:00 - 10:30 | Hildacy Preserve, 1031 Palmers Mill Road, Media, Pennsylvania, 19063
Join Preserve Manager Mike Coll on a leisurely stroll through Hildacy Preserve to spot and hear a wondrous assortment of resident and migratory birds. Mike will share tips and tricks to enhance your birding experience, ensuring you don’t miss a single fluttering friend.
Can’t attend this one? Check out these other walks:

Saturday, April 26, 8:00 – 11:00 AM, Green Hills Preserve (Mohnton, PA)
Tuesday, April 29, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, ChesLen Preserve wetlands (Coatesville, PA)
Thursday, May 1, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Summerhill Preserve (Willistown, PA)
Thursday, May 1, 8:00 – 11:00 AM, Willisbrook Preserve (Malvern, PA)
Thursday, May 8, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Saunders Woods Preserve (Gladwyne, PA)
Thursday, May 8, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, Stroud Preserve (West Chester, PA)
Thursday, May 15, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Gwynedd Preserve (North Wales, PA)
Saturday, May 17, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Crow’s Nest Preserve (Elverson, PA)
Tuesday, May 20, 8:30 – 11:00 AM, Peacedale Preserve (Landenberg, PA)
Thursday, May 22, 8:00 – 10:30 AM, Hildacy Preserve (Media, PA)

Volunteer - Nurture Nature
2025-04-20 09:00 - 11:30 | Bryn Coed Preserve, Flint Road, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, 19425
Love nature and want to lend her a helping hand? Join fellow volunteers in removing invasives, nurturing native plants, or restoring habitat. Projects vary, but good fun (and dirt) is guaranteed! Natural Lands cares for more than 23,000 acres and 120 miles of trails, and we couldn’t do it without volunteers like you.
Volunteering with Natural Lands is a great way to learn more about the natural world, give your time to a great cause, and connect with enthusiastic, like-minded people.
The health and safety of staff and volunteers is our highest priority during this volunteer event. Please review “before you go” details.
Capacity is limited for this small-group event, and pre-registration is required. If you sign-up, please plan to participate. If you need to cancel, please let us know so another volunteer can attend. All are welcome, ages 12 and up. Minors under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult parent/guardian. Adult(s) and the Minor(s) for whom they are responsible, should register in the same transaction.

Home and Garden Tour
2025-04-19 10:30 - 12:00 | Stoneleigh: a natural garden, 1829 County Line Road, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085
Enjoy dazzling displays of native plants, stately trees, and historical landscapes by the Olmsted Brothers that have been thoughtfully reimagined into a beautiful and biodiverse haven for people and wildlife.
The spectacular Tudor Revival Main House—which is usually only open for special events—is also included in the tour, so don’t miss this opportunity for a peek inside the former home of three prominent Main Line families.

Volunteer - Nurture Nature
2025-04-19 09:00 - 11:30 | Stroud Preserve, 454 North Creek Road, West Chester, Pennsylvania, 19382
Love nature and want to lend her a helping hand? Grab gloves and join fellow volunteers in removing invasives, nurturing native plants, or restoring habitat. Projects vary, but good fun (and dirt) is guaranteed! Natural Lands cares for more than 23,000 acres and 120 miles of trails, and we couldn’t do it without volunteers like you.
Volunteering with Natural Lands is a great way to learn more about the natural world, give your time to a great cause, and connect with enthusiastic, like-minded people.
The health and safety of staff and volunteers is our highest priority during this volunteer event. Please review “before you go” details.
Capacity is limited for this small-group event. If you sign-up, please show up. If you need to cancel, please let us know so another volunteer can attend. All are welcome, ages 12 and up. Minors age 12-17 must be accompanied by an adult and registered in the same transaction as their guardian.

Volunteer Day at Sadsbury Woods
2025-04-19 09:00 - 11:30 | Sadsbury Woods Preserve, 443 Old Wilmington Road, Coatesville, Pennsylvania, 19320
Love nature and want to lend her a helping hand? Grab gloves and join fellow volunteers in nurturing nature. Good fun (and dirt) is guaranteed! Natural Lands cares for more than 23,000 acres and 120 miles of trails, and we couldn’t do it without volunteers like you.
Volunteering with Natural Lands is a great way to learn more about the natural world, give your time to a great cause, and connect with enthusiastic, like-minded people.
The health and safety of staff and volunteers is our highest priority during this volunteer event. Please review “before you go” details.
Capacity is limited for this small-group event. If you sign-up, please show up. If you need to cancel, please let us know so another volunteer can attend. All are welcome, ages 12 and up. Minors ages 12-17 must be accompanied by an adult and registered in the same transaction with their guardian.

Volunteer - Give Back to Nature
2025-04-19 09:00 - 11:30 | Hildacy Preserve, 1031 Palmers Mill Road, Media, Pennsylvania, 19063

Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Wander - rescheduled
2025-04-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Stoneleigh: a natural garden, 1829 County Line Road, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085
This event is rescheduled due to weather. The new rain date is Friday April 18th from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm.
Celebrate the beginning of spring with an exploration of ephemeral wildflowers. This stunning but elusive group of plants bloom, set seed, and vanish into dormancy in just a few months, all before the rest of the garden fully awakens.
Join Stoneleigh staff on a tour of the garden’s lovely collection of spring ephemerals and learn about their lifecycle, cultivation, and uses in the home garden.

Nature as Healer: A Writing Workshop
2025-04-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Hildacy Preserve, 1031 Palmers Mill Road, Media, Pennsylvania, 19063
“Nature reminds me that healing is natural. My body, spirit, and mind want to heal, and I need to create the space and time to do that.” – Andrea Quijada
Nature can be a great healer for the heartaches we sometimes experience along our journey. Join Naila Francis, founder of This Hallowed Wilderness, for a writing workshop to explore the restorative power of nature. We will walk together through the shady woods and sunny meadows of Hildacy Preserve, listening to our inner voices, on this inspiring nature immersion.
Bring a notebook and a writing instrument for this workshop. (We will also have some available).
About the instructor: Naila is a grief coach and death midwife who companions people on their grief journey through multiple spaces and practices, including meditations in nature and the written word.
Please save the rain date in the event of inclement weather: Wednesday, May 7, 1:00 – 3:00 PM.
