It's time to register for summer camps!
Nature-based summer break camps in the Portland area

The Tillamook Forest Center is back open for the spring – check out their upcoming events

Hike series with the Forest Park Conservancy

Hike series with Portland branch of Hike It Baby

Hike series with Friends of the Columbia River Gorge

Hike series with Oregon Wild

The Bug Chicks programs at Multnomah County Library locations

Free Skills Series from Rewild Portland (every month)

November-June | Lunch with the Birds! | Hillsboro Parks & Recreation

Nov. 12-Aug. 29, 2015 | Exhibit: In the Footsteps of David Douglas | Washington County Museum

April 3 | Kids Nature Night Out: Pirates' Treasure | Tualatin Hills Nature Park

April 3 | Park After Dark: Coyotes | Cooper Mountain Nature Park

April 4 | Grand Opening Celebration | Nadaka Nature Park

April 4 | Nature Studies: Spring Plant Walk | Cooper Mountain Nature Park

April 4 | Women in Science Day (Girl Scout program) | Tualatin Hills Nature Park

April 8 | Native Plants of the Hoyt Arboretum | Hoyt Arboretum

April 9 | Brunch with the Birds | Columbia Slough Watershed Council

April 10 | Portland Arbor Day Festival – Bucket Truck Rides | Portland Parks & Recreation

April 11 | Portland Arbor Day Festival | Portland Parks & Recreation

April 11 | Critter Count | Columbia Spring

April 11-12 | Trillium Festival | Friends of Tryon Creek

April 12 | Cathlapotle Plankhouse – Spring Opening Celebration and Guided Hikes | Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

April 12 | Nature Days in the Park: Greenway Park | THPRD

April 12 | Finding David Douglas, A film by Lois Leonard | Hoyt Arboretum

April 12 | Guided Refuge Walk – Birds, Nest, and Babies, Oh My! | Friends of the Refuge

April 14 | Nature Night: California Condors in the Pacific Northwest | Audubon Society of Portland

April 16 | Patrice Vecchione presents Step Into Nature | Annie Bloom's Books

April 17 | Kids Nature Night Out: Cat Prowl | Cooper Mountain Nature Park

April 18 | SOLVE IT Earth Day Event | Various

April 18 | Bird Watching Discovery Hike | Forest Park Conservancy

April 18 | Family Eco-Fair Celebration | The Stream Team (Vancouver)

April 18 | Story Time: Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms | Audubon Society of Portland

April 18 | Storytime: Hannah Viano reads Arrow to Alaska: A Pacific Northwest Journey | Powell's City of Books

April 18 | World Record Bulb Planting (Camas) | White Oak Savanna Park (West Linn)

April 18 | Nature Studies: Animal Tracking | Tualatin Hills Nature Park

April 18-25 | National Park Week | National Park Foundation

April 19 | Kids' Nature Walk: Water Bugs at Whitaker Ponds | Backyard Bird Shop

April 19 | Advanced Nature Observation Skills | Nature Connection (Meetup group)

April 19-25 | National Environmental Education Week | NEEF

April 22 | Earth Day | Earth Day Network

April 22 | Author event: Thor Hanson on The Triumph of Seeds | Audubon Society of Portland

April 23 | Advanced Nature Observation Skills | Nature Connection (Meetup group)

April 23 | Nature Walkabout for Kids | Nature Connection (Meetup group)

April 23 | Book talk: Thor Hanson on The Triumph of Seeds | Powell's on Hawthorne

April 24 | Arbor Day | Arbor Day Foundation

April 24 | Nature Walkabout for Kids | Nature Connection (Meetup group)

April 24 | Park After Dark: Sounds of the Night | Tualatin Hills Nature Park

April 25 | Spring bird walk with Sarah Swanson & Max Smith (8am-10am)| Friends of April Hill Park

April 25 | Earth Day Portland | Normandale Park

April 25 | Save the Frogs Day | Save the Frogs

April 25 | Advanced Nature Observation Skills | Nature Connection (Meetup group)

April 25 | Salmonids + Macroinvertebrates at Jenne Butte Park | Johnson Creek Watershed Council

April 25 | Classroom Discovery Day: Pollinating the Park | Tryon Creek State Park

April 25 | Spring Blossoms | Hoyt Arboretum

April 26| Animal Camouflage at Mary S. Young Park | Backyard Bird Shop

April 26 | Advanced Nature Observation Skills | Nature Connection (Meetup group)

