Nature & Trails

Nature & TrailsNature & Trails DepartmentFanno Creek Service Center6220 SW 112th AvenueBeaverton, OR 97008503-629-6350Bruce BarbaraschNature & Trails ManagerTHPRD offers more than 162 natural areas. TheNature & Trails Department, with the support ofthe community, serves as the steward of theseareas by managing wildlife habitat, native plantcommunities and the trails that guide you throughthese natural areas. These sites are importantreminders of our natural heritage and providea variety of benefits, including diverse habitats,wildlife corridors and opportunities to connectwith nature.Walk with MeFree! Join us starting June 5 at a trailhead and enjoy a2-3 mile walk/hike in a THPRD park. Create friendshipswithin your own community while improving yourfitness, one step at a time!Visit www.thprd.org for more information.THPRD’s Public Art CollectionDid you know that THPRD has nearly a dozenpublic art installations? The newest of themis along the Fanno Creek Trail near SW 86thAve. Local artists David Boekelheide andChristina Conant have created Undercurrent,an artwork that explores the topography ofthe Fanno Creek area.All of our art projects can be found on a newmap and webpage at NatureVisit Cooper MountainNature Park18892 SW Kemmer Rd., Beaverton, OR 97007Overlooking the Tualatin River Valley, Cooper MountainNature Park is located on the edge of Beaverton. This 230acre park offers visitors 3½ miles of trails traversing thepark and passing through each of its distinct habitats, fromconifer forest to prairies and oak woodlands. Visitors arerewarded with grand views of the Chehalem Mountains,close-up looks at Oregon white oaks and a small prairiethat has sat relatively undisturbed for hundreds of years.The park also features a nature play area for children.Metro and THPRD work in partnership to manage CooperMountain Nature Park. Together the two agencies continuehabitat restoration and wildlife monitoring, maintain hikingtrails and the Nature House and provide environmentaleducation programs to visitors of all ages.Visit Tualatin Hills Nature Park15655 SW Millikan Way, Beaverton, OR 97003The Tualatin Hills Nature Park provides a unique habitat formany plants and animals. Come explore the park’s ponds,creeks, marshes and forests on 1½ miles of paved trails,four miles of secondary trails and 222 acres of ecologicallydiverse habitats.Both nature parks are open dawn to dusk. For theprotection of wildlife, pets, including dogs, are notallowed at either park. Patrons must remain on trails toavoid poison oak and protect wildlife.Winter/Spring Activities GuideTualatin Hills Park & Recreation District

Nature ProgramsTualatin Hills Nature Center15655 SW Millikan WayBeaverton, 97003 503-629-6350TriMet Route #57, #62, #67Westside Light Rail (MAX) Blue Line - Merlo/158thInterpretive Programs Supervisor: Kristin SmithWinter Term: Jan. 1-Mar. 31, 2019Spring Term: Apr. 1-June 16, 2019Park Hours: Dawn until dusk, unless otherwise posted.Nature Center Hours:Monday - Friday: 8:30 am-5 pmSaturday - Sunday: 9 am-5 pm**The Nature Center closes at 4 pm on Saturday andSunday, Nov. 1 through Jan. 31.Cooper Mountain Nature Park18892 SW Kemmer RoadBeaverton, 97007 503-629-6350Registration for programs atCooper Mountain Nature ParkOut-of-district patrons are able to register forprograms at Cooper Mountain Nature Park at thein-district fee rate. You will need to acquire a THPRDresidency card, at no extra charge, before registrationbegins. Cooper Mountain program registration forboth in-district and out-of-district patrons will beginSaturday, December 8 for winter term and Saturday,March 2 for spring term. Please see page 5 formore information. This special out-of-district feeexemption is only valid for programs at CooperMountain Nature Park.Holiday Closures: Call the Nature Center for hoursand information.The Nature Store is located in the lobby of theTualatin Hills Nature Center and offers a wide range ofnature-related books and gifts for all ages. All profitsfrom store sales go back to the Tualatin Hills ParkFoundation to provide scholarships for school field tripsand transportation to the Tualatin Hills Nature Park.Nature Center offers: Nature StoreNature Studies - Preschool, Youth & FamilyNature CampsEventsGroup ProgramsAdult FitnessOutdoor RecreationVolunteer with Nature & TrailsThe best way to help protect the natural resourcesin our community is to get involved. The Nature &Trails Department provides a variety of volunteeropportunities in stewardship and education programsthat support local natural areas. If you are interested involunteering, contact Melissa Marcum at 503-619-3941or mmarcum@thprd.org.Upcoming Wildlife Habitat Restoration ProjectsHelp out with trail work or our ongoing habitatrestoration efforts at a number of parks throughoutthe district. Check out available projects and sign up /parkimprovement.Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation DistrictFacility RentalsThe Tualatin Hills Nature Center and Cooper MountainNature House have rental spaces for your next event.Rentals are available when programs are not scheduled.Please call for rates and availability.THPRDNatureWinter/Spring Activities GuideTHPRDNaturewww.thprd.org153

