Tweet of Dweams Birdhouse Contest
 Are you ready? Do you have your birdhouse, birdbath, or feeder built and ready to enter in the contest? All contest entries must be in between February 1 and February 7 at the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Education Center, 2600 SW Hillsboro Highway, Hillsboro, Oregon 97123. Entries will be accepted between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm each day. Check out the link to Contest Information.
After all the entries are in, many will be displayed at local business and other locations in the Greater Hillsboro area. Judging of the contest entries will occur in April; the Tweet of Dweams fundraiser is scheduled for May 3, 2008. All the contest entries along with many other items will put up for auction for the benefit of Jackson Bottom and its many education and other programs.
Photo by Jason Kinch Photographic.
In This Issue
Community Connection Sponsors
As a non-profit organization, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve relies on community partners to support its popular programs and natural values. Our Community Connection Sponsors support the mission and core values of the Preserve of “Connecting Water, Wildlife, and People.” This high level of support maintains and enhances the natural resources of the Preserve, the Education Center, the trails and viewing areas, and the award winning education programs.
The Preserve is honored to recognize our newest Community Connection Sponsors:
Sue Graves and Steve Sanders, Portland General Electric, City of Hillsboro, Waste Management, and Clean Water Services. You will hear more about our Community Connection Sponsors in the near future. For more information on being a Preserve Sponsor, please call Patrick Willis at (503) 681-6424.
Bald Eagle nest
As most of you know, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve has on display the only rescued, genuine American Bald Eagle nest. This exhibit has been open to the public for about a year and has generated a great deal of interest. See the article below for a summary of visitor statistics of those viewing the nest.
An interesting part of the preparation of the nest for public display was its visit to a freezer for about a month. This killed all the insects and other critters in the nest. We again thank Henningsen Cold Storage Company for providing the freezer space. This preservation was successful since no insects have appeared on the nest.
This time of the year it is great to visit the Education Center to see the nest. Take the time to stand on the deck and see all the visiting birds in the flooded wetlands. Our resident bald eagles can be seen daily, as well as lots of ducks, geese, swans, hawks, and many smaller birds.
Volunteer Spotlignt, Hans Geerling
 Hans, a proud Dutch-American, joined our volunteer program November 28, 2005, to work on special projects with Frank Opila. Previously, Hans worked for Tektronix and owned a yacht business in Portland where he custom-built and sold all kinds of vessels. He currently teaches for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, is involved with the Portland Boat Show, and does vessel safety inspections for the Rose City Yacht Club.
He is a natural for our technical projects because he is a retired electrical engineer. Using his electrical and mechanical skills, he now helps us solve problems and construct, clean, and calibrate equipment for the Water Quality Monitoring program. In the fall, Hans collected water samples for the Algae Barley Project to study how barley straw affects the growth of blue-green algae in the Holding Pond. At home, he and his wife Irene keep busy all year managing their Holly Hill Tree Farm. Hans is an amazingly reliable and flexible volunteer; he also has a great sense of humor so we have a good time when he is around. Thanks for your help, Hans!
Lunch With The Birds
Each Wednesday from noon to 1 PM volunteers from Jackson Bottom take up residence at the north viewing area on Hwy 219. Join us for this great weekly event! We'll provide spotting scopes, binoculars, and our volunteer field guides and naturalists to help you identify all the migrating waterfowl and other birds that show up at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve. Meet at the north viewing shelter, next to the Clean Water Services treatment plant on Highway 219 south of Hillsboro. The site is wheelchair accessible. Contact Sarah Pinnock at 503-681-6278 for more information.
The live eagle's nest can be seen from here. The eagles are now beginning their mating activities in anticipation of the laying of their eggs in late February.
Visitor and Education Program Statistics for 2007
Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve provides a wide array of education and volunteer opportunities for children and adults. In 2007, 25,958 people walked through the doors of the Wetlands Education Center, including visitors, school groups, families, Jackson Bottom members and volunteers, along with groups who rent the Center for special functions or events. 2,016 people participated in our off-site education programs offered for schools and community groups. Our volunteers and staff reached over 8,000 people through our displays at public events such as Town Hall, Main Street Madness, Urban Ecology Symposium, Rotary events, and many more. In all, over 36,000 people benefited from the programs and unique resources from Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve.
Upcoming Activities*
All activities meet at the Wetlands Education Center unless otherwise noted!
Check the link on the Jackson Bottom web site for the updated activities calendar.
* Upcoming activities are added updated regularly on our website. Please check there for the most current information.
Is there an event or activity you would like to see offered at the Preserve? Special information to be included in our newsletter? Call (503) 681-6206 to make a request or suggestion or email your input to Karen Newton
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