Reserve a Program

Tuesday: Bird Song Walks at Wilkes Creek

Assistant Director of Urban Conservation Micah Meskel will join Brodie Cass Talbott andTara Lemezis from our Education Team to lead a new series of walks around  
Wilkes City Park every Tuesday. This new location is the epicenter of Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Greening Wilkes Initiative. In collaboration with Friends of Trees, Verde, Columbia Slough Watershed Council, and Portland Parks and Recreation, we’re working with the community surrounding the Wilkes Creek Headwaters in outer East Portland to restore and enhance the area’s greenspaces, engage the community in activities to increase climate resilience and deepen the community’s growing connection to this evolving green space. Come check it out with us!

Field Trip for PreK-2nd grade, Slot 2

Hanging out in Habitats: Grades PreK-2  
Spend the morning in the forest using hands-on learning to observe and investigate what plants and animals (including us!) need to survive in their habitats.

Wednesday: Mt. Tabor Bird Song Walks 2.0

Mt. Tabor is one of the most popular birding locations in the Portland Metro area and is a hotspot for migrant birds in spring. The mornings will include birdsong from our resident forest birds and colorful visitors like the Western Tanager and many warblers. *You can expect a large crowd of enthusiastic birders every week.

Wednesday: Mt. Tabor Bird Song Walks - New Birders!

New to birding? New to birding Mt. Tabor? Our legendary Mt. Tabor bird song walk can be a big group. This will be a shorter outing with a smaller group size (on most days). Be ready for a laid back and casual birding time. We will make space to listen to the birds as well as to eachother. Casual conversation and community building is encouraged on this walk. Together we will focus on our year-round resident birds and gradually welcome colorful spring migrants and those tricky flycatchers. Beginners and first timers are welcome here. *Please note- we will most often climb down large flights of stairs.

Thursday: Bird Song Walks at Pittock Mansion

Start your day with a spring Birdsong walk at Pittock Mansion! This location overlooks the Portland skyline from 1,000 ft up and can host many suprise migrant birds flying through. Stay for the whole time or leave when you need to. We'll listen for spring migrants and resident birds. Be prepared for birding on some uphill and downhill terrain with paved and dirt trail surfaces. Bring binoculars and dress for the weather as mornings can be cool. Meeting details: No parking payment is required (parking kitty begins at 9:30AM). Meet in the parking lot at 7 am. 3229 NW Pittock Dr, Portland, OR 97210

Thursday: Bird Song Walks at Fernhill Wetlands

Join Chris Williams for a two hour morning Bird Song walk at Fernhill Wetlands. In early spring we may expect find lots of waterfowl preparing to head north for their breeding grounds. We should also expect to hear songbirds singing as they prepare for the breeding season and hopefully we'll see some nest building. Throughout the season we can expect to see spring migrants including several warbler and flycatcher species. The loop we will do is about 1.15 miles on a paved trail around Fernhill Lake. We hope to see you there!

Field Trip at BAO: Grade 2-6, Both Slots: 9:45-1:00

Interacting with Ecosystems OR Amazing Animal Adaptations, for Grades 2-6. You will choose one program on the reservation form that follows.  

Enter "1" in the box next to the pricing level that you are paying at.

Digital Class

Birding Day:

Field Trip for PreK-2nd grade, Slot 1

Hanging out in Habitats: Grades PreK-2  
Spend the morning in the forest using hands-on learning to observe and investigate what plants and animals (including us!) need to survive in their habitats.  

Enter "1" in the box next to the pricing level that you are paying at.

BIPOC & Queer Outings

Join Candace and Camelia for a new round of birding in community. Canemah Bluff is a tucked away location near the Willamette Narrows. Canemah Bluff sits on the ridge of an ancient Columbia Basalt flow where Ice Age Floods later washed away the soil, creating a small scabland of rocky outcrops. You definitely want to check this place out with us.  
In this late Spring morning, we hope to glimpse some of our spring migrants like Common Yellowthroats, flycatchers, Western Tangers and so many more.  
This space is for BIPOC and or Queer peoples!

Bird Journals for Beginners and Continuing Journalers!

