Only 2 Months Until North Texas Giving Day – Sept. 19!

River Legacy Foundation invites you to join the movement this year to help us meet and exceed our own North Texas Giving Day Matching Challenge Grant again this year!

Here’s how YOU can help:

  • Get Up & GIVE on Sept. 19
    Your gift matters! Donate to River Legacy Foundation via www.northtexasgivingday.org/river-legacy-foundation between 6 am and midnight and your dollar will be multiplied with our own matching grant as well as bonus funds and prizes from Communities Foundation of Texas.
  • Schedule Your Gift
    Not available on Sept. 19? No worries! Schedule your donation at www.northtexasgivingday.org/river-legacy-foundation between Sept. 9 and Sept. 18 to make your gift count!
  • Join us for the Arlington Gives! Concert & Vote
    Enjoy a FREE concert at the Levitt Pavilion on Sept. 19 and vote for River Legacy Foundation for the People’s Choice Award to help us win a $10,000 bonus grant!
  • Follow Us & Spread the Word!
    Follow us on Facebook.com/riverlegacyparks or Twitter.com/rlsciencecenter to stay up to date on North Texas Giving Day! Share posts with your friends and family and tag @RiverLegacyParks and #NTxGivingDay. Communities Foundation of Texas is offering a prize for the most shared Social Media post!

For more information on how YOU can help River Legacy Foundation on North Texas Giving Day, Sept. 19, reach out to Becky Nussbaum Gerro at becky@riverlegacy.org. For more information on North Texas Giving Day, visit www.northtexasgivingday.org.

Thank you for joining River Legacy Foundation in the North Texas Giving Day regional giving experience! We couldn’t do it without YOU!

Save BIG on Hurricane Harbor Tickets for just $20!

Get ’em while they last! Buy daily admission tickets to Hurricane Harbor for just $20 (a savings of more than $18 off the regular gate price of $38.99) at River Legacy Living Science Center. The $20 ticket price is good for children (ages 3 and up) and adults.

Tickets are valid any operating day of the 2019 season for the Arlington, Texas Hurricane Harbor ONLY! Hurricane Harbor’s season runs from May 4 through Sept. 22. For a complete schedule of hours and times for Hurricane Harbor, visit www.sixflags.com.

Tickets may be purchased between 9 am and 5 pm, Mondays through Saturdays, at Acorns Gift Shop inside River Legacy Living Science Center, 703 NW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington, TX 76006. There is no limit on the number of tickets purchased while supplies last.

Not only will you and your family benefit from the savings, but all proceeds from ticket sales will benefit River Legacy Foundation’s environmental education programs at River Legacy Living Science Center.

So stock up on Summer Fun! You Win, We Win, What a DEAL!

 

NEW Event Combines Two Favorite Festivals for FALL FUN!

River Legacy Foundation is partnering with the City of Arlington’s Parks and Recreation Department to offer the River Legacy Foundation Fall Festival, Oct. 12 & 13. This NEW event combines the best of River Legacy’s signature fundraising event, After Dark in the Park, with the city’s annual Eco-Fest for a unique family fall festival focusing on nature and conservation.

Families will enjoy some of their favorite activities from both events, such as animal explorations, face painting, storytelling, hayrides and MORE with a mix of NEW games, demonstrations, and vendors for a one-of-a-kind fall festival. The event offers two full days of fun from 11 am to 9 pm, Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 at River Legacy Park and River Legacy Living Science Center. Admission to the Fall Festival will be $8 for all ages 3 and up, but admission will include more than 30 FREE activities in River Legacy Park and River Legacy Living Science Center. Special discount ticket packages will go on sale in September.

This new fall festival format will cater to a wider audience of all ages by offering a variety of day and evening activities and entertainment. Groups, organizations and businesses with environmental initiatives will also be recognized this year.

Interested sponsors, vendors and participants should contact Shannon Porter, River Legacy Foundation Event/Exhibit Manager, for more information at 817.860.6752, ext. 119 or via e-mail.

Watch River Legacy Living Science Center’s Facebook and Web site pages for news, updates and new activities planned, and be sure to Fall Into Nature at River Legacy Foundation’s NEW Fall Festival!

Join us for Feathered FUN at FREE Family Festival!

Become a citizen scientist for the day and discover who might be showing their feathers by participating in River Legacy’s Great Backyard Bird Count FREE Family Festival on Saturday, Feb. 16.

