Salt Lake County Library Storytime
2026-06-18 09:00 - 10:30 UTC | UT
A monthly song and story adventure provided in partnership with the Nature Center at Pia Okwai – Tracy Aviary. Fun for kiddos with a caring adult.
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Bird Surveys with Our Conservation Team
2026-06-19 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-06-26 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-03 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-10 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-17 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-24 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-31 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-08-07 08:00 - 10:00 and 8 more dates | UT

World Refugee Day 5K Run/Walk
2026-06-19 08:00 - 11:00 | Nature Center at Pia Okwai, 3310 South 1000 West, South Salt Lake, UT, 84119, United States
The World Refugee Day 5K is more than a race. It is a celebration of resilience, culture, and community.
Join Why Are You Running as they run in support of refugees and families rebuilding their lives. Every step helps raise awareness and resources to support those seeking safety, opportunity, and a fresh start.
After the race, stay and celebrate with vibrant African food, high-energy Afro Beats, and a powerful gathering of community members, leaders, and families. This is a space to connect, learn, and stand in solidarity.
Come ready to move, to celebrate culture, and to make a real impact.
Run with purpose. Celebrate with heart. Support refugees.
REGISTER

Wine Tasting with X96's Radio from Hell
2026-06-20 15:00 - 17:00 | Nature Center at Pia Okwai, 3310 South 1000 West, South Salt Lake, UT, 84119, United States
In partnership with X96 and Jim Santangelo from Wine Academy of Utah, join us for a wine tasting event with local legends Kerry, Bill, and Gina from Radio from Hell!
Spend an evening in nature with X96! Enjoy a variety of refreshing wines with your favorite members of the morning radio show. Attendees will get the chance to chat with Kerry, Bill, and Gina while exploring Tracy Aviary’s Nature Center at Pia Okwai. Get to know our wildlife oasis by the Pia Okwai/Jordan River and learn about birds in our observation tower.
The event includes three beverages, a special arrival pour, and an assorted plate of fruits, nuts, cheeses, or crackers. All while raising a glass to the birds at Tracy Aviary!
Date: Saturday, June 20, 2025
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Location: Nature Center at Pia Okwai (3300 South 1000 West)
Price: $75
Additional Information:

Weather permitting, it will be outside and inside.
Guests must be at least 21 years or older to attend this event.

Tickets
***Effective January 1, 2026, in compliance with the new state law (House Bill 437), all patrons attending this event will be asked to show their ID – regardless of appearance or age. Acceptable forms of ID: valid Passport, US Driver’s License, Military ID, or US state-issued ID card with a birth date and photo***.
Refunds: Due to limited capacity and high demand for these events, refunds are available if cancellation is made 48 hours before the event. Please email us if you need to cancel.
**If this event is sold out, feel free to email events@tracyaviary.org to be added to the waitlist.**

Let's Go Birding Together
2026-06-28 09:00 - 11:00 | UT
Join us for a casual, guided bird walk especially for LGBTQIA+ folks and our allies. This program is made for adults to connect with each other and the incredible birds who call the Pia Okwai/Jordan River home.
LEARN MORE
Let’s Go Birding Together meets every last Sunday of each month at 9 a.m. This is a special off-site edition at Utah Lake North Shore!
REGISTER HERE
No bird watching experience? No problem! Our educators and conservation scientists are experienced bird nerds and will help you spot and identify birds along the trail. We’ll even have freshly-sanitized binoculars and bird guides for you to borrow (Thanks, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, for funding these tools!).

