Audubon Society of Portland

Audubon Society of Portland promotes the understanding, enjoyment, and protection of native birds, other wildlife and their habitats. We focus on our local community and the Pacific Northwest.

2010 Success Story:

Through partnerships with two organizations providing affordable housing for low income families, Bienestar in Hillsboro and Hacienda in NE Portland, Portland Audubon operates our Community-Based Summer Camp, Explorador. Explorador gives children exciting experiences in nature through a week of summer camp and family days throughout the year, free of charge to participants. Explorador introduces participants to the natural areas and greenspaces found within their own neighborhoods and the greater Pacific northwest. Participants have the opportunity to discover, investigate and learn about native flora and fauna, exploring lakes, rivers, beaches, forests and wetlands, with the goal of helping children build a deeper appreciation of, and gain confidence in the natural world.

Summer 2010 consisted of seven, week-long day camps, serving 18 to 24 campers each week. Campers had the opportunity to visit, study and explore a different destination each day. Pre and post camp surveys were used to assess the success of the program and while these numbers indicated that campers gained from their experiences, e.g.: 81% of students showed significant increase in their level of knowledge and understanding of environmental concepts taught during the program, 92% said they felt comfortable in nature and 94% indicated they wanted to return in 2011, one of  the sweetest success stories was that of Elvira and Gerardo Lemus, two high school students with an interest in nature and the outdoors. Elvira and Gerardo were recruited by Bienestar staff from the Bienestar community to be paid counselors for the camp. To prepare, Elvira and Geraldo attended a four-day Audubon training, including a three day/tow-night overnight at Audubon’s Marmot Cabin in the foothills of Mt Hood, learning survival skills and tool usage. As the summer progressed, both Elvira and Gerardo grew in confidence and ability, leading many activities by the end of the summer.