• Hesthavn Nature Center offers year-round opportunities for kids to learn about our natural environment, and it’s a great place for a picnic!
• Hesthavn Nature Center connects the community with wildlife in their native habitat of Oak Savannah and Oak Creek riparian forest, while strolling along a nature trail.
• Hesthavn Nature Center promotes a culture of conservation for native plants and wildlife by offering volunteers a place to be active learning about invasive weed species removal and partnering with the restoration of native habitat.
• Hesthavn Nature Center has opportunities for volunteers to join our educational programs as instructors and through curriculum activities.
• Hesthavn Nature Center offers year-round open house events, workshops, and events for educators, environmental groups, civic groups, artist guilds, garden clubs, and other possible rental uses.

Hesthavn Nature Center is located at 8590 NW Oak Creek Drive.

Click here for MAPS

Check out our amazing Rainwater Catchment system!!

• July 31
• August 28
• September 25
• October 23
• November 20

Open Houses will be scheduled on the same dates as the work parties from 10 am to 1 pm. A place to bring young children wearing their boots and play clothes for a stroll along a trail exploring nature and wildlife!

see Education Page for programs at Hesthavn

Treasure-hunting at Hesthavn

A geocache has been hidden at Hesthavn Nature Center. Go find it!

But what’s a geocache and why should I find it? Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunting game where you use a GPS (global positioning system) device to help you locate hidden containers, called geocaches. Sign the logbook, then share your experiences online at www.geocities.com. This cache was placed at Hesthavn to introduce those near and far to our wonderful nature center. Visit the site www.geocities.com. On the front page type in the Hesthavn GC code: GC2394R, enter the coordinates on your GPS and go. Here they are for you [N 44° 35.998 W 123° 20.058] This cache contains many little toys and trinkets for trading.

A handheld GPS can be a handy device for birders. You can mark a waypoint on the start of your hike and this device will help you find your way back. If you find a rare bird, mark the coordinates where you sighted it to help with relocation. You can even plot your elevation, your speed and the distance you’ve traveled.

Nanette Armstrong

Description and History

In 1993, Alan and Helen Berg donated a 5.75-acre parcel of land just west of Corvallis to the Audubon Society of Corvallis. At the time of the donation, the property was used as a horse pasture. The horses remained on the property until 1997, at which time steps were taken to remove pasture fencing and to clean up the barn. The barn has been renovated into Hesthavn Nature Center, which functions as a museum for wildlife specimens, educational facility and meeting place.

Hesthavn Thanks Volunteers!

Many people have contributed money and hard work towards creating Hesthavn Nature Center facility. We appreciate all of these generous contributions and would like to recognize the following people for especially generous volunteer efforts.

• Ray Drapek Hesthavn chair 1995-2007 for spearheading those first years.
• Paula Vanderheul and Susan Brown for many hours of hard work restoring native plant habitats.
• Rana Foster for all of the native plants she has rescued and planted at Hesthavn.
• Jerry Paul, Barrett Reeves, and Karl Hartzell for hours of volunteer work on barn renovation and general maintenance.
• Karan Fairchild and Mary Van Brocklin for fund raising efforts through Birdathon and Membership.
• Elise Elliott-Smith as coordinator of Hesthavn Nature Center education programs (eelliottsmith@yahoo.com)
• Leslie Green as Art and Nature instructor for kids programs (greengib@peak.org )
• Jim Fairchild for construction of compost toilet, and rainwater catchments system.
• Dr. Michael Burgett for providing live honeybees for the beehive observation case.

Display case and bird/bat/butterfly boxes.

Collection of preserved birds.

Hesthavn is wheelchair accessible.