Programs & Activities
Just looking for programs and activities? Find them here! Programs and activities are great ways to immerse yourself in our community, learn new things, enjoy family-friendly experiences, and have fun. Come and join us!
HOW, WHEN, AND WHERE TO BIRD HARNEY COUNTY PROGRAM
Birding the vast expanse of Harney County’s 10,000+ sq. miles can be daunting! Which birds are where? and when? Dan Streiffert has been birding and photographing in Harney County for 13+ years. This presentation showcases his approach to taking advantage of particular birding ‘routes’ that cover the diverse landscape and discovers the array of birds and other wildlife available. Dan will share tips and tricks for seeing particular species at different times of the day or throughout the year. Take this opportunity to talk with a specialist face to face! CLASSROOM STYLE PRESENTATION
$10 / person, Thursday, April 16, 3 to 4:30 p.m. | 50 spots available
Location: 1899 Foundry Building, 307 N Broadway, Burns, OR 97720
HARNEY NIGHTS
Spend the evening with friends, exploring our downtown shops and other vendors at Arrowhead Plaza. Food, merchandise, arts and more! We’re staying open a bit later to welcome your visit.
Thursday, April 16, 3 to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Downtown Burns, Arrowhead Plaza
WATERFOWL ID WORKSHOP
Have you ever seen birds on a pond and wondered, who’s out there? This waterfowl ID class will give you the tools you need to identify them. This class will go over waterfowl evolution, point out patterns, shapes, and behaviors to help you identify the different species here in Harney County. After the class, join us in the Waterfowl ID Tour where we will use these new skills in the field. This class is led by Melissa Petschauer, Harney Basin Ecological Coordinator for High Desert Partnership. Her career has been based in avian research with a focus on waterfowl.
$20 / person, Friday, April 17, 7 to 8:30 a.m. | 30 spots available
Location: Geno’s Youth Center – 135 E Washington St, Burns, OR, 97720
URBAN BIRDING DROP-IN WALK
Looking for somewhere to bird between tours? Drop-in to the Burns/Hines Natural Trail. To access this trail you can drive north on Egan Rd from the Fairgrounds. Parking will be on your left just before Pierce St. If you want access to bathrooms, you can also drive through town to High Desert Partnership and park in their parking lot. From their parking lot you can walk to the Nature Trail by walking behind High Desert Partnership to Pettibone, then following Pettibone east to the trailhead (at the intersection between Pettibone and Peter French). This trailhead follows along the golf course and a left turn will take you to a viewing platform for the Burns Sewage ponds. The trail extends about a mile past the viewing platform, past meadows, shrubs, grasses, and Russian olives. Volunteers may be out and about on the trail to help with your birding experience!
Free, Friday/Saturday/Sunday, April 17/18/19, 7:30 to 10 a.m. and 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Departs from: Burns/Hines Natural Trail – meet in the parking lot on the corner of West Pierce St. and Egan St.
FIELD SKETCHING WORKSHOP
Join Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Education Director, Emily Pinkowitz, for a fun and casual field sketching workshop You’ll enjoy simple exercises to help with drawing accuracy of real life scenes and subjects, landscapes up close and far away, storytelling through art, and keeping a journal of informative observations. There is no experience necessary to participate in a field sketching workshop and all levels are welcome. Participants will travel by caravan to a local residence that has diverse habitat and often attracts Wood Ducks, Hooded Merganser, and other duck species; songbirds and diverse raptor species. CARAVAN TOUR (We lead, you drive).
– Materials Provided: Watercolor paper, Clipboards, Fancy pencils, Pastels, Watercolors
– Participants Bring (*optional): comfortable chair, dress for changing weather, personal journal or sketch book*, other art materials*, water and snacks
$20 / person, Friday/Saturday, April 17/18, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. | 8 spots available per workshop/tour
Departs from: Geno’s Youth Center – 135 E Washington St., Burns, OR, 97720
DEEP DIVE: eTOUR OF HARNEY COUNTY HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGY
Join retired BLM Archaeologist Scott Thomas for presentations about 1) Shoshone Bison Hunters of the Northern Great Basin, 2) Edible Spring Plants in the Harney Basin, 3) a World War II B24 Crash in the Pueblo Mountains, and 4) Early Days at Rimrock Draw with Updates. These interesting and detailed discussions give listeners a visual opportunity to experience the history, archaeology and cultural botany in the Harney Basin. The relaxed atmosphere of this presentation will allow for plenty of question/answer time and casual stretch breaks. Come and go as you please!
