Providing interpretive education on wetlands and wildlife, panoramic views, water quality, weather, natural resource management, trails, bird watching, recreation, exhibits, displays and an eagles nest, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve is a treasure of the Hillsboro community.
If your school or group cannot come to Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, we can come to you! Our enthusiastic and experienced instructors present one-hour classroom programs for grades K through 6. All programs are hands-on, interactive, educational and fun. For school groups, all of our programs are aligned with the Oregon Common curriculum goals and State benchmarks for education.
All Hillsboro schools receive a 10% discount.
A minimum of two of the same program must be offered at a single location on the same day.
Beavers: Their Gnawing Effect on Ecosystems
Grades: 3-4
Length: One hour
Fee: $85 per class
Beavers are the largest rodents in North America and can change entire ecosystems with a flash of their huge, orange teeth! In this interactive program, students will learn about their amazing adaptations by building a beaver, examining pelts and skulls, and learning about beaver family life and what goes on inside the lodge. Students will gain an understanding of these amazing mammals, where they live and what they need in order to survive.
The Wonderful World of Birds
Grades: 1-2
Length: One hour
Fee: $85 per class
One of the most successful groups of animals on the planet, birds live in all kinds of habitats; come in all sizes, shapes and colors, and have amazing behaviors and adaptations. With lots of hands-on exploration and small focus groups, students will learn what birds are, where they live and what things they need in order to survive. Students will also handle feathers and bones, see nests and eggs close up, and gain a greater understanding of how birds use their beaks by trying to eat like a bird.
Amazing Amphibians
Grades: K-1
Length: One hour
Fee: $85 per class
This is a great program that introduces students to amphibians in general and frogs in particular. Students will break into groups for hands-on learning stations where they will build a wetland habitat and figure out where different animals live and how frogs fit into their watery world. Students will learn what amphibians are, where they live and what they need to live both on land and in the water.
Watersheds: Where and What are YOU?
Grades: 4-6
Length: One hour
Fee: $85 per class
We all live in one, yet most of us are still unaware of how human and natural events can impact a watershed. Students will use models and maps to discover the dynamics and qualities of a general watershed. They will participate in hands-on activities to learn more about pollution and the role wetlands play in keeping our watershed healthy.
Native Hillsboro
Grades: 4-6
Length: One hour
Fee: $85 per class
Why do people need plants? Learn about the ways we use, or have used them in the past for such things as food, medicine, ceremonial items, utensils, toys, transportation and homes. No shopping malls were around in the early days…the Atfalati, native people of the Tualatin Basin, used plants that were available. Native plants such as cedar, red alder, camas, red-osier dogwood, wapato, stinging nettle, Oregon grape, horsetail, thimbleberry and wild rose have been important to both native cultures and contemporary residents. Students will make cordage at the end of the class.
Skulls and the Art of Inferential Classification
Grades: 4-6
Length: One hour
Fee: $85 per class
Besides being extremely cool to look at, the study of skulls and bones can add greatly to our understanding and appreciation of the natural world. The art of inferential classification is a tool to help us analyze skeletal structures to infer an animal’s eating habits, or environmental lifestyle. By learning about skulls and bones, we can develop an understanding of the relationship between skeletal structure and an animal’s general behavior.
Tracks, Tracks, Tracks!
Grades: 2-4
Length: One hour
Fee: $85 per class
Animals have different body shapes and ways of moving. Through hands-on activities and observation, students will learn the basics of identifying animal tracks. They will also learn about different environmental lifestyles (omnivore, carnivore, herbivore) and how animals interact in their habitats. The program leader will also demonstrate how to make a plaster cast of an animal track that will be given to the class for their room.
Those Incredible Insects
Grades: 2-3
Length: One hour
Fee: $85 per class
Insects are all around us and have amazing adaptations and strategies to survive in their habitats. Students will learn the characteristics of an insect, how they are different from spiders, study their adaptations and solve five insect mysteries focused on identification, life cycle, adaptations, behavior and interaction with humans.
2600 SW Hillsboro Hwy. Hillsboro, OR 97123|fax: 503-681-6277|phone: 503-681-6206