Information
Landmark: Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning CenterCity: Columbus City
Country: USA Georgia
Continent: North America
Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center, Columbus City, USA Georgia, North America
Overview
Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center in Columbus, Georgia blends lush, winding trails with interactive exhibits, offering a place where nature and learning meet.Tucked in southern Columbus, just a short drive from Fort Moore, the center stretches across more than 1,600 acres of quiet wetlands and dense forest, serving as a lively hub for environmental education, research, and community connection.It runs in partnership with Columbus State University, Columbus Water Works, and the City of Columbus.Oxbow Meadows aims to inspire environmental stewardship through hands-on, science-based learning-like exploring the rustle of leaves on a guided nature walk.It works to deepen public understanding of the natural world and sparks action to protect Georgia’s rich mix of forests, rivers, and coastline.The center focuses on hands-on learning, inviting visitors to touch the exhibits, watch wildlife up close, and wander along pine-scented trails-sparking curiosity and a deeper connection to the environment.Inside the center, you’ll find snakes coiled in their tanks, turtles basking under warm lamps, lizards darting between rocks, frogs, alligators, and native fish-all species that call the Chattahoochee Valley home.Visitors can see these creatures in enclosures that mimic their natural surroundings, learning how local animals live among mossy rocks and rustling leaves.In the Aquarium’s Stream Habitat, a clear ribbon of freshwater winds past rocks and plants, showing how fish, invertebrates, and amphibians share and shape their world.Pollinator and insect displays fill the indoor garden, with bees humming over bright blooms and butterflies drifting past.Nearby, exhibits explain how these tiny creatures keep entire ecosystems alive.The center features classrooms for student programs, workshops, and group lessons, along with an 86-seat auditorium outfitted with bright screens and clear sound for lectures and presentations.Over four miles of trails twist through quiet wetlands, shady woods, and wide, sunlit meadows.One of the main paths is the Discovery Trail, a smooth paved stretch perfect for walking, pushing a stroller, or rolling a wheelchair past the shaded benches.Beaver Boulevard winds through the shade, offering glimpses of busy beavers and the clear, winding channels they’ve carved into the earth.Birkhead Loop is a longer trail that winds past quiet birding spots and pockets of native plants swaying in the breeze.Tree Top Canopy Trail - currently closed - is a wooden walkway high above the ground where you can wander among the treetops, watching bright-feathered birds flit past and catching glimpses of insects threading through leaves.Wetland overlooks feature boardwalks and decks where you can watch herons lift off, dragonflies flicker past, and turtles bask along the swamp’s edge.The Bird Sanctuary and Pollinator Garden features thoughtfully arranged blooms and well-placed feeders that draw native and migrating birds, along with bright butterflies and busy bees, making it a perfect spot for snapping photos or watching wildlife flutter and flit among the flowers.Oxbow Meadows offers year-round programs for all ages and skill levels, from lively school field trips to curriculum-aligned lessons in ecology, biology, and conservation.They offer live animal demonstrations-think owls blinking in the sunlight-and guided hikes through the trails.Homeschool Programs: Each month, families gather for hands-on science and nature classes, offering structured lessons in environmental education.Join the World of Birds for guided hikes and hands-on workshops, where you’ll learn to spot a red-tailed hawk and explore ways to protect its habitat.Wildlife Encounters offers hands-on sessions where visitors meet live reptiles or amphibians-like feeling the cool, smooth scales of a corn snake.Seasonal events include butterfly festivals fluttering with color, lively Earth Day celebrations, and eco-themed craft fairs filled with handmade treasures.Summer Camps: Week-long day programs where kids explore wetland ecology, study wildlife biology, and dive into environmental science-maybe even spotting a heron along the shore.Internships and volunteer work give high school and college students a chance to dive into education, explore biology, and help with conservation-whether that’s teaching kids in a classroom or planting trees by a riverbank.The center welcomes everyone, with smooth paved paths underfoot, shaded benches to rest awhile, and signs in both English and Spanish placed throughout the grounds.It welcomes family visits, school trips, and group tours, with the choice of a friendly guide or a map in your own hands.Oxbow Meadows works with local groups to champion sustainability and conservation, from testing river water clarity to protecting pollinators and caring for injured wildlife.You’ll find Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center at 3535 South Lumpkin Road in Columbus, GA.It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sundays and Mondays.Admission’s free, though they suggest a $5 donation to help care for the animals and fund programs.There’s free parking, shady picnic spots, clean restrooms, a gift shop stocked with books, educational items, and handmade crafts, plus wheelchair-accessible trails and facilities.To reach them, call 706‑507‑8550.In the Chattahoochee Valley, Oxbow Meadows is a true hub for environmental education.It blends natural preservation with hands-on science outreach and lively community events, all in a setting where you can hear the wind in the pines and leave with a lasting love for the outdoors.You might come for a day of exploring, join a guided program, or catch a seasonal event, but whatever brings you here, the center delivers engaging, hands-on learning for individuals, families, and school groups.