River Legacy Living Science Center will lead guided bird counts and host a family-friendly festival as part of the 22nd annual Great Backyard Bird Count, a four-day global event sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that allows bird watchers from across the globe to count the birds they see from Feb. 15 through Feb. 18.

River Legacy’s FREE festival slated from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, Feb. 16 at the Science Center, 703 NW Green Oaks Blvd., will give participants a chance to be citizen scientists by contributing to a snapshot of bird distribution that can help Cornell scientists discover changes over the past 20 years.

Discover all of the family-friendly feathered fun available by downloading the activity schedule here.

In 2018, Great Backyard Bird Count participants in more than 100 countries counted more than 6,400 species of birds on more than 180,000 checklists!

This free festival is supported by River Legacy Living Science Center’s annual sponsors: Baylor Orthopedic Spine Hospital of Arlington, SA-SO and Viridian.

Finding Love at River Legacy!

Forget online match making, if you really want to find love, volunteer at River Legacy Living Science Center!

The first time Angela volunteered at River Legacy in November 2005, she was briefly introduced to a volunteer wearing a Minimizer the Recycle Dog costume. Little did she know that she was meeting her future husband. Over the next couple of months and years, their paths continued to cross at River Legacy where they volunteered on a regular basis.

Angela says, “I remember thinking, ‘I wonder if that guy will be here’ ” when she signed up to volunteer at Cardboard Boat Regatta. And of course, he was. Over the course of many more festivals, events and volunteer projects at River Legacy, they seemed to find themselves assigned to volunteer together. “It gave me a chance to learn his name,” Angela says.

David and Angela soon learned that they had similar interests and after one volunteer event went to see a movie together. In April of 2009, while walking along one of the wooded trails in River Legacy Park, David proposed to Angela.

It was only fitting that their wedding should take place where their relationship began. Angela and David received special permission to marry at the Science Center before it was an up and coming wedding venue! “Being able to marry my husband where I not only met him, but the place that our entire relationship grew from, was absolutely perfect!,” Angela says.

Today, River Legacy Living still holds a special place in their family. The couple continues to volunteer together and bring their two children to many of the festivals and educational programs that River Legacy Living Science Center has to offer. The two are also reigning champions in River Legacy’s Cardboard Boat Regatta Build-On-Site races!

Spread the love for Valentine’s Day! Share your River Legacy love stories — a favorite moment; a special place; a memorable meeting; a family pastime or tradition; an adorable anecdote; an outdoor adventure… Let us know what you LOVE about River Legacy by commenting below or posting on social media using the hashtag #LoveRiverLegacy!

Give the Gift of Discovery & More!

As you plan your gift giving and end-of-year giving, thank you for thinking of River Legacy Living Science Center:
Give the gift of Discovery with a membership to our NEW Discovery Room! Memberships offer unlimited Discovery Room visits as well as other member perks such as guest passes and more. Check out the membership levels heredownload and print a membership application form
and bring it to the Science Center to complete your purchase.

Other ways to give & give back include:

 

  • Avoid the crowds and the hustle and bustle of busy malls and shopping centers, and find unique nature-oriented gifts, games, toys and jewelry for everyone on your list at our Acorns Gift Shop located inside River Legacy Living Science Center. The shop is managed by volunteers and all proceeds from purchases support our environmental education programs. Acorns Gift Shop is also the only authorized North Texas Retailer of Wee Forest Folk miniature collectibles. Shop 9 am to 5 pm, Mondays through Saturdays.
  • Give the gift of magical memories. Book a Storybook Magic photo shoot for $50 and the studio will donate the fees to River Legacy Foundation. You will receive a complimentary magical portrait session and one 8 x 10 portrait (a $250 value). To learn more or to book your fantasy photo shoot in support of River Legacy Foundation, schedule your appointment online at www.storybookstudiosdfw.com.
  • Donate to River Legacy Foundation in honor of a family member or friend! We will send your honoree a special acknowledgement letter and will send you a tax receipt. Donate online and select Tribute Gift as the donation type or stop by the Science Center to make your donation in person.

Thank You!

Scout Badge Days

Scouts now have two Badge Day options at River Legacy Living Science Center as they  prepare to earn badges and move from one level of scouting to the next with an emphasis on nature.