April 30 | Bring Your Own Canoe Paddle | Columbia Slough Watershed Council

May | American Wetlands Month | EPA

May-August | Amazing Arthropods (programs with The Bug Chicks) | Multnomah County Library (various)

May 1 | Kids Nature Night Out: Disappearing Act | Tualatin Hills Nature Park

May 2 | Kids Fishing Festival | Columbia Springs

May 2 | Park After Dark: Sounds of the Night | Cooper Mountain Nature Park

May 4-10 | National Wildflower Week | Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

May 9 | International Migratory Bird Day | Environment for the Americas

May 9 | Brownie Day: The Wonders of Water at Greenway Park | THPRD

May 10 | Nature Days in the Park: Roger Tilbury Memorial Park | THPRD

May 10 | Family Nature Walk at Elowah & Upper McCord Falls | Friends of the Columbia Gorge

May 10 | Guided Nature Walk | Friends of the Refuge

May 15 | Kids Nature Night Out: Treasure Hunt | Cooper Mountain Nature Park

May 16 | Kids to Parks Day | National Park Trust

May 16 | Grand Opening Celebration | KĘ°unamokwst Park

May 16 | Children's Nature Fair | Leach Botanical Garden

May 16 | Tualatin River Bird Festival | Friends of the Refuge

May 16 | Firsthand Oregon: Native Turtle Habitat Tour | Oregon Wildlife

May 16 | Winter Steelhead Release | Tillamook Forest Center

May 17 | Metro Annual Trails Fair | Metro/American Trails

May 17 | Nature Studies: Birds of Cooper Mountain | Cooper Mountain Nature Park

May 21 | Evening Canoe the Slough | Columbia Slough Watershed Council

May 23 | Damselflies + Dragonflies at Fairview Creek Headwaters | Johnson Creek Watershed Council

May 27-June 4 | 29th Annual Great Blue Heron Week | Audubon Society of Portland

May 31 | Talk: Christine Colasurdo on 35 Years later: Mt. St. Helens eruption | Garden Home Community Library

June | Great Outdoors Month | American Recreation Coalition

June 6 | National Trails Day | American Hiking Society

June 6 | Family Nature Fest | Columbia Springs

June 13 | National Get Outdoors Day | GetOutdoorsUSA!

June 13 | 2015 National Get Outdoors Day | Fort Vancouver

June 15-21 | National Pollinator Week | Pollinator Partnership

June 20 | StoryWalk at Spring Garden Park | Capitol Hill Library

June 27 | Great American Backyard Campout | NWF

July-August | Tall ship visits to ports in the Columbia River Gorge | Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain

July 7 | StoryWalk at Midland Park | Midland Library

July 18 | StoryWalk at Spring Garden Park | Capitol Hill Library

August 8 | StoryWalk at Spring Garden Park | Capitol Hill Library

August 14-16 | Return from the Burn – A Step Back in Time Event | Tillamook State Forest

August 18 | StoryWalk at Midland Park | Midland Library

August 18-22 | Paddle Oregon | Willamette Riverkeeper

September 20 | Sunday Trailways: Waterhouse Linear Park | THPRD

Oct. 10-Jan. 10, 2016 | Exhibit – Seeing Nature: Landscape Masterworks from the Paul G. Allen Family Collection | Portland Art Museum

Regular nature outings (check websites for seasonal scheduling):
Nature Days in the Park and Nature Mobile from THPRD's Natural Resources
Honeybee Hikes at Leach Botanical Garden
Story and Strolls and Guided Nature Walks at Tryon Creek State Park
Ladybug Nature Walks with Portland Parks & Recreation
Puddle Stompers at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge
Bird Walks for adults and kids through Backyard Bird Shop
Free field trips with Audubon Society of Portland volunteers
Tadpole Tales with Columbia Slough Watershed Council
Farm Fridays at Zenger Farm
Second Saturdays at the Water Resources Education Center in Vancouver, WA
Tillamook Tales at the Tillamook Forest Center

Did you know?
– $2 admission at OMSI the first Sunday of every month
– $3 admission at the World Forestry Center the first Thursday of every month
– $4 admission at the Oregon Zoo the second Tuesday of every month
– FREE admission at the Portland Art Museum the fourth Friday of every month, 5-8pm
– FREE admission at the Portland Children's Museum the first Friday of every month, 4-8pm
– FREE admission at the Oregon Historical Society & Museum every day for Multnomah County residents

*My friend Laura posts a monthly listing of kid and family-friendly events of natural, scientific, and cultural interest. April's list is here.