Get ready for the world's largest community science event! Join Audubon Mid-Atlantic at the

Parkway Central Library

in Philadelphia for our "Intro to Birding Workshop," designed to teach you the skills needed to participate in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC).

This workshop is perfect for beginners and experienced nature enthusiasts alike. Learn:

• Where to find birds in your own backyard or local park.

• What equipment is helpful and how to use it (a limited number of binoculars will be available to borrow).

• Identification tips using the free Merlin Bird ID app.

• How to submit your observations online via eBird.org or BirdCount.org, transforming your casual observations into valuable scientific data.

Help researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn how bird populations are changing. Come discover the joy of birdwatching and become a community scientist!

REGISTER HERE

NOTE THAT THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE AT THE PARKWAY FREE LIBRARY

Interested in exploring the birds who call our backyards home? Did you know that adding more native plants to our environment is one of the best ways to support them? We'll use our nature journals to explore and document the birds and plants they rely on at the Discovery Center this Winter, and make sure they have plenty of food come Spring by winter sowing your very own native wildflower seedlings to take home.

This is the second event in our Seed Stewards series. You can attend just one, or come back for future events to trace the seed all the way through its life cycle.

RESGISTER HERE

It’s been a long winter, so come shake off the cold with queer community and #birdjoy! Join Philly Queer Birders and Audubon Mid-Atlantic as we check out early spring visitors, and perhaps some surprises along the way.

We’ll start with some stationary time overlooking the reservoir and then move on to a flat grassy path at a slow pace. Bathrooms are available, as are binoculars, and plenty of parking! The Discovery Center can also be reached by several bus routes and has bike parking out front. We look forward to seeing you there, being together, and finding queer joy in nature. No registration required!

The Strawberry Mansion Lake has been here for decades, let’s see what’s inside! Join Audubon Mid-Atlantic in observing and documenting this aquatic ecosystem as the seasons change.

For March 7th, we are joined by LandHealth Institute to observe the fish in our lake and learn about city fishing! We’ll also be working with Fairmount Water Works to bring out our freshwater mussels and learn how to measure and care for them. Lastly, we'll have optional activities of sampling the water to view and identify our microscopic organisms, as well as watercolor painting with lake water. RSVP down below to secure your spot.

Throughout the year, you can try our rotating activities of exploring microorganisms and macroinvertebrate sampling during warmer weather. This community science data will be collected and utilized for future management. Kid-friendly activities are available like using children binoculars, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts (adult supervision is needed). Lastly, take a walk on our trail and waterwalk to learn more about our conservation projects! Reach out to audubon@discoveryphila.org if you have any questions.

Register here!

Celebrate the oncoming Spring by using nature journals to explore and document the plants that are soon to bloom at the Discovery Center. Add to the biodiversity of your neighborhood by starting your very own native wildflower seedlings and helping us transfer last month's seedlings to pots for Spring planting.

This is the Third event in our Seed Stewards series. You can attend just one, or come back for future events to trace the seed all the way through its life cycle.

REGISTER HERE

Join Penn State Master Watershed Stewards and Audubon Mid-Atlantic as we highlight trees present at the center, learn how we could care for them, and how they support local animals, insects and humans.

This program is for all ages (young children should have an adult present). We'll learn what a watershed is, tree identification basics, walk the trail to test our knowledge, and chat about how we can care for our trees.

Register Here

Discovery Days are monthly events at the Discovery Center that are free and open to the public. These events are co-hosted by Philadelphia Outward Bound School (POBS) and Audubon Mid-Atlantic (AMA). Each month provides opportunities for community members to experience different adventures and activities related to the outdoors. Come visit!

In March, POBS will be offering free rock climbing at our indoor rock wall. The activity is suitable for participants of any experience level, including beginners, ages 8 and up. POBS will provide equipment and instruction. Four climbing sessions will be offered over the course of the day on a first come, first serve basis. Participants must fill out a risk and liability waiver in order to participate. Children and youth must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older.

AMA will be hosting an Environmental Resource Fair. Come learn about a wide variety of organizations throughout Philadelphia that work to build sustainable, healthy communities and ecosystems!

Join artists Yvonne Love and Deirdre Murphy for nature journaling at the Discovery Center. The artists will begin by sharing images from their collaborative artworks that blend birdwatching data with hand painting, cut paper, and collage. 

Rooted in close observation of the local environment, the workshop invites participants—guided by naturalist insight and artistic prompts—to slow down, notice, and record what they see, hear and feel through drawing, writing, or both, exploring the productive juxtaposition of scientific observation and personal reflection to deepen their relationship to place. 

No experience or artistic ability is necessary. Pencils and notebooks will be provided or bring your own. 

This event coincides with Love and Murphy’s exhibitions on view at The John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove from April 18 - August 16, 2026. The artists partnered on artworks in Field Notes: Learning to See, on view in the historic house at Mill Grove. Deirdre Murphy’s paintings are featured in the solo exhibition Deirdre Murphy: Home Making, on view in the visitor center and historic house.

Learn more about the exhibitions and register here: