Brainy Birds

Name: Brainy Birds
Start: 2026-03-14T10:30:00-07:00
End: 2026-03-14T12:30:00-07:00
Location: 4000 SW Fairview Blvd, Portland, OR, United States, Oregon 97221

Schedule

Sat Mar 14 2026 at 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

4000 SW Fairview Blvd, Portland, OR, United States, Oregon 97221 | Portland, OR

Birds are incredible and have adapted to survive in dynamic & changing environments. Every species has unique traits and sometimes quite specialized strategies. Using the backdrop of seasonal changes at Hoyt Arboretum, Dr. Kiki Sanford will facilitate discovery of the many ways it is connected to its avian inhabitants. Winter classes will center on adaptations for surviving intense seasonal conditions. Spring brings the frenzy of breeding season. Summer includes juvenile development and the onset of the next annual cycle. And, Autumn classes will focus on the fall migration. Each seasonal class will highlight the various birds present in the Arboretum, and include observation & discussion of specific aspects of how their brains & bodies lead to certain behaviors useful in the Hoyt habitats. Short informal lectures and group discussions will be followed by exploratory bird-watching hikes to observe these processes in action.
Registration closes 2 hours before the start time
Class starts indoors and ends outside with a guided walk
Reminder & details will be emailed closer to the program date
When you attend at least two Brainy Birds classes, you will receive a coupon code for 15% off of future ticket prices
About the instructor: Dr. Kiki Sanford is a science communicator, an informal educator, public speaker, community-builder, non-profit leader, strategic thinker and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience talking about science. She’s been interested in birds even longer. Her PhD work at UC Davis investigated learning and memory in birds, and she has spent decades enjoying & observing their fascinating behaviors. She founded, produces, and hosts the This Week in Science (TWIS) podcast, the longest-running, female-owned science podcast, which live streams weekly on Facebook, Twitch, & YouTube. She is Executive Vice President and co-founder of the Association of Science Communicators (ASC), hub for the professional science communication community, which has organized the SCIENCE TALK conference here in Portland, OR for the past 10 years. Additionally, her consultancy, Broader Impacts Productions, helps scientists & organizations create effective & engaging multi-media science storytelling. She’s excited to explore the birds of Hoyt Arboretum and discover their many stories with you!