Ladybug Nature Walks | Public Walks (ages 0-6 with adult)

Information

Ladybug Nature Walks take place in Portland's parks and natural areas. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers explore nature with an adult and join a group led by a nature educator. Children borrow a small backpack of tools for the walk.

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General Information - Ladybug Nature Walks

Ladybug Nature Walks are a way for children ages 0-6 (and an adult) to explore a local Portland park. Nature educators guide families to notice plants and animals. Walks are child-directed and open-ended. Nature educators walk with the children in small groups. Children learn through questions, observation, and play. Groups move slowly through the park, stopping often. In this way, children have time to notice the plants and animals around them. If we have extra time we might also read a story, sing a song, or use puppets for imaginative play.

Walks last one hour. Content is geared for children ages 15 months-6 years. (Younger siblings under 15 months are welcome. Please give us their names and ages when prompted during registration.)

While exploring with a nature educator, children borrow a small Ladybug backpack containing a few tools that are easy to clean:

Magnifying lens
Small plastic tub with a lid
Metal Spoon
Laminated color wheel for matching
Plastic Bug box
Plastic paintbrush
Small toy insect for imaginative play

For more information, email enviroed@portlandoregon.gov or call 503-823-1149.

We offer weekly walks for the general public, but we ask that preschool groups, classrooms, and organizations with more than five children schedule a customized group Ladybug Walk. Find information about customized group Ladybug Walks here.

COVID-19: Requirements to participate

All children and adults will need to be able to follow these guidelines to participate in a program:

Beginning Saturday, March 12, 2022, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will no longer require staff and visitors to use face coverings in all PP&R buildings and facilities. Staff and visitors who still wish to wear face coverings may do so at their own choosing.
Please only attend if everyone attending is healthy!
- If anyone has a positive or presumptive case of COVID-19 or is awaiting results to a COVID test, they should not attend.
- If anyone is sick with COVID-like symptoms, including new or worsening cough, fever, shortness of breath, or recent loss of taste or smell, they should not attend.
- Beginning March 12, 2022, quarantine due to exposure is no longer required. A five-day quarantine is still required for a person that has COVID-like symptoms (or tests positive). They may participate once symptoms are resolving and they have been fever-free for 24 hours.
Follow general sanitation guidelines. All participants should wash or sanitize hands when they arrive, after using the bathroom, and after sneezing or coughing.

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Upcoming Walks: Times, dates, and locations

Walks take place rain or shine. We are outside 100% of the time. Please dress both children and adults in warm layers and rain coats and rain boots during the cold and wet months. We suggest hats and mittens and a full change of clothes just in case your little one is a puddle stomper.

Please arrive five minutes early to get screened, checked in, and connected to your nature educator. Locations vary each week. We try to schedule walks in Northwest, Southwest, North, Northeast, and Southeast Portland each month. Do you have a suggestion for a Portland park that would be a good location for your family? Let us know!

Register for a walk by clicking on the links below!

