Places and activities › Take a field trip › Programs for groups
Let a Metro naturalist lead your group on a fun, hands-on adventure at Oxbow Regional Park, Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area or a new Metro natural area.
To arrange a summer group program, contact the naturalist. It is recommended that you call at least three months in advance to reserve a field trip date, though naturalists may be able to accommodate a trip with less notice.
Oxbow Regional Park
Dan Daly
503-797-1899
dan.daly@oregonmetro.gov
Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area
James Davis
503-797-1901
james.davis@oregonmetro.gov
For youth groups, Metro offers a standard program at Smith and Bybee Wetlands that includes three main activities. All programs include learning the basic wildlife watching skills passed down by native trackers and scouts for getting good looks at the resident animals. In addition to looking for the animals themselves, participants look for evidence they have left behind - tracks, scat, trails, nests, chews on trees, etc. You learn the most about mammals through the evidence they leave, but you get to know the birds by seeing and hearing them. From April through July, you are likely to see Western painted turtles during sunny weather.
In the spring, groups investigate the small animals living in the lakes, the "water bugs." Participants look for and gently catch water bugs for closer looks with magnifying glasses. Discuss the relationships between the critters you see and construct a food web. You will also see some of the larger water animals such as ducks and herons. If conditions are not good for the water bugs activity, you will look at the pelts (preserved skins) of some of the natural area's most common mammals. Seeing and touching mammal pelts up close helps with identification of live animals in the wild.
In all programs, nature leads the way; naturalists focus on what you encounter that day. Custom programs can sometimes be provided for a group with a special interest. Group programs are about two hours long.
This is a great way to kick off your group's overnight camping or river trip at Oxbow Regional Park. The naturalist will come to your campsite and orient you to the park's animals and natural features, "nature etiquette" tips and basic camper safety for children. Find out about your neighbors - the osprey, deer and fox - and handle real animal pelts. (45 minutes)
An animal tracker can read the ground like an open book. Who left that footprint? Was it a bear, a fox or an otter? When were they here? Why did they pass this way? Discover how to identify animal tracks and to interpret their meaning as we search for stories in the sand on the banks of the Sandy River. Handle real track casts, beaver chews and play tracking games. (Available in 2-hour or 3-hour versions; long version for ages 12 to adult)
Head down to the Sandy River to discover wildlife living in the water. Get your hands wet as you catch and release aquatic bugs and crayfish. Magnifiers are provided for a close-up view of creatures like the giant stone fly, the green rock worm and the fall caddis fly. A summertime favorite! Special attention is paid to river safety. (Available in 1.5-hour and 2-hour versions)
Experience the wonder of an old-growth forest with all your senses. Hike in the cool shade of towering trees, taste the wild edibles of summer and hear the song of the winter wren. Program includes the basics of ancient forest ecology, tree and animal sign identification and birdsongs. (Available in 1.5-hour and 3-hour versions)
Get lost! Could you survive? The goal of this program is to develop the edge needed to stay alive in a real survival situation. Topics can include shelter building, finding safe drinking water, fire without matches and feeding yourself with nature's bounty. (Available in 2-hour, 3-hour or 4-hour versions)
The ancient geologic story of the Sandy River Gorge is the backdrop for this hiking program. Explore volcanic mudslides, ancient stumps of mystery, a buried forest and beautiful views of the Sandy River from high on Alder Ridge. (Available in 2-hour and 4-hour versions; best for children in fourth grade or higher)
Have you ever wondered what the birds are saying when they chirp and sing? Ancient peoples depended on the birds to know when predators were hiding up ahead on the trail or to tell them when people were coming. You can too! Look and listen for our feathered friends, discover their secret language and play fun awareness games in the woods. (2 hours; a longer version is available for adults)
How did native peoples use the trees and plants to survive? Dive into the amazing world of plants as you explore their edible, medicinal and craft uses in an ancient forest. Sample wild edibles, make cordage from cedar or nettle, then make your own elderberry wood bead and sand it smooth with nature's sandpaper - the horsetail plant. (2 hours)
What do ospreys eat? How big are their nests? Where do they go in winter? Find out all about these "fish hawks" through storytelling and osprey games that teach about their life on the water. Then take a hike through the ancient forest to observe a nest and with luck - the osprey themselves. A spotting scope is provided for close-up views. (1.5 hours, offered in June and July only)
Greet the wild fall Chinook salmon as they return to their place of birth here on the Sandy River. Walk along the river to observe real salmon on their spawning grounds. A naturalist will guide the way as you learn about the journey of the salmon and examine real salmon eggs. Polarized viewing glasses provided. (2 hours, from October through Nov. 7 only)
Have you ever wanted to get close to a deer? Would you like to see more wild animals without scaring them away? You can when you learn the ancient secrets for being invisible in the woods. Try the fox walk and other skills that have been passed down by native trackers and scouts. This program can include nature awareness games, solo sits in the forest or a silent walk to test your skills with spotting wildlife. (1.5 to 2.5 hours)
Field trips are designed for groups of 10-25. Larger groups often can be accommodated if discussed with the naturalist well in advance.
Most programs are 1.5 to 2 hours. Larger groups may require more time. This estimate does not include travel time to the site or lunch.
If you would like to arrange your own field trip to a Metro park or natural area without our naturalists, you must obtain an Education Special Use Permit in advance. Permits are free for most groups and are easy to obtain. For more information about the permit application, call Sandy Jamison at 503-813-7565.
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Is your service club, faith group, or Scout troop looking for a service project? Is your workplace planning a team-building day? Most of Metro's 12,000-plus acres of natural areas and parks need active and ongoing restoration to enhance their habitat values and suitability for native plants and animals. More
