Flooding again damages Riverside Nature Center grounds, outbuildings

Thursday morning flooding again damaged portions of the Riverside Nature Center, following a year of recovery from the July 4, 2025 flood destruction.

The center is closed through the weekend as volunteers and staff engage in cleanup, assess damage, and prepare for the next steps. The center will reopen Monday. 

“We are grateful that the damage appears far less severe than what we experienced on July 4 of last year,” said Becky Etzler, executive director of the Riverside Nature Center. “Our staff, volunteers, and community partners have put enormous effort into restoring and strengthening this place, and we will do what we always do — come together to take care of it.”

Initial assessments indicate flood waters again entered the property, carrying debris onto the grounds. Fencing remains intact but with some damage, and the center’s 35,000 gallon water catchment tank was moved and over-turned. 

Waters entered the newly-restored Lawson Store and Nature Lab but did not carry debris and other wreckage materials. The main building did not sustain damage. 

The following programs scheduled for this weekend are canceled:

• Bird Walk & Talk
• NEd+: Moth Night
• NEdTalk
• Nature Night

The closure comes as Riverside Nature Center has been playing an active role in riparian restoration and ecological recovery following the catastrophic July 4, 2025 Guadalupe River flood. The center has hosted educational events and native tree and plant restoration efforts in partnership with the Hill Country Alliance, Texas A&M University, and the San Antonio Botanical Garden.

Updates on reopening and program rescheduling will be posted to the center’s website, https://riversidenaturecenter.org/, and Facebook page as recovery efforts progress. Visitors and program registrants are encouraged to check the website and social media for the latest information.