Once you get away from the cities along Interstate 35, Kerrville is definitely the biggest city in the Texas Hill Country. And it’s more urbanized than it’s relatively small population might suggest, serving as a commercial, cultural and medical center for quite a few surrounding counties. That’s one reason why the Riverside Nature Center is such a pleasant surprise, situated as it is at the confluence of Town Creek and the Guadalupe River right in the middle of downtown Kerrville.

The Riverside Nature Center Association was formed in 1989, but the current site (formerly a small farm) was not secured until 1992. Pooling the resources of hundreds of volunteers and benefactors, an oasis of native plants was created over the next few years. The H.E.B. Corporation donated the historic 1904 Lawson Store building, along with $22,000 to make the store into a unique classroom, meeting room and storage facility. The Texas Forest Service provided grants for native trees and educational programs. Eagle Scouts and other volunteers built trails, the Kerrville Area Community Trust awarded $25,000 for a covered pavilion for classes, and the Hill Country Charity Ball Association donated $27,500 for a Nature Lab. The City of Kerrville provided easements to allow access to the creek and the river, and volunteers created a rainwater collection system funded by private donations.

In 1999, a beautiful new Visitor Center was completed and equipped with rotating nature displays, a library and a gift shop with appropriate items for collectors, naturalists and children. The celebration of Earth Day on April 17 was a wonderful occasion to showcase the center’s attributes, and hundreds of people took advantage of the opportunity. Extra exhibits, rainwater collection demonstrations, a plant sale, a butterfly tent and a special Earth Day program for children in the nature lab made the event fun for all ages, and introduced many to the trails and everyday displays.

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