PALS! (Plant and Learn Service)
2026-06-28 09:00 - 12:00 | UT
Join us at the Nature Center at Pia Okwai for our new monthly series, PALS (Plant and Learn Service)! Led by our Volunteer Coordinator, folks will support with displaced plant removal and then participate in a class/workshop. Topics will vary from making paper out of plants to learning how to plant a tree! Coffee and bagels provided.
This month’s project will focus on repotting techniques for houseplants. Please bring a houseplant from home and a pot for replanting!
REGISTER

First Friday Fono
2026-07-03 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-08-07 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-09-04 18:00 - 21:00 | UT
Join us for First Friday Fono. In these monthly meetings we will be discussing many of the legends of the Pacific Islands and other important subjects.
Our discussions take place around a bowl of kava. Kava is a non alcoholic drink consumed throughout the Pacific in ceremonial and social settings. It is made from the roots of the piper methysticum plant. It can bring relief to anxiety, mood swings and more. It is also known as the “drink of peace” because of it’s ability to relieve stress and reduce anxiety, promotor relaxation, and being mental clarity all without creating dependency. Because of these properties many difficult discussions could take place around a bowl of kava while still maintaining peace.
This program is being offered free of charge, but if you have the means and are able to make a donation of any amount that is greatly appreciated. If your circumstances allow, we recommend a donation of $5 or $10. All proceeds will go towards making this experience sustainable and any excess will go towards education and conservation at both the Nature Center at Pia Okwai and Tracy Aviary.
If you would like to donate to Tracy Aviary you can learn more here.
Or you can venmo us here:

Aves sin Fronteras
2026-07-11 09:00 - 11:00 | UT
Acompáñenos en una caminata casual guiada para observar aves en español para la comunidad latina. Este programa está diseñado para que los adultos conecten entre sí y con las increíbles aves que habitan en Pia Okwai/Jordan River.
¿No tiene experiencia en la observación de aves? ¡No se preocupe! Nuestros educadores y científicos conservacionistas le ayudarán a localizar e identificar aves a lo largo del sendero. Tendremos binoculares y guías de aves para que los utilice (¡Gracias a la División de Artes y Museos de Utah por financiar estas herramientas!)
REGÍSTRESE AQUÍ

Let's Go Birding Together
2026-07-26 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-30 09:00 - 11:00 | UT
Join us for a casual, guided bird walk especially for LGBTQIA+ folks and our allies. This program is made for adults to connect with each other and the incredible birds who call the Pia Okwai/Jordan River home.
LEARN MORE
Let’s Go Birding Together meets every last Sunday of each month at 9 a.m. Meeting locations vary.
No bird watching experience? No problem! Our educators and conservation scientists are experienced bird nerds and will help you spot and identify birds along the trail. We’ll even have freshly-sanitized binoculars and bird guides for you to borrow (Thanks, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, for funding these tools!).
REGISTER HERE

Woodcut Printing Workshop
2026-08-28 18:00 - 20:30 | Nature Center at Pia Okwai, 3310 South 1000 West, South Salt Lake, UT, 84119, United States
Woodcut Printing Workshop w/ Jeanette Lukens
Join us at the Nature Center at Pia Okwai for a relief printing woodcut workshop with Jeanette Lukens, Liberty Park’s former Artist in Residence!
You will design your own original piece, then carve it on a small linoleum block (3” x 4”) and print it on 5” x 7” paper.

As a participant (age 16+), you will leave with several copies of your print and the block that you carved. You’ll even be able to exchange prints with other participants so you can go home with multiple prints. If you want to continue with your new hobby, you will have the option to buy the tools to take home.
No previous experience required.

Hour 1 – sketching, transferring onto block, carving block
Hour 2 – printing (using a press, spoons, and other printing tools)

All supplies will be provided:

Carving tools
Linoleum blocks
Paper
Ink (and related rollers/stuff for cleanup etc)
Printing press

Date: Friday, August 28, 2026
Time: 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Location: Nature Center at Pia Okwai (3310 South 1000 West, South Salt Lake, UT 84119)
Ticket Price: $60
Tickets
Refunds: Due to the limited capacity and high demand for these events, refunds are available if cancellation is made 48 hours before the event. Please email events@tracyaviary.org if you need to cancel.