Winter Scout Badge Day is scheduled from 10 am to 2 pm, Saturday, December 1, at River Legacy Living Science Center. The following badges or awards will be completed or partially completed during Winter Scout Badge Day:

  • Daisies
    • Journey: 5 Flowers, 4 Stories & 3 Cheers for Animals**
  • Brownies
    • Ecofriend **
    • Hiker *
  • Juniors
    • Animal Habitats **
  • Cadettes
    • Trees*
  • Tiger Cubs
    • Tigers in the Wild **
  • Wolf Cubs
    • Paws on the Path **
  • Bear Cubs
    • Fur, Feathers & Ferns **
  • Webelos
    • Into the Wild **

* Badge or Award program is designed to complete all steps required to earn the badge.
** Badge programs are designed to complete a few steps required to earn the badge.

Click Here for more information on the Winter Scout Badge Day requirements. 

Spring Scout Badge Day is scheduled from 10 am to 2 pm, Saturday, March 2, 2019 at River Legacy Living Science Center. The following badges or awards will be completed or partially completed during Spring Scout Badge Day:

  • Daisies
    • Ecolearner*
  • Brownies
    • Bugs*
    • Outdoor Adventurer *
  • Juniors
    • Flowers **
  • Cadettes
    • Trees*
  • Tiger Cubs
    • Tigers in the Wild **
  • Wolf Cubs
    • Paws on the Path **
  • Bear Cubs
    • Fur, Feathers & Ferns **
  • Webelos
    • Into the Woods*

* Badge or Award program is designed to complete all steps required to earn the badge.
** Badge programs are designed to complete a few steps required to earn the badge.

Click Here for more information on the Spring Scout Badge Day requirements.

Cost for each Badge Day is $15 per Scout and sibling. Parents and chaperones may attend for free. Scout programs are held rain or shine, so please dress appropriately as a portion of the program will be outdoors. The day is designed as a come-and-go program. Lunch is not provided, but participants are welcome to bring a sack lunch.

Registration is available online here for the Winter and/or Spring events. Please note that once payment is received, there are no refunds.

To learn more,  contact Naturalist Supervisor Shannon Porter via e-mail or at 817.860.6752, ext. 119.

 

 

 

In-Kind Donations Support Our Programs

    

We are extremely thankful for all of the businesses, corporations, and individuals who donate services, products, merchandise, gifts, etc. to support River Legacy’s environmental education programs. Every donation, from food, printing to products, helps us invest more of our donors’ contributions and grants received into growing the next generation of environmental stewards. And we couldn’t do it without YOU!

Here are just a few examples of some In-Kind Donations we have received recently:

  • GoGo Squeez – snacks for Summer Campers
  • Bitsy’s Snacks – snacks for Summer Campers
  • Six Flags Hurricane Harbor – Daily admission tickets that we can sell for a HUGE discount with all proceeds benefitting our educational programs
  • Six Flags Over Texas – Behind-the-scenes tour & More for our Summer Campers in Amusement Park Science
  • PrintPlace – River Legacy Foundation/River Legacy Living Science Center is so grateful to participate in the PrintPlace Nonprofit Sponsorship Program!

We would certainly LOVE to have your in-kind partnership too! Donations of gift cards, services, products, merchandise and more can be great incentives for our fundraising event auctions and raffles.

Download an In-Kind Donation form or contact Kristi Payne via e-mail or call 817.860.6752, ext. 107. Thank you so much connecting families and children to nature!

 

 

Discount Hurricane Harbor Tickets at River Legacy!

River Legacy Living Science Center has your discount ticket to summer fun at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor! Buy daily admission tickets to Hurricane Harbor for just $20 (a savings of more than $18 off of the gate price of $38.99) at River Legacy Living Science Center!

Daily admission tickets are valid any operating day of Hurricane Harbor’s 2018 season and can be purchased between 9 am and 5 pm Mondays through Saturdays inside the gift shop at the Science Center, 703 NW Green Oaks Blvd. Limited supply available, so get yours TODAY.

Not only will you and your family benefit from the savings, but all proceeds from ticket sales benefit River Legacy Foundation. That’s right, every dollar you spend goes directly to support River Legacy Living Science Center and our educational programs!

Reward yourself with some Hurricane Harbor fun and feel good about making a contribution to River Legacy. You Win. We Win. What a Deal!