wildlife watching

A great chance for parents to have a night out while the kids get to experience the Nature Park in a way few others ever do.  Gather in the Interpretive Center, have dinner (pizza and veggies), then head out into the Park after dark to explore and look for wildlife. No flashlights needed! Suitable for ages 6-12 years. Advanced registration required; call 503/629-6350. $25 per patron, in-district. An assessment fee will be charged to out-of-district patrons.

Dragonflies, beetles, and worms- oh my! After a bug-free meal we'll set out with our bug-catching nets and equipment to hunt through the park to find some of its smallest residents. No leaf will go unturned as we search to learn about these bugs of all shapes and sizes.

Introduce your little one to nature! Join a naturalist on a stroller safari through the Nature Park. Take time to listen to nature, sing a song, share a story, or explore as you enjoy a stroll through the park. Only one registration per family is necessary.  Make sure to dress for the weather.  Recommended for children 3 – 24 months.  Advanced registration required; call 503/629-6350. $8 per session, in-district. An assessment fee will be charged to out-of-district patrons.

Join us on these nature adventures as we explore the wildlife in our local parks.  We’ll search for clues that animals have left behind and get up close looks at treasures from our naturalist’s backpack that may include skulls, pelts, pellets or even scat!  Each Knee High Naturalist Hike meets at a different site.  It’s a great way to get outside with your preschool child, meet other families, and learn about the natural world.  Only one registration per family is necessary.  Suitable for ages 2-5 years. Advanced registration required; call 503/629-6350.  $8 per session, in-district.  An assessment fee will be charged for out-of-district patrons.

Willow Creek

Long boardwalks and giant trees will have us looking up and down for things going on all around us.  Meet at the park entrance on SW Waterhouse Avenue, just west of 158th Avenue.

Join us for this series of nature adventures as we explore the wildlife in our local parks.  We’ll search for clues that animals have left behind and get up close looks at treasures from our naturalist’s backpack that may include skulls, pelts, pellets or even scat!  Each Knee High Naturalist Hike session meets at a different site.  It’s a great way to get outside with your preschool child, meet other families, and learn about the natural world.  Only one registration per family is necessary. .  Suitable for ages 2-5 years. Advanced registration required; call 503/629-6350.  $8 per session, in-district.  An assessment fee will be charged for out-of-district patrons.

Bethany Lake

Look for birds of all sizes and see what other creatures live along the water.  Meet in the parking lot on the west stide of 185th, just south of West Union Road.

Vaux’s swifts are likely to use the Chapman Elementary School chimney as an evening roost during their fall 2012 migration. Grab a seat on the school lawn or in neighboring Wallace Park to observe the birds gathering overhead. On most evenings during September, Audubon volunteers will be on hand to share information about Vaux's swifts.

Please visit the Portland Audubon website for information about parking and public transit options, the natural history of Vaux's swifts, best times to arrive and more.

Background: Every year in late August, one of Portland’s most spectacular natural events begins: Thousands of Vaux’s swifts gather in the city as they prepare to migrate to Central America and Venezuela.

Migrating swifts often use chimneys as roosts (places to sleep), and they are likely to return to the same roost year after year. One swift population has been returning to the Chapman chimney since the 1980s, and it is the largest known roost of migrating Vaux's swifts in the world.