Get started or continue with your bird journal, using drawing, simple watercolor, and writing. We use specimens and photos to practice. You will try simple ways to learn to see in new ways, then draw, write, and use watercolors, and develop your pages. No art experience needed, just enthusiasm and a few tools! Register for each class separately.

Magical Birding in Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley

From amazing birds, to the fertile Sacred Valley, a trip to the cloud forest and Machu Picchu, you won't want to miss this magical experience full of hummingbirds, tropical species, and Peruvian history and culture!

Pacific Northwest Trip: Malheur Foray

Explore remote and beautiful southeastern Oregon and visit a world-class birder’s paradise, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, during peak migration. We’ll focus on both birds and the natural history of the vast refuge and surrounding areas, including Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert.

Coyote Chat with Stan Gehrt

Dr. Stan Gehrt is principal investigator of the largest, and longest, study of coyotes in the Chicago area, which has involved the monitoring of over 1,600 coyotes over a 25-year period. In this presentation, he will discuss the things we have learned from these animals living among millions of people, such as how they move across the landscape while avoiding us, how they interact with each other, and how they function as predators in the urban ecosystem. Dr. Gehrt will also discuss the risks and the benefits of having a top predator within the city, and how our relationships with them may evolve into the future.  

*Dr. Gehrt will be virtual, but the event will be in person at Heron Hall at the Bird Alliance of Oregon sanctuary.

Field Trip at BAO: Grades 2-6, 9:45-11:15

Interacting with Ecosystems OR Amazing Animal Adaptations, for Grades 2-6. You will choose one program on the reservation form that follows.  

Enter "1" in the box next to the pricing level that you are paying at.

Standing Outings at Errol Heights

Join us for free, community-focused birding outings at Errol Heights! Space is limited to 15. Please make sure that you put this event on your calendar and let us know one week ahead of time if you can't make it.

Field Trip:

In-Person Watercolor Painting with Ronna: Grosbeaks

Almost every spring and summer, the Grosbeaks will be revealed in deciduous woodlands. One way to gain knowledge of the subtle differences between the Grosbeaks is to do studies and paint sketches in fine detail. We will look at several Grosbeaks and create beautiful painting sketches during this in-person watercolor painting class.

Luminous Together Forest Bathing Walk

Join us for a 2 hour Forest Bathing experience and reconnect with nature. Slow down, breathe deeply, and immerse yourself in the forest. Guided by a certified forest therapist, you'll explore mindful walking, sensory activities, and reflective moments. We will move through a series of invitations, which are simple, sensory practices that encourage the senses to come forward, as the thinking mind settles.

Bird Days of Summer

Plein Air Watercolor Workshop

For the adventurous painter in you, come join Ronna to paint the incredible landscapes at Sauvie Island. Bring your watercolors and a comfy lawn chair and or easel and spend the day learning the basics of plein air watercolor painting.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Explore Okanogan

Join us to explore one of the most spectacular and productive areas of the Pacific Northwest for birding: the Okanogan. This mid/late June trip features the many habitats of the area including grasslands, forests, high elevation, wetlands and shrub steppe. We should expect to see 150 species of birds, including highlights like Bobolink, Williamson’s Sapsucker, forest grouse, Least Flycatcher, Veery and Clay-colored Sparrow and an assortment of colorful butterflies and wildflowers.

Forest Friends

Summer Camp: Super Scientists, Grades 1-2

Creature Creators:

Summer Camp: Nature Explorers, Grades 3-5

Summer Camp: Outdoor Naturalists, Grades 6-8

SWIFTS Nature Camp Aftercare

*Aftercare is not an option for Topaz Farm Camps.*  
Register for Afterecare! Please select the Monday of the Week(s) of Aftercare you would like to enroll your camper in. Then, select the option for the number of days of aftercare you need for each week.  

To better accommodate parents’ busy schedules, our full-day camps have a start time window between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and a pick-up window of 3:00/3:15 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Camp will run between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and 1/1:30 p.m. on Fridays. An aftercare fee of $25 will be charged for any child picked up after 3:15 p.m. (M-Th) and 1:15 p.m. (Fridays).  

As part of our commitment to support working families, we’re happy to host Aftercare again this summer. Campers can continue their camp day with even more nature play!

Summer Camp: Topaz, Grades 1-2