Road Scholar
Portland Audubon offers three Road Scholar programs a year in spring, summer, fall. Contact Road Scholar to register
Road Scholar is the new program name for Elderhostel, Inc.
In 1984 Portland Audubon offered the very first birding Elderhostel (now Road Scholar) Program in the country with then Education Director James Davis leading. Currently we offer three programs per year in spring, summer and fall.
Our programs are advertised in the Road Scholar catalog and on their
website. All of our Road Scholar offerings consistently receive the highest rating - 5 flags!
All programs begin on Sunday afternoon and end at noon the following Friday. We have a great time getting to know each other, spending time exploring and learning about the beautiful Pacific Northwest and seeing lots of birds! We hope you will join us on one of our adventures. Program fee includes all meals, lodging and transportation beginning Sunday evening through Friday lunch, and the services of your leaders.
The program number links below are live and will take you to the Road Scholar website
NOTE: All registration and payment is handled through
Road Scholar. Call 1-800-454-5768
Road Scholar programs are open to everyone.
Our annual offerings include:
2013 Dates: May 19 - 24
Birding and Natural History of Central Oregon's High Lava Plains
Home to more than 200 breeding bird species, this region of central Oregon offers a fascinating range of habitats, from forest to desert to wetlands. Embark on a circular route around the Cascade Mountains to study the area's geologic history and native Western bird species. Daily excursions target varied habitats for sightings of songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, hummingbirds and raptors. Potential species include White-headed Woodpecker, Ferruginous Hawk, Barrow's Goldeneye, Townsend's Warbler and others. Volcanic features abound with landforms such as lava flows and cinder cones, as well as the Three Sisters and Broken Top, young volcanoes of the Cascades. Also visit the Lava Lands Visitor Center and the High Desert Museum. Steve Robertson, Audubon's Education Director and Dan van den Broek, instructor for the Portland Audubon School of Birding lead this trip together.
2013 Dates: July 14 - 19
Birding, Hiking and Natural History of Mt. Adams
Based in beautiful Southern Washington, enjoy an invigorating blend of morning birding outings and afternoon nature hikes that introduce you to the amazing diversity of the Mount Adams Wilderness. Explore the micro- 80-acre Ponderosa pine forest right outside your door, searching for McGillivray’s and Nashville Warblers, Cooper’s Hawks and Olive-sided Flycatchers, and continue your birding adventures in the shadow of Mount St. Helen's and among the Douglas firs edging Trout Lake. After birding each morning, hike with Portland Audubon Society naturalists to a new area of this vast wilderness. Steve Engel, Adult Education Programs Manager for Portland Audubon, and Don Coggswell, long time volunteer and expert birder, lead this program.
2013 Dates: September 8 - 13
Fall Birding on the North Oregon Coast
Forests, bays, beaches, and headlands provide habitat for Oregon's rich coastal bird life. We will explore all these habitats in search of sandpipers, plovers, falcons, songbirds, and waterfowl. The elusive Wrentit makes its home near our lodge, Peregrine Falcon hunt the headlands of Cape Meares, White-tailed Kite patrol the Nehalem meadows, Surfbird, Wandering Tattler and Black Turnstone frequent the rocky coast, half a dozen species of gull can be counted and there are three species of cormorant to learn to identify as well as three species of loons! Audubon Society of Portland naturalist Steve Engel and dedicated volunteers Denny Graham and Sue Carr lead this program focusing on species identification, observation, and improving your birding skills. All levels of birdwatching experience are welcome! Field trips include the most scenic locations on the north Oregon coast: Ecola State Park, Oswald West State Park, Necanicum Estuary, Cape Meares Lighthouse, Tillamook Bay and Nehalem Bay. In the evening we meet in our comfortable lodge for a review of the days birds and informative short lectures. Our home on the coast will be at Twin Rocks Conference Center, known for its beautiful campus and wonderful meals. Steve Engel, Audubon's Adult Education Programs Manager, leads this trip with excellent assistance from Denny Graham and Sue Carr, Portland Audubon volunteers and birding experts.
