National Aviary in Pittsburgh

The National Aviary in Pittsburgh is an education- and conservation-driven zoological organization whose mission is to inspire respect for nature through an appreciation of birds. We are the only independent, indoor, nonprofit zoo dedicated exclusively to birds.The Aviary's campus on Pittsburgh's North Side includes family-friendly exhibits, conservation education programs, a veterinary and teaching hospital, and an internationally recognized conservation and field research department.

The National Aviary serves a diverse audience, which ranges from preschoolers to seniors, from local residents to people from across the state, from rural and urban populations, and always includes underserved audiences, such as those who may be economically disadvantaged or have special needs.

For the 2016-17 school year, we plan to reach at least 23,000 students and teachers (half through outreach) through our formal education programs. Age-appropriate and standards-based, our school program packages are led by professionally trained educators. Many schools prefer that we come to them, because of distance or cost issues, so our education team delivers interactive outreach programs within a 90-mile radius of Pittsburgh. Our education programs provide opportunities for students to understand important conservation and environmental concepts through engaging studies.

In addition to school programming, we also offer group tours, private encounters with birds, scout programs and weekend events. Our education program schedule corresponds to the public school year, but preschool centers, scouts and private groups book throughout the year.

Private encounters occur daily and may be reserved in advance or as walk-ins. Our schedule is planned a year in advance, and activities are themed around holidays and environmental events or highlight specific bird species. In addition, we hold daily bird shows year round.

The following is our schedule of education programs:
* 7 seasonal themes, devoted to bird conservation awareness and education
* 3 daily theater shows that shine the spotlight on our bird collection via free-flight, multimedia theater experiences
* 6 weeks of summer day camp experiences for children ages 4-18 that help children discover the natural world and their place in it
* 180 days of in-house and outreach programs for public and private K-12 schools throughout the tri-state region
* 12 months of in-house and outreach programs for youth and adult organizations, homeschoolers and other non-school entities
* A series of family and child-based day camps during the holiday season
* Monthly family enrichment programming, including Penguin Painting classes, Photo Safaris and Early Learning programs
* Daily schedule of in-house feedings, encounters and talks to connect visitors with our collection and our mission
* A community outreach effort called Neighborhood Nestwatch, which partners with 300 local families on an innovative citizen-science program