Education center seen from the garden

Education Center

The Bill and Jean Lane Education Center is Edgewood Park’s beautiful, environmentally friendly building. The Ed Center is a portal for school children, nature seekers and park visitors to understand and explore Edgewood’s rare and interesting life forms, fascinating soils, and mosaic of plant communities and wildlife habitats.

The Education Center is open 9:30 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and Wednesdays 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.

We invite you to stop by for a chat with one of our volunteer docents and to check out these permanent exhibits and changing displays. We also have some great Edgewood Park gear for sale. All proceeds and donations help us support the park you love.

Nature Tales Story Time at Edgewood (NEW…beginning Feb 2024)

Kids love nature and we love kids! The Friends of Edgewood Nature Tales story time is perfect for pre-school or kindergarten aged kids*. There will be stories to inspire curiosity about the natural world, puppets, songs, games, and hands-on activities. Meet at the Bill and Jean Lane Education Center.

*Older (or younger) siblings are welcome, but Nature Tales stories are geared for younger kids.

  • Nature Tales is free. There’s no need to register in advance, all are welcome.
  • Parents or guardians must stay with their child during story time, but it will be so fun you won’t want to miss it!
  • Nature Tales story time is the first Saturday of the month (except April and May).

Volunteer at the Education Center

Our Education Center hosts play a key part in helping visitors connect with Edgewood Park. Our all-volunteer staff encourages visitors to gain a new awareness of ecological relationships and develop a sense of stewardship for the park. Learn more about ways you can volunteer at Edgewood.
Squirrel puppet

Exhibits

Ed Center Videos
Ed Center Videos

Check out our assortment of videos, prepared especially for the Education Center.

Land and water exhibit
Land and Water

Get the big picture: how land and water promotes the diversity of plants and wildlife.

Life in serpentine exhibit
Life in Serpentine

Find out how serpentine soils are crucial to Edgewood’s wildflower diversity

Species that Specialize exhibit
Species that Specialize

Explore the endangered and threatened species that live at Edgewood.

Seeps and Springs Exhibit
Seeps and Springs

Notice plant differences. See how animal tracks show the importance of water to wildlife.

Exotic IQ Exhibit
Test Your Exotic IQ

Can you recognize these invasive non-native species?

Voices of Edgewood Exhibit
Voices of Edgewood

Listen to the stories that recall the human history of Edgewood.

Education center entrance
Green Building

Explore the green design features incorporated into the Education Center.

Blooming Board
This Week at Edgewood

Check out this week’s flowers in bloom, birds and animals spotted by our docents.

Decomposers in the Garden
Duff and Stuff

Learn more about decomposers living in the garden.

The Friends of Edgewood Quilt

Taking pride of place in the Education Center is a heartfelt and handmade tribute to the commitment of volunteers to restore and preserve the special ecosystems of Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve. Dedicated in 2013 in honor of the park’s 20th anniversary, this beautiful quilt depicting the plants, animals and vistas that make Edgewood unique, was designed, hand-sewn, and donated by retired Edgewood ranger and Parks Superintendent Lynne Fritz. The dark stripes outlining the quilt blocks are actually strips of her old ranger uniform. Lynne is a friend who clearly loves and understands Edgewood.

Generous donations from sponsors have allowed us to ensure the preservation of the quilt so all visitors to the Education Center can enjoy it for years to come. If you’d like to become a Friend of Edgewood, join today with a donation at any level. Your support helps fund all our education, restoration and preservation efforts.