Richardson Nature Center Summer | Richardson Nature Center Winter

Find printable maps of other areas of Hyland on the Hyland Lake Park Reserve page.

Indoors

Upstairs, floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of backyard wildlife and an active bee hive. The building has several rooms, an amphitheater and an outdoor fire ring available for rent. There are also a variety of free resources available for anyone to use: bird watching backpacks, pond exploration kits, bug kits, frog kits and Nordic walking poles.

Outdoors

The interpretive area surrounding the building features hiking trails that weave between the diverse habitats of restored prairie, oak forests and wetlands. Along the trails, visitors might spot deer, fox, coyote, muskrats and turkeys. Many species of birds are observed in the area seasonally, including nesting pairs of ospreys and trumpeter swans. Trail guides, exploration kits and interpretive signs are available throughout the park.

The Nature Exploration Area encourages free play in the outdoors. Children can explore, climb, dig and build a fort while adults play along or observe nearby.

Solar Energy

A photovoltaic (PV) system on Richardson’s roof gathers energy from the sun and converts it into electricity, directly offsetting 40 to 50 percent of the building’s need for electricity from the grid. The Center also offers Solar Energy education programs. View a dashboard showing solar generation at Richardson Nature Center.

A variety of equipment is available for rent during business hours, including Nordic walking poles, nature exploration kits, all-terrain wheelchairs and snowshoes.