BIRD PAVILION

FOGNAP receives major grant for Inclusive Bird Pavilion  
A new project, funded by the 2025 Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grants program, will enable visitors with all abilities to enjoy a birding experience out of the rain and on a paved trail in the Gladstone Nature Park.

​With a Metro Grant award of $132,000, the Friends of Gladstone Nature Park (FOGNAP) will create a welcoming covered space for visitors and build an attractive destination for wildlife and birds. The grant will be matched by FOGNAP to total nearly $200,000.
 
The Inclusive Bird Pavilion will feature amenities for the blind and visually-impaired, as well as those with other limited abilities. It will include interpretive and tactile features and be surrounded with a native garden labeled with indigenous names and uses. Partners include the City of Gladstone, Bird Alliance of Oregon, Washington School for the Deaf, Gladstone School District, Clackamas County Library, Portland State University, and Greater Clackamas Watershed Council.

“The Inclusive Bird Pavilion will make the Nature Park a true destination for all people,” says Ali Berman, Communications & Marketing Director for Bird Alliance of Oregon. “As a disabled birder myself, and a leader of Bird Alliance of Oregon’s accessible bird outings, I was thrilled to offer ideas on how to make the space truly inclusive.”

​The Gladstone Nature Park is home to nearly 100 species of birds, along with abundant fauna such as rabbits, newts, rubber boas, and pollinators.