Schuylkill Center For Environmental Education

For nearly fifty years, our gardens have offered an escape from the chaos of city life. During the height of the growing season, one can get lost amid towering yellow corn, bright red heirloom tomatoes, meandering flower beds, sprawling pumpkin patches, and much more. Nestled in Upper Roxborough, our gardens are surrounded by serene farmland and scenic views. As one of Philadelphia's largest community gardens, we offer large garden plots and always have space for new gardeners. Our amenities include ample parking, multi-gate access points, a hose system for irrigation, a porta potty, and community tool sheds.

The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education opened its doors on July 1, 1965 as the Schuylkill Valley Nature Center. Envisioning an "island of green" where city dwellers could experience and learn about the natural world, sisters Eleanor Houston Smith and Margaret Houston Meigs, along with their families, donated the extensive parcels of farmland and woods that make up the Center's grounds today. We were one of the first environmental education centers located in a major American city, offering immersion in nature to students, families, and adults all within the city of Philadelphia.

In 2019, we introduced thousands of Philadelphia students to the wonders of nature, healed-- and returned to the wild-- injured and sick animals of more than 100 species, planted hundreds of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers in our sweeping 340-acre forest, and presented groundbreaking art from the nation's remarkable community of environmental artists. It takes a village to accomplish everything we do at the Center and you are a central component of that village, as your membership support and donations allow us to do all of this-- and so much more.