Environmental Education

Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve and Education Center, Oregon

Located within the City of Hillsboro and in the floodplain of the Tualatin River, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve has the mission “to connect water, wildlife, and people“ and a long history of wetlands mitigation and restoration. When developing the Wetland Education Center in 2002, JBWP purchased a Capricorn weather station with a grant from Intel Corporation. The weather station is a component of the wetlands environmental monitoring system which includes water quality monitoring stations and a remote camera system for viewing wildlife.

The wetlands monitoring system supports environmental education for students from elementary through graduate school, as well as developing a historical database for climatological research. The weather station provides a means for understanding how the microclimate at the Preserve differs from the nearby Hillsboro airport and other locations. Data are also available for agency and public use through Weather Underground. Weather information is used by education coordinators, water quality monitors, and the resident wildlife biologist.

“We have LOVED and depended on that weather system for many, many years and I am grateful to have it still gathering data for us on a daily basis. Not only does Frank Opila rely on the weather station for his water quality monitoring work, my program staff as well as my key researchers use the data as well.”

The 12,000 sq. ft. Wetlands Education Center includes an exhibit hall filled with interactive exhibits on wetlands and natural history, and the only bald eagle nest on display in the continental United States. Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve’s 635 acres are a sanctuary for both people and wildlife. Over 150 species of birds are sighted annually at Jackson Bottom, including nesting Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, and thousands of Tundra Swans and Northern Pintails, making Jackson Bottom a haven for bird watchers. The Preserve is home to deer, otters, beavers, and thousands of other species.

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Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve and Education Center