2022 Summer Walks - June, July and August

Summer Ladybug Nature Walks
Day of Week	Date	Time	Location	Meeting spot	Activity Number
Monday	June 27	9:30am	Creston Park	Meet at the picnic tables under the trees by the parking lot at SE 43rd Avenue and Rhone Street.	1145489
Thursday	June 30	9:30am	Fernhill Park	Meet near the tennis courts along NE 37th Avenue, about one block north of Ainsworth Street.	1145491
Monday	July 4	Off	n/a	4th of July Holiday	n/a
Thursday	July 7	9:30am	Maricara Natural Area	Meet at the trailhead on NE entrance to park, just south of the intersection of SW Luradel Street and 25^th Avenue. Closest address is 10440 SW 25th Avenue.	1145492
Monday	July 11	9:30am	Bloomington Park	Meet at the park entrance near SE 101^st Avenue and Steele Street.	1145505
Thursday	July 14	9:30am	Columbia Park	Meet near the tennis courts at the park entrance near N Winchell Street and Foss Avenue.	1145506
Monday	July 18	9:30am	Forest Park – NW 53^rd Drive at Holman Lane	Meet at the Upper Holman Trailhead along NW 53^rd Drive. From Portland, travel west on NW Cornell Road past Portland Audubon to NW 53rd Drive.	1145507
Thursday	July 21	9:30am	Dickinson Park and Woods	Meet under the trees closest to the playground along SW 55^th Avenue, 1-2 blocks south of SW Alfred Street.	1145508
Monday	July 25	9:30am	Midland Park	Meet at the entrance to the park that leads from the northwest corner of the Midland Library parking lot. Library address: 805 SE 122nd Avenue	1145509
Thursday	July 28	9:30am	Woodstock Park	Meet at the northwest corner of the park, near SE 47th Avenue and Steele Street.	1145510
Monday	August 1	9:30am	Peninsula Park	Meet near the covered gazebo near the intersection of N Albina Avenue and Holman Street.	1145511
Thursday	August 4	9:30am	Alberta Park	Meet at the park entrance at the southeast corner of the park, near NE Killingsworth Street and 22nd Avenue.	1145512
Monday	August 8	9:30am	Hoyt Arboretum	Meet at the covered pavilion across from the Visitor’s Center at 4000 SW Fairview Boulevard.	1145513
Thursday	August 11	9:30am	Northgate Park	Meet under the trees adjacent to the parking lot along N Geneva Avenue, between N Newark Street and Fessenden Street.	1145514
Monday	August 15	9:30am	Kenilworth Park	Meet at the east side entrance to the park, just north of the intersection of SE Holgate Boulevard and 34^th Avenue. Note this meeting spot is NOT by the main playground!	1145515
Thursday	August 18	9:30am	Gabriel Park - Pollinator Meadow	Meet near the community garden at the south end of the park (nearest address is 4115 SW Canby Street). From SW Canby street, travel about 200 feet west of SW 40th Court and turn right.	1145549
Monday	August 22	9:30am	Wilshire Park	Meet near the picnic tables at NE 35^th Place and Skidmore Street.	1145517
Thursday	August 25	9:30am	Kelley Point Park	Meet at the blacktop trail leading into the park from the farthest parking lot. Follow N Kelley Point Park Road to the end.	1145555
Monday	August 29	9:30am	Argay Park	Meet near the tennis courts at NE 141^st Avenue and NE Failing Street.	1145556
Thursday	September 1	9:30am	A Park	Meet at the park entrance and blacktop path along SW Capitol Hill Road between SW 21^st Avenue and Miles Street.	1145516

Pay What You Can pricing

Ladybug Walk fees are charged using a "Pay What You Can" pricing model. Walks are listed as $9 per child. When registering, use the available $3 discounts to reduce the cost to $6 or $3 per child (ages 2-6). Children 15-24 months need to register but attend for free.

When prompted during registration, please list the following information:

First and last name and phone number of the adult attending with the child(ren)
First and last name and phone number of any additional adults attending
First name of any siblings joining the walk who are younger than 15 months old

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Adults coming on the walk - we need your help!

When families arrive on site they will be assigned to walk in a small group of 3-5 children (and the adults attending with those children). Each group is led by one of our preschool nature educators. This will be your traveling group for the entire program.

As educators, we are good at what we do, but we are used to doing it right alongside the children. If you are registering your child for an upcoming walk, we plan to use you to help us bridge that six foot gap:

Plan to be engaged the whole time. (Put aside your phone and mental to-do list. Explore along with your child.)
Dress for the weather! Plan for rain. Add a layer. Arrive with footwear that can walk through wet grass or along a muddy trail.
Get curious along with your child. Slow down, get down on the ground, and look around.
Slow your pace. What a gift to have this time to explore together. Take advantage of it.
Let go of having answers. Instead of trying to fill your child's head with facts or things that you think are interesting, follow their lead. Young children are more interested in the process of exploring than caring about names and nature facts.

We will be there alongside to guide, encourage, and get excited, but you will need to be our extended hands.

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