Back in May I wrote about the Leach Botanical Gardens and the Portland Audubon Society’s Educational Birds as part of the magazine’s family summer fun guide.

Without a doubt, both options are well worth making separate trips to enjoy. But let’s face it: the clock is ticking on our annual three months of bliss around here. Which means it’s high time to start sniffing out the most bang for your buck on these long summer nights.

The folks at the Audubon Society feel your pain. So tonight they’ll be setting up shop at the Leach Botanical Gardens to give you an up close look at the birds of prey from their Wildlife Care Center.

Amid the backdrop of the garden’s idyllic manor and groves of enormous redwoods, not to mention the native, and exotic plant collection, which numbers in the thousands, you can discuss each of the bird’s unique adaptations, such as an owl’s superior night vision, and learn just how fast falcons can fly when they spot a good meal.

And speaking of bang for your buck, tonight’s multitasking mashup just happens to be free.