Nature Programs503-629-6350Group Nature Programs: All AgesPerfect for preschools, scout troops, youth groups,homeschool groups, afterschool clubs and businesses.Led by environmental education staff, these outdoor,hands-on, minds-on programs can be scheduled at theTualatin Hills Nature Park, Cooper Mountain Nature Park,and other THPRD natural areas or at your private facility.Call today for details and to schedule a guided hike orhands-on adventure for your group.Locations: Cooper Mountain Nature Park, Tualatin HillsNature Park and natural areas throughout Beaverton.Scouts in NatureGirl ScoutsDaisies, Brownies and JuniorsA visit to a park is a great activity for your troop todo as part of a regular meeting or as an extra activity.Whether self-guided or led by one of our naturalists,girls can work towards earning their petals, badges orjourneys through nature exploration. Our experiencedstaff will focus guided hikes and hands-on activities tomeet your troop’s needs.Brownies and Juniors:Citizen Science Journey WorkshopGet started on your Citizen Science Journey with a guidednaturalist from the Nature Center. Sharpen your five sensesand observation skills, create your field journal and getstarted on data collection! You will be ready to start enteringyour findings on a citizen science website to contribute toscientific research.3/16S10 am-NoonTualatin Hills Nature CenterSchool Nature Programs:K-12Our experienced environmental educators lead theseengaging, hands-on programs at nature parks andnatural areas that are within walking distance of schools.Activities incorporate a variety of core concepts fromthe Next Generation Science Standards, while fosteringmemorable outdoor learning experiences that cannotbe duplicated in a classroom. Visit www.thprd.org tolearn more about which programs help reinforce thescientific practices and crosscutting concepts that yourclass is working on this year. Contact us today to set up aprogram for your class, or fill out our new online requestform m-request/Locations: Cooper Mountain Nature Park, Tualatin HillsNature Park, natural areas throughout Beaverton, and atyour school.7-11 yrsID/AP: 14NP35170OD: 17.50NOTE: If your troop can’t make this date, give us a call andwe can set up a group Outdoor Art Creator and ExplorerBadge program that works with your schedule.Boy ScoutsBadge ProgramsSchedule a time for your pack to work on just afew requirements or complete an entire badge. Anaturalist will guide you through hands-on activitiesto complete the badge components of your choice.What can be better than learning to identify nativetrees in your neighborhood park, talking with a parkranger about their job duties, or learning why thoseslimy banana slugs are so perfectly adapted to thePacific Northwest?Nature Birthday Parties: Ages 3-12 yrsWhether your child loves bugs, knows all about birds or just likes being outside, we can provide a memorableexperience for the birthday boy or girl and their friends. Our packages include a one-hour nature program of yourchoice, a party room with tables and chairs, and easy access to the adjacent park. Programs options include: Bug Safari,Nature's Superheroes, Flying Feathered Friends, Forest Fairies & Gnomes, Mammal Mania, and Stories in the Forest.Call today for details and to reserve a spot.Locations: Cooper Mountain Nature House, Tualatin Hills Nature Center, and your neighborhood THPRD park.154www.thprd.orgWinter/Spring Activities GuideTualatin Hills Park & Recreation District

Nature Programs503-629-6350Special EventsSpring Native Plant SaleSaturday, April 2710 am-2 pmVisit our Native Plant Sale and Resource Fair where you’ll beable to purchase a wide variety of native shrubs and floweringplants. Our knowledgeable staff and volunteers will answer yourquestions and help you choose the right plant for every placein your garden. Browse our resource fair to talk with communitypartners and volunteers and learn about this year’s theme, WaterWise! Discover the benefits of using water wisely, how nativeplants needs less water once established and what plants arespecifically drought resistant. Friends of the Tualatin Hills NaturePark sponsor the event with proceeds going toward future parkimprovements and environmental education programs.Stop by the Nature Center in the weeks before the plant sale topick up trilliums and other early-blooming wildflowers.Nature Kids PreschoolPreschool Open HouseSaturday, Jan. 26 10 am-noonThe Tualatin Hills Nature Center will host anopen house for anyone interested in learningabout Nature Kids Preschool for the 2019-2020school year, and companion preschool programsoffered throughout the year. Stop in to meetthe teachers, experience the programs and askquestions. Children are welcome.This September through May, nature-based preschooloffers a friendly setting for children to develop social,communication and motor skills. Developmentallyappropriate activities are introduced throughoutthe year in a curriculum structure that focuses onexperiential learning through exposure to nature andthe changing seasons. Children will form friendships,learn respect and have the opportunity to grow withthe help of caring teachers in a safe, yet active, naturalenvironment.Registration opens Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019.Nature Kids, Ages 3-4 172 per month (2018-19 school year)Chipmunks at Nature CenterT/Th9-11:30 amHummingbirds at Cooper MountainT/Th9-11:30 amNature Kids, Ages 4-5 259 per month (2018-19 school year)Ladybugs at Nature CenterM/W/F9 am-noonOwls at Nature CenterM/W/F1-4 pmDragonflies at Cooper MountainM/W/F9 am-noonFees: ID/AP User is in-district or has paid an out-of-district assessment, OD Out-of-district (no assessment paid)Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation DistrictWinter/Spring Activities Guidewww.thprd.org155