Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education

The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education is a pioneer in urban environmental education with innovative programs, an ambitious environmental art program, Philadelphia’s only wildlife clinic, and Pennsylvania’s first Nature Preschool. Founded in 1965, the Schuylkill Center is one of the first urban environmental education centers in the country, with 365 acres of fields, forests, ponds, and streams cared for by expert staff and dedicated volunteers. The Schuylkill Center is committed to stewardship, restoration, education, and inspiring people with nature’s wonders.

The Schuylkill Center Arboretum comprises a variety of species native to Pennsylvania. Some of our most notable specimens are our American Beech (Fagus grandiflora), Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica), and Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoids). The expansive canopies of these mature specimens provide shade for all our guests inside and outside of our Visitor Center. Just outside the main entrance to the Visitor’s Center is a mature Eastern Red bud (Cercis canadensis), Sweet Bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), and Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), all of which provide ecosystem services throughout the seasons, from profuse springtime flowers to berries and winter coverage.