Opportunities to Get Involved in Harney County
Eastern Oregon is home to some of the most spectacular landscapes and important bird habitats in Oregon. Portland Audubon has been working in Eastern Oregon for more than a century to protect places such as Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and Steens Mountain and to recover imperiled species such as the greater sage-grouse.
Our programs are geared towards providing participants with opportunities to see and learn about the region’s natural history from outstanding naturalists learn about important conservation issues, build understanding across the urban-rural divide and have fun. We have a full calendar of awesome trips, events, stewardship parties, and other ways to get involved.
Questions? Contact Teresa Wicks, Eastern Oregon Field Coordinator, at twicks@audubonportland.org
Stewardship Parties
Our stewardship parties are multi-day events for folks who want to get their hands dirty. Join Audubon and local partners in restoring wildlife habitat in Harney County (and of course doing some great bird watching!)
- August 11 – 14: Sod House Ranch Stewardship Weekend
Help prepare Malheur National Wildlife Refuge’s Sod House Ranch visitor area for season opening. Maintain trails, clear vegetation, set up historic displays, and work on other restoration projects. Learn more. - October 17 – 20: Burns Paiute Tribe Upland Restoration Stewardship Weekend
Work with the Burns Paiute Tribe’s Natural Resources Department to plant native vegetation in the uplands of the Tribe’s property along the Malheur River. Learn more. - October 20 – 22: Oregon Semaphore Grass Planting
Work with the Burns Paiute Tribe’s Natural Resources Department to plant Oregon’s rarest grass, and one of the rarest grasses in the U.S. at the Tribe’s Logan Valley property. Learn more.
For more information contact Teresa Wick at twicks@audubonportland.org.
Forays
These multi-day natural history trips begin in Portland and are led by outstanding Portland Audubon naturalists.
- May 31 – June 4, 2023: Pacific Northwest Trip: Malheur Foray *FULL*
Join Portland Audubon on this five-day tour to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge filled with wondrous sights, chilly nights, and lots of birds.
Community Science
We offer a variety of opportunities to work with Portland Audubon Staff collecting data on bird and mussel populations at Malheur and in the Harney Basin.
- Spring Malheur Shorebird Survey: April 26-29, 2023
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge - Marsh Madness Marshbird Bioblitz: May 25-28, 2023
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge - Interior Snowy Plover Survey: June 21-24, 2023
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge - Greater Sandhill Crane Recruitment: July 17-Sept. 15, 2023 (weekly)
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
- Fall Malheur Shorebird Survey: August 16-19, 2023
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
- Blitzen River Mussel Survey: August 30-Sept. 3, 2023
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
For more info contact Teresa Wicks at twicks@audubonportland.org.
Events | 100 Birds of Summer
Join Teresa Wicks, Portland Audubon’s Eastern Oregon Field Coordinator for 100 Birds of Summer, a series of family and beginning birder-friendly programs connecting people to birds and nature. Over the course of the summer, we’ll aim to see 100 bird species, from forests to wetlands, and places in-between. But don’t be fooled, this series isn’t only for serious listers, we’re aiming to create community while exploring the birds and ecosystems that Harney County has to offer. Binoculars will be available. RSVP here.
For more info contact Teresa Wicks at twicks@audubonportland.org.