Featured Artist
Jeanette Lukens is a relief print maker working mostly with wood and linoleum blocks that are hand-carved and hand-printed. While the majority of her work consists of black and white prints of iconic southwest landmarks, she also creates color prints using a reduction process or multiple blocks.
Jeanette participates regularly in juried art shows and markets throughout Utah, and her work can be found at Four Lemons Art Gallery and the Tracy Aviary, where she recently completed an Artist’s Residency Program.
What are Relief Prints?
Relief prints are produced by removing bits of wood or linoleum from a block, and then rolling ink onto the remaining block to create an image. White areas are removed or carved out of the block using specialized tools. Black or colored areas print from the bits of block that remain.

Purchasing Prints
Visit Jeanette’s website or Instagram to purchase original, hand-printed images (these are not copies of an original work; they are the originals, generally in a series of 10, 20, or 40). Purchased prints are unframed and shipped for free; however, framing can be requested with an additional fee.

Nature-based Mindfulness with Ian Napper
2026-09-13 09:30 - 11:00 | UT
Nature-based Mindfulness, also known as Forest Bathing, is a way of deeply communing with Nature. Slow down and unwind. Reconnect to wonder and awe. Breathe deep and create spacious relaxation with easy walking and breathing practices. You’ll be guided through gentle practices of grounding, centering, directed awareness, and other experiential practices while we engage with the more-than-human-world. Expect short walking and some sitting on the ground.
Research-backed benefits include: reduced stress hormones, lowered blood pressure, boosted immunity, greater rest from sleep, and reduced attention fatigue. Other benefits have been described as: a profound sense of awe and connection to the living Earth, a sense of deep peace, and settling of the nervous system. Every session is custom and unique.
Research-backed benefits of a regular Forest Bathing practice include

Boosted mood – reduced anxiety, depression, and loneliness
Reduced stress hormones – cortisol returning to the allostatic load baseline
Lowered blood pressure – boosts immune function
Reduced attention fatigue – boosts pro-social behavior
Improved sleep over time

Other benefits have been described as: a profound sense of awe and connection to the living Earth, a sense of deep peace and settling of the nervous system, profound gratitude, and a space beyond words.
General Instructions:
Check the weather before and wear what you might want to be comfortable, we will be outside the whole time, layering is best. Please arrive 10 min early to park and find the group. Meet by the kiosk area before the pavilion!
Things you may want to bring:

Sturdy footwear
Water bottle
Hat/sunglasses
Umbrella
Journal and pen
Warm layer or shawl
Your curiosity

Tickets
Adult: $20
Child: $15
PURCHASE TICKETS

Ian Napper is an Army Veteran, yoga instructor, mindful outdoor guide, small-group facilitator, and university adjunct. He develops and leads classes which use mindful movement and breathing, sensory practices, Nature immersion, playfulness, and small-group-processes to support healing, reduce stress, reduce loneliness, and promote personal growth through introspection and expanded awareness. He is passionate about helping people discover practices which can help them improve self-regulation skills, come home to their bodies, think more clearly, and approach their emotions and inner world with more acceptance and self-compassion. His hobbies and pursuits are at the intersection of personal growth, play, community, spirituality, and Nature. Additionally, he holds an M.Ed in trauma and resilience.

Instagram
Website

Let's Go Birding Together
2026-09-27 09:00 - 11:00 | UT
Join us for a casual, guided bird walk especially for LGBTQIA+ folks and our allies. This program is made for adults to connect with each other and the incredible birds who call the Pia Okwai/Jordan River home.
LEARN MORE
Let’s Go Birding Together meets every last Sunday of each month at 9 a.m. This is a special off-site edition! Location TBD.
REGISTER HERE
No bird watching experience? No problem! Our educators and conservation scientists are experienced bird nerds and will help you spot and identify birds along the trail. We’ll even have freshly-sanitized binoculars and bird guides for you to borrow (Thanks, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, for funding these tools!).
