August 2026 | Columbia Slough Watershed Council News

Greetings!

Summer is in full swing at the Watershed Council, and we welcome August with more opportunities to get outside, connect with nature, and spend time with our community. This month, we're excited to offer a special tour of the Bull Run Watershed where participants will learn about Portland's drinking water alongside our staff and board, as well as several events celebrating the fascinating birds and bats that call our watershed home. We hope you'll join us to explore, learn, and help deepen our shared connection to the places and wildlife that make this landscape so special.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

SUPPORT THE SLOUGH

Bike the Levees with the Flood Safety District

Join CSWC and the Flood Safety District for a bike tour of a section of our levee system. Our route will take us along Marine Drive, into the Bridgeton Neighborhood, to Delta Park, and back to the District office for a 5-mile slow-paced ride.

Registration for this ride will open soon! Stay tuned and keep an eye on our events page. Registration is not required to attend, but it helps us plan and manage other logistics.

WHERE: 1880 NE Elrod Dr, Portland, OR 97218

WHEN: Saturday, August 29, 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Free Yard Tree - Tree Selection Event

Join CSWC and a certified arborist to assist in selecting the best tree for your yard! Urban Forestry Free Yard Tree Giveaway offers up to 3 free trees for Portlanders to plant in their yard.

This will be a drop-in style event where you can come by during the event time to get your questions answered.

Fill out the interest form linked below, and you can select the date and location for this tree selection event, or another one if the date/time doesn't work for you.

WHERE: Level Beer, NE 148th Ave

WHEN: Sunday, August 23rd, from 12 PM - 3 PM

YARD TREE INTEREST FORM

Monthly Giving - The Gift That Keeps on Giving!

We are excited to share the results of our monthly donor campaign last month! We reached our goal of 25 new monthly donors and now have 41 total monthly donors. That's right, we more than doubled our monthly donors!

This is very exciting for the Council, and the increase in monthly gifts means more steady funds to keep our programs going.

We want to take a moment to thank each and every one of these donors who are helping sustain the Slough. The Slough is a cleaner and more resilient place because of you!

If you missed the last campaign but want to join the movement, you can always sign up, and we have ongoing monthly donor benefits.

No matter how you engage with our programs, thank you for being part of the Slough community!

With gratitude,

Maya Hurst-Mayr

JOIN TODAY

Join CSWC for events to improve the watershed's important natural resources, learn about native plants, and connect with the community!

You can also find out more information about CSWC and our events on our website.

Outdoor Film Photography Workshop: How to Holga (2-part event)

Sunday, August 2, 10 AM - 12 PM

Join CSWC's Education Director, Jennifer Starkey, and Reneé Heister of Blue Moon Camera for a two-part outdoor film photography workshop where participants will learn to use this 100% mechanical, classic medium-format camera in a beautiful riparian zone. This event is for those 16 and older. Beginners VERY welcome, but all experience levels are welcome to sign up. By registering for this event, you are signing up for August 2nd and August 16th. Please commit to attending both days.

Portland Water Bureau Bull Run Watershed Tour with the Council

Thursday, August 6, 8:15 AM - 5:15 PM

Bull Run Watershed tours offer the unique chance to see firsthand how Portland's drinking water travels from forest to faucet. Interested in joining the CSWC on a Bull Run Watershed tour? Please email WaterBureauEducation@PortlandOregon.gov and reserve a seat. Please include your name and the number of seats requested, and be sure to include CSWC in the email text or header so they know you want to attend our August 6th tour. Seats will fill on a first-come, first-served basis. This is not a free event; PWB charges a $35 fee per person. 12 seats are available as of 7/14.

Feminist Bird Club - Bike & Bird Vanport Loop

Saturday, August 15, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Join CSWC and FBC.PDX leaders Amanda and Hazel for a day of biking and birding! This event is a space for BIPOC, queer, neurodivergent participants and their allies to gather, ride, and bird together in community. The group will bike ~8 miles from Vanport to Smith and Bybee and back, exploring some of the most bird-rich habitat in the Portland area. All participants will also be entered to win a pair of Nocs binoculars and a guidebook!

Outdoor Film Photography Workshop: How to Holga (2-part event)

Sunday, August 16, 10 AM - 2 PM

If you attended the first part of this workshop on August 2nd, please join part 2 of the event!

FULL The Bird Days of Summer! Bats with BAO

Tuesday, August 18, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Join Bird Alliance of Oregon educator Chris and CSWC for a celebration of our little flying mammals on a summer evening at Whitaker Ponds. We’ll seek to demystify bats as we search for them and try identifying them using a Bat Detector.

FULL The Bird Days of Summer! Bats with BAO

Wednesday, August 19, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

The Bird Days of Summer! Birding Paddle with BAO

Tuesday, August 25, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Join CSWC and Bird Alliance of Oregon for the Bird Days of Summer Birding Paddle! BAO Guides Candace & Brodie will lead the birding, while CSWC Paddle Team Staff and Volunteers will captain the boats! Participants are welcome to bring their own boat, or reserve a seat in one of ours for this paddling event on the Columbia Slough. This event is free and open to all ages; minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Bike the Levees with the Flood Safety District

Saturday, August 29, 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Slavic Community Paddle

Sunday, August 30, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Join the Slavic Community Center and CSWC for a paddle in NE Portland! This is an all ages event, minors must be accompanied by an adult. All paddling gear will be provided! This event is exclusively for Slavic community members. Ukrainian and Russian interpretation will be available throughout the event.