Reserve a Program

Beginning Waterfowl Identification

From geese to ducks and swans and beyond, there's a lot of birds swimming in our waters! This identification class gives you the tools you need to identify them with confidence.

Nature Connection & Writing Workshop at Smith & Bybee

In this workshop, Julia will guide participants in sensory-based nature connection and writing exercises at Smith and Bybee Wetlands. Hot tea will be provided.

The New School of Birding, Module 3: The Wonders of Migration

Join Candace and Dan to learn about the wonders of bird migration through digital classes and field days! In this module, we hope to raise your awareness of the subtle cues of nature, and bring you into closer understanding of the lives of our feathered neighbors. We’ll explore how and why birds migrate, delving into the mysteries of how birds stay on course, how scientists measure migration, the amazing journeys of long-distance migrants, and much more. Along the way, we’ll practice our birding skills in the field, with a focus on the diversity and abundance of spring migrants in our region.

Pacific Northwest Trip: The Sandhill Cranes of Othello

Join Stefan and Randy on this exciting local trip to Othello, Washington, a main stopover site on the Pacific Flyway for Sandhill Crane migration, with up to 35,000 stopping to rest and refuel. It is a special treat to have Randy, a former Wildlife Biologist for Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and one of the co-founders of the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival 20+ years ago, with us to share his knowledge. We will explore beautiful landscapes, from the basalt columns of Columbia National Wildlife Refuge to the gorgeous vistas of Saddle Mountain. We’ll have good chances of seeing Long-billed Curlew, Tricolored Blackbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Chukar, Sagebrush and Vesper Sparrow, and Sage Thrasher.

Spring Break Camp

Spring Break Camp: Wild Salmon Run!

Come join the wild Salmon run in the Columbia River Gorge on this exciting search for wildlife! We’ll visit at a fish hatchery to explore the trails and diverse habitat. We will hike parts of the forrest that are supported by the salmon run and if luck joins us, we could spot a few Ospreys and Bald Eagles.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Newport to Florence

This three-day coastal adventure will meet all of your birding and exploration desires! Join Stefan in searching for the endangered Western Snowy Plover, White-tailed Kite, Wrentit, and much more.

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.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Owls by Day in Walla Walla

We’ll explore the unique habitat along the Columbia River, adjacent to the Blue Mountains on this self-catering winter trip to see owls by day in the Walla Walla area.

Birding Costa Rica

Join us in February for an incredible adventure in Costa Rica! Costa Rica is the gold standard for conservation policies and ecotourism and your participation supports this work as we explore the staggering biodiversity contained in a country one fifth the size of Oregon. More than 800 species of birds have been seen within the borders of this small country. To conserve this diversity, almost 30% of Costa Rica is contained in National Parks and Reserves, ensuring that it will be protected for many generations to come.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Wallowa Winter Wonderland

On this self-driving trip based out of Enterprise our exciting, bird-sighting aspirations are Bohemian Waxwing, Gray Partridge, Snow Bunting, Gray-crowned Rosy-finch, and Gyrfalcon.

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.

Rio Grande Valley: The Tropical Birds of Texas

Winter is the perfect time travel to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, with its mild tropical weather, and outstanding bird diversity. Join us as we explore the entirety of the lower valley in search of the tropical specialties that can be found nowhere else in the country.  
We’ll enjoy Green Jay, Altamira and Audubon Orioles, Plain Chachalacas, and hope for some of the thrilling rarities that make this area so unique.

Beginning Birding and Sauvie Island Exploration

Join Greg Baker and Ricky Allen for Saturday morning explorations at one of Oregon’s most accessible Important Bird Areas, Sauvie Island Wildlife Area.  

This class series is perfect for those interested in developing and sharpening their birding skills under a variety of field conditions with expert birders. Explore different habitats on the island, learn bird calls, and search for waterfowl, songbirds, and raptors

Digital Class

Field Trip

Winter Raptors of the Willamette Valley

Winter brings a fresh cast of raptors to the Willamette Valley as our fair-weather friends are replaced by northern breeders. This class will focus on our unique wintering raptors, comparing and contrasting them to our more common and year-round birds of prey. We’ll also dig into their identification and give you the tools you need to enjoy finding raptors on your own.

Bird Journals Basics: Just for Fun Bird Pages with Jude Siegel

In this class, we will explore fun ideas with page design. This will include informal, charming, and colorful ways to create unique journal pages.

ABD: Beginning Winter Raptor Identification at Sauvie Island

Sauvie Island, with its abundant open spaces and mix of habitats, is host to a large population of wintering raptors. In this beginner’s-focused trip, we’ll search for and practice identifying hawks, harriers, eagles, and falcons at some of the best hotspots on the island.

Understanding Raptors

What is a raptor? The answer may be more complicated than you think! In this introductory class, we’ll define and discuss this wide array of bird families. Focusing on their natural history and the shared adaptations that unite them as birds of prey, we’ll touch on taxonomy, evolution, and morphology, as well as the conservation issues facing this fascinating group of birds.

Winter Finches

Finches are beautiful, fascinating creatures that can be a pain to identify! Demystify finches with this class on their identification and natural history.

Audubon Birding Day: Celebrate the Holidays in Washington County

Join Stefan for a beginning of the year celebration of birds that can be found in Washington County during this time of year.

November and Winter Break Camp

Watercolor Painting with Ronna: The Great Horned Owl

Watercolor Painting with Ronna:

Advanced Waterfowl Identification

Just in time for the return of millions of wintering waterfowl, this three-part series of standalone classes provides everything you need to know to understand and identify the multitude of different Oregon waterfowl.  

There are some pretty serious identification challenges for the waterfowl enthusiast. In this class, we’ll look at lookalikes as well as some less common waterfowl you may see this winter.

Understanding Waterfowl

Ducks and geese are among the most recognizable of our birds and are a great entry point into birding, but the definition of waterfowl can seem fuzzy, and some of their adaptations can make them difficult to understand. In this introduction, we’ll cover the basics of waterfowl evolution, taxonomy, and behavior, so that you can enjoy and appreciate these birds out in the field. Separate classes in the following two weeks focus on the specific identification of many of our common waterfowl.

Field Trip: Fernhill for Beginners

Join Stefan for a 1-mile loop around Fernhill Wetlands in Forest Grove. We will look at all bird species, but our focus is on the basics of the present birds. Waterfowl is most abundant, but there should also be some raptors, little birds, and maybe shorebirds. Don’t forget to bring binoculars; that’s all you are going to need.

Audubon Birding Day:

Springtime in Cape May

Beloved by beachcombers and birders alike, the quaint seashore town of Cape May is a must-visit birding destination, from forests to salt marshes. It may surprise some to discover Cape May is one of the best places in the country to watch the miracle of bird migration.