Macaw Landing Wildlife Refuge
MLF Wildlife Refuge and Environmental Learning Center

Back in 1992, just after the foundation was formed, we opened a public viewing exhibit with eight macaws, five large macaws and three miniature macaws, in the Jantzen Beach Shopping Center in Portland, Oregon. For over four years the space was provided for us free of charge, until major remodeling did away with our section.

Our eight adopted macaws have grown to more than ninety. Our space has grown from a twenty by thirty foot display to a fifteen hundred square foot flight and a eight hundred square foot bird room. The macaws that have a home here at the foundation have been placed by their previous owners who believe that macaws should not be kept as pets and that their birds would be more contented living in the company of other macaws.

We also have a variety of other critters: our donkey Speckles (who thinks he's a dog), our African goose,who loves people, a spirited gaggle of geese, Attacus our rescued horse, our chickens and Silkie the rooster and two Pygmy goats. Along with our farm animals you may spot an assortment of wild animals as well: deer, coyotes, raccoons, beaver, Western Painted turtles, rabbits, and in the summer and spring a symphony of frogs fills our evening air.

It is not by accident that so many animals head our way to find refuge.

Most of the land carries some kind of environmental easements. Some easements came with the property, like the environmental overlay for the Western Painted turtles that live in the canal at the back of the property. The lower two acres, at one time a pasture for horses, has been converted over to wetlands and now carries a ninety-six year Easement to the Wetlands Conservancy. With the help of the city of Portland's Bureau of Environmental services and some matching Federal funds, the two acres are now a ten year old wetlands restoration project with four shallow ponds (shallow ponds are best for bird habitat) and three thousand native trees, shrubs and grasses.

Also, our property is surround on two sides by another ten plus acres which has been set aside for wildlife habitat. These improvements have created a welcoming environment for the wild animals that frequent our area.

Some of our most cherished visitors are the birds, and we take special measures to make it inviting for them. Currently, we have some red tailed hawks that have taken great care in constructing a nest in one of the cottonwood trees overlooking the canal.

To complement our work here, we have opened the house as an environmental learning center and retreat. In addition to daily retreats and group visits, our learning center can also accommodate seminars for up to twenty-five, with use of our Kitchen facilities.

Our property is conveniently located within the Portland city limits, just minutes to downtown, 2.5 miles off I-5 exit 307.

TOURS  DAILY at 12, 2 and 4 during the summer and at 12 and 2 during the winter months. To maintain our serenity we are open by RESERVATION ONLY. A minimum $5.00 donation is requested per visitor. To make your reservation or to schedule events, call us at (503)286-0882, or e-mail us at macaw@macawlanding.org. Rubber boots are recommended during winter months for walks through our wetlands restoration project.

Macaw Landing is designated by IRS, as a 501 (©) (3) organization, a not for profit tax deductible organization operated exclusively by volunteers, with the proceeds going to help save the macaws in the wild from extinction. VOLUNTEER POSITIONS AVAILABLE.