Palmyra Cove is Environmental Gold at the Banks of the Delaware

You know that feeling when you stumble upon something wonderful that's been right under your nose? Maybe a crumpled twenty in the dryer, or an old school notebook with treasured doodles? That's the feeling I got when I discovered the Palmyra Cove Nature Park.

I had the good fortune of learning of the facility from Cinnaminson Patch's own editor Christina Paciolla, and have explored it several times throughout the summer. But I investigated still further last Friday for the 10th annual Make a Splash! Water Festival—covered by Patch's own Catherine Laughlin .

The festival was a hybrid of education and entertainment for Cinnaminson's fourth-graders. I watched as they listened to experts espouse the critical need to protect our waterways and adequately manage our greatest resource.

Of course, the kids might have been more impressed holding snapping turtles and braving live fish squirming in their hands. But it's precisely those hands-on experiences that stick in children's memories forever.

That seems to be the mantra at Palmyra Cove, as educational workshops mix seamlessly with exploratory experiences. Administered by the Palmyra Cove Environmental Education Foundation and located at the base of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, the 350-acre park blends wetlands and woodlands, and serves as a natural habitat to an abundance of wildlife.

Clara Ruvolo, the Cove's executive director, oversees the park's activities. She promotes its unique learning environment. "The children can be in the classroom, be lectured to, and read their textbooks, or they can come out and see it. [That kind] of education excites me."

Ruvolo surrounds herself with a staff that offers expertise and the very same passion that she exudes. Ed Sanderson, the park's director of environmental education, builds the curriculum for the various programs.

A Riverton resident, Sanderson began his work with Palmyra Cove in 2003. "I put together the lessons, hired the teachers, and structured the programs," he said, noting that more than 3000 students a year pass through his open-air classroom.

Sanderson listed a roster of fellow part-time teachers that assist in running the workshops. "They have to like being outdoors, and they have to enjoy what they're doing. They bring some of their own education, and we build on it."

The leadership team's knowledge translates to invaluable experiences for children, but the park offers recreation for all ages.

Hiking trails drift all around the park, offering views of marshes, flora and fauna. It's an ideal setting for conservationists, joggers, bird-watchers, photographers, and anyone seeking a refuge from suburbia.

The highlight of the Cove is the Environmental Discovery Center. The building houses an exhibit hall with interactive displays that inform visitors of the animals that call the area home, as well as the history of the bridge itself. Head up the stairs to an observation deck that offers majestic views of the Delaware River and neighboring Philadelphia.

For local residents that haven't yet experienced this tranquil terrain, consider it imperative. Find a few hours, stroll through at your own pace, and reconnect, even briefly, with that sense of awe in nature. All you really need is your eyes and ears. Oh, and your fingers—it's hands-on, remember?