2008 Interpreter’s Road Show

Portland, Oregon

Once again, 27 hearty souls headed out from the Oregon Convention Center on a quest to discover how other interpretive centers operate.  Each site provided information on their daily operations. The group was able to mingle and network with each other to share how their own organizations operate during the van rides, meals and those few moments spent parked on the sides of unknown streets looking for the restaurant that was supposed to be expecting us for dinner!

The group first headed out to Tryon Creek State Natural Area  on Monday, November 10^th.  The park was located about 15 minutes from downtown Portland and in a very suburban neighborhood.  This land was slated for development until a group of local residents banded together and worked with the state to buy it.  The Friends Group maintains a strong relationship with the State Parks, providing seven full-time employees to assist with fundraising, programs and other pertinent projects for Tryon Creek State Park.  Another unique element found there was their ‘Natural Cycles’ Trail.  Local artists submit applications for outside natural sculptures.  The pieces chosen are assembled on site and remain in place for a year.  The natural weathering process is a part of the artwork.  Interpretive panels are erected at the beginning of the trail so that visitors can hear directly from the artists’ about their pieces. 

English Ivy Invader Art

The second stop brought us to Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, a former private, non-profit entity that is now part of the local government.  This 725-acre wildlife preserve is located within the city limits of Hillsboro, Oregon. The Preserve is a fantastic place to learn about wetlands and the plants and animals that rely on that habitat.  The interpretive center has a huge Eagle’s nest as its centerpiece, surrounded by engaging exhibits that can be changed out easily.

Monday ended with a stop at the Tualatin Hills Nature Park.  This organization is part of a Parks District, which overlaps several political jurisdictions.  The Interpretive Center operates a nature-based pre-school and has a separate building built specifically for that purpose.  The park can be accessed by Portland’s light rail system, which has a stop right along the trail. 

The group was ready for more on Tuesday, so we headed out for Tillamook Forest Center, a little more than an hour away from Portland.  This newer center opened in 2006 and was built sustainably.  The roof collects rainwater, which averages 120”, a year into a pond around the building.  This water is used to flush the building’s toilets and for their fire suppression system.  It has also provided a breeding pond for local amphibians!  The building is heated with wood pellet furnaces, which utilize the leftover waste products from the lumber industry and creates very little waste when burned.  The exhibitry is designed to tell the story of the Tillamook Forest-fires and all.  Every sense is engaged and the hall is designed in such a way to lead you right outside into the Forest. 

The final stop of the day was at the Audubon Society of Portland.  What a gem of a place in the middle of the city!  We toured their wildlife rehabilitation building and discussed the services they provide to area residents concerning injured and orphaned wildlife, not just birds!  We had time to discuss their educational programs, from school groups to day camps and the ecotours they offer and what benefits those programs had for their organization.  But for many of the participants, the highlight was walking to the Old Growth fir trees.  It was amazing to see such giants so close to downtown Portland!

Fund raising, friend-raising, exhibit planning & construction, volunteer programs, educational programs, gift shops were just some of the topics we covered during the two day trip.  I cannot thank the organizations enough for opening their doors to our groups and sharing how they do their jobs with us.  It was a valuable learning tool and from what was said on the pre-workshop evaluations, everyone walked away with information they needed.