Free, Friday, April 17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Geno’s Youth Center – 135 E Washington St., Burns, OR, 97720
ART SHOW & SALE
The Art Show and Sale offers high-quality work from local and regional artists. Located in the Harney County Fairgrounds Memorial Building throughout the weekend, festival participants have a wonderful opportunity to view and purchase original pieces of art, including wildlife paintings, photographs, sculpture, jewelry, woodworks and much more. No admission fee. Check out our vendor line-up!
Free admission, Friday, April 17: 12 to 6 p.m. | Saturday, April 18: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Sunday, April 19: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Geno’s Youth Center – 135 E Washington St., Burns, OR, 97720
eBIRD & COMMUNITY SCIENCE TOUR/WORKSHOP
Join Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Tara Lemezis on Friday, or High Desert Partnership’s Melissa Petschauer on Saturday, for this largely field-based workshop. We’ll spend about 15-minutes before the tour going over what eBird is and how to use it not only as a tool for tracking your bird sightings but how you can use it to contribute to community science. After this brief introduction to eBird, we’ll head into the field to collect eBird sightings for Project IBiS (Inventorying Birds in the Silvies Floodplain). This field opportunity will not only contribute to important data about bird use of the floodplain and how bird use relates to Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative projects, but will give you firsthand experience with using the eBird app. VAN-GUIDED + CARAVAN TOUR (some people ride with us; others – you drive, we lead).
$45 / person, Friday, April 17, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. (VAN GUIDED + CARAVAN) , and Saturday, April 18, 12 to 3 p.m. (CARAVAN only) | 10-11 spots available per tour | Departs from: Geno’s Youth Center – 135 E Washington St., Burns, OR, 97720
RAPTOR ID WORKSHOP
Explore Harney County’s diurnal birds of prey with Rick Vetter, retired U.S. FWS and U.S. Forest Service Biologist and Joan Suther, retired BLM Biologist and Manager, This workshop will focus on field marks as well as shape, size, and general behavior to develop your new skills at identifying local eagles, hawks and falcons. After this Workshop you’ll have an understanding of the seasonal changes in raptors in the Harney Basin and why April can be an exciting time for raptor watching! CLASSROOM STYLE WORKSHOP.
$20 / person, Saturday, April 18, 7 to 8:30 a.m. | 30 spots available
Location: Geno’s Youth Center – 135 E Washington St., Burns, OR, 97720
KIDS’ STORYWALK
StoryWalk® is a movement and literacy boosting project that places an illustrated children’s book, taken apart and displayed page by page, along a walking route in your community. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. The Harney County Library’s StoryWalk is in the park along the west side of the library, and it features a book called “Miguel’s Community Garden”! FAMILY FRIENDLY.
Free, Outdoors, Available all weekend!
Location: Harney County Library, 80 W ‘D’ Street, Burns, OR 97720
KIDS’ FAIR IN THE FIELD
Fair in the Field is a fun and exciting event put on by various agencies and organizations in Harney County. We will provide hands-on activities that will offer fun insight into the bird habitat in Harney County. This event will be fun for the whole family!
Free, Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: Geno’s Youth Center – 135 E Washington St., Burns, OR, 97720
KIDS’ BIRDHOUSE BUILDING
Bring the kids and join the Harney County Lions Club for a birdhouse building workshop! All materials are pre-cut and provided by the Lions Club at no expense. Volunteers will be available to help with construction, though adults are encouraged to get hands on and help their littles. There are approximately 75-100 kits available, and they usually go quickly!
Free, Saturday, April 18, 12 to 2 p.m.
Location: Geno’s Youth Center – 135 E Washington St., Burns, OR, 97720
BRUNCH WITH THE BIRDS
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a morning must-stop for every birder in the area during spring migration. You never know what will arrive to seek shelter among the small oasis of trees that surround the remarkable CCC-era buildings. Join a specialist for a walk of the grounds, followed by a catered brunch hosted by the Friends of Malheur NWR at the Crane’s Nest Nature Center Pavilion along the Marshall Pond Trail. Participants should indicate dietary restrictions.
$40 / person, Sunday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | 20 spots available
Location: Malheur Refuge Headquarters Lawn, 36391 Sodhouse Ln, Princeton, OR 97721
MALHEUR STEWARDSHIP WORK PARTY
Now that you’ve enjoyed seeing so many birds during their migration, how about helping some weeds do a little migrating of their own? That’s right! Join Friends of Malheur at Refuge Headquarters as we focus on weeding the high traffic areas around the Marshall Pond Trail. We’ll leave plenty of time and space for talking about plants and a little incidental birding. Meet outside of the Crane’s Nest Store at 1:00 PM. All necessary tools will be provided.
Free, Sunday, April 19, 1 to 4 p.m.
Location: Malheur Refuge Headquarters Lawn, 36391 Sodhouse Ln, Princeton, OR 977213
