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Feature Stories

Our students participate in ongoing scientific research through a program called BirdSleuth. Each winter for over fifteen years we have been monitoring the bird populations that visit our feeders. During this time many of our students have had their research papers and bird artwork published in Classroom BirdScope. Congratulations to Jonathan Fitch, whose report titled, “Does Precipitation Affect How Many Dark-eyed Juncos We See?”, was recently published in the Fall 2011 issue.  BirdSleuth and Classroom BirdScope are sponsored by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. You may learn more about this project by visiting our Student Reports page.  

John Gatchet, a well-known, avid bird watcher, recently joined our students for a day of bird watching. During John's visit on January 26, 2009, we observed 20 different bird species. John believes that our bird feeding station is the largest in Washington County, and is comparable to the Audubon Society of Portland's feeding station in nearby Multnomah County.

Built with recycled lumber in the fall of 1994 by students, parents and friends of TVA, the bird blind provides a sheltered place to study God’s feathered creatures. Over 40 of the bird species identified on campus have been observed visiting our feeders. On cold days it is not unusual to see more than 100 individual birds feeding at the same time. The TVA Bird Blind is listed as a Birding Hotspot on eBird.

To learn more about how birds and scientific inquiry are used in our science curriculum please see:

A Science Program with Wings (PDF)

BirdSleuth Inspires Student Inquiry

Sparrows and Development:
BirdSleuth helps students discover patterns
BirdScope, Summer 2008/Volume 22, Number 3

Tualatin Valley Academy students show, sell bird paintings at Cornell Lab of Ornithology (The Oregonian)