Hello Everyone!
It is hard to believe, but in just a few short days I am celebrating one year as the Executive Director at CSWC and what a year it has been. During that time, I have fallen in love over and over again with this unique and amazing watershed, the CSWC staff, the community and our amazing partners. Thank you to those of you who have met with me, educated me, and helped me to build a solid foundation from which I can continue to grow and work. I still have a lot to learn, and I do so from a place of pure joy and excitement.
In fact, a couple of weeks ago I was flying out of PDX and as I looked out the window I and thought “that is my watershed and she’s a beauty”. In that moment I made a pledge that over the next year I will paddle all of the navigable Slough and visit all the natural areas I have yet to see. Along the way I will share photos and stories of these adventures.
With that said, I invite YOU to join me on this journey! We have so many events and paddles planned over the next 6 months – our calendar is literally bursting at the seams! Come join us to pull some ivy, dig a hole and plant something, dip your paddle in the water, head down a trail and see a great blue heron, a returning osprey, a beaver or a turtle. The opportunities are endless and they are all available to enjoy for free. Send along your photos and stories – we may just share them here in our newsletter!
Thank you to each and every one of you for your support of our watershed! I very much hope to see you at event soon.
Heather
Heather King
Executive Director
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Accepting Nominations for Henrietta Awards |
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We are excited to announce that CSWC is welcoming back the Henrietta Awards at our 2023 Slough Celebration on May 20th! Since 2001, the Henrietta Award, also referred to as the Environmental Leadership & Achievement Award, has been a tribute to the impact of strong partnerships and collaborative action in our community.
We are now accepting nominations of individuals, groups, or projects that have made outstanding contributions to the health of the watershed over the last year. Nominations will be accepted through 11:59pm on Sunday, April 23.
More information about the award and past winners are available here. Questions? Reach out to Amanda.
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Stewardship Event
this Saturday at Wilkes Creek Headwaters!
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Come join CSWC and Portland Parks & Recreation this Saturday, March 4th, from 10AM to 1PM to plant native trees and shrubs in the beautiful Wilkes Creek Headwaters natural area.
Wilkes Creek is one of the only remaining surface creeks flowing into the Columbia Slough! The Headwaters is a 20-acre area that has a diverse mix of oak savannah and dense Douglas-fir forest habitat and is an important wildlife corridor in the Slough. Come help your neighbors enhance a thriving green space in North Portland!
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CSWC Hosted its First Partner Roundtable? |
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In early February, we hosted our first Partner Roundtable and had great conversations with some of our close partner organizations. We were so excited to convene and discuss what the Council can do to better support our partners.
Some major takeaways included:
- A need for more collaborative workforce development programs
- Finding ways to lessen the barrier of transportation to access events
- Education opportunities for all ages are desired
A huge thank you to all who participated!
Our next partner discussion will be held in May so keep an eye out and please reach out to Maya, our Community Partnerships Manager if you are interested in joining the conversation.
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Become a Paddle Team Volunteer! |
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Training Webinar on Monday, March 20th
6PM - 7:30PM
Anyone who is interested in joining our paddle team is welcome to join this free webinar. It will serve as a refresher for people who have previously participated as Paddle Team volunteers before, and as a great resource to learn more prior to committing if you are new. This webinar will be held on Zoom - the link will be sent to your email after you register.
This virtual webinar will be followed by an in person training held in English on April 1. Additional training for Ukrainian and Russian speakers will be held on Sunday, June 25, and date for additional training for Spanish speakers will be announced soon. Registration for all three training sessions will be available at the March 20 webinar.
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Volunteer Feature: Paul Taylor
Paul has been monitoring and cleaning up an adopted portion of the Slough for just over two years. In that time, he has gone above and beyond to improve the conditions for wildlife, people, and residents who live along the water. Over two years, he has:
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Removed over 157,000 pieces of trash
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Spent over 353 days of service on the Slough, nearly equivalent to spending every day for an entire year on it!
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Removed over 120 tires and 114 quarts of oil from the Slough
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Our deep appreciation goes out to Paul and his dedication to improving the Slough. We are incredibly lucky to have him as a volunteer!
Click the link below to read the full blog post on Paul's work!
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March Slough Science - Watershed Wildlife
with Laura Guderyahn!
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Thursday, March 23rd, 5:30-7:30PM
at Level Beer on NE 148th Ave.
Our March speaker is Laura Guderyahn, who will be discussing the wildlife of the Columbia Slough Watershed! For 16 years, Laura has worked as an Ecologist, first for the City of Gresham and now for Portland Parks and Recreation.
Get to know your local wildlife at this interactive hands-on presentation! Live frogs, turtles, and bugs galore as well as real mammal skulls and bones will help teach you how to identify some of the animals you might see around the Columbia Slough Watershed.
Slough Science is free and open to whoever is curious, so come nerd out with us! Spots are limited so please register on our website.
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Join Our Earth Day Celebration this April! |
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We are hosting two Earth Day events this year.
Please join us for one of these amazing opportunities!
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Wilkes Earth Day Celebration
Saturday, April 22nd, 10AM-2PM
Join us in celebrating Earth Day on April 22nd with friends and family at Wilkes Park with CSWC, Verde, People of Color Outdoors, Friends of Trees, Audubon and Portland Parks and Recreation. All of these great organizations are joining forces for this community celebration to help improve your local neighborhood green spaces at Wilkes Creek Headwaters and Natural Area and a family guided bird walk through the natural areas.
This family friendly event will include:
- Litter Cleanup and native plant mulching (10:00 - 12:30)
- Free LUNCH! (12:00 - 1:00)
- Guided bird walk (1:00 - 2:00)
- Community Organization information and tabling
- Opportunities to win FREE trees and native plants for your home
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Opportunities to Learn about Portland Parks & Recreation's Wilkes Creek Headwaters Master Planning Process
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Earth Day Birding & Paddle with BirdHers
Saturday, April 22nd, 9:30-11:30AM
Join CSWC and BirdHers for a free on-water birding opportunity on the Columbia Slough! This event is for womxn, queer, non-binary and trans people of all ages. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. This event will be held on the water - participants are welcome to bring their own boat, or reserve a seat in one of ours!
BirdHers is a local community organization that facilitates free weekly bird watching walks for womxn, Queer, Non-Binary and Trans folks to build community and learn more about nature together. Follow them on Instagram to learn more (@birdherspdx) or visit their website, birdherspdx.org.
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People of Color Outdoors (POCO) is a non-profit organization focused on creating safe and welcoming spaces outdoors for people of color to learn and enjoy nature. CSWC is a proud fiscal sponsor of POCO and we work together on events like paddles, nature walks, and youth programs. |
People of Color Outdoors has a youth program called POCO Guardians. POCO Guardians offers a free, five-day nature education program sponsored by a Community Partnership Program grant with the City of Portland. Students focus on something different each day, and continue learning about trees and keystone species all week long.
POCO Guardians is now accepting registration for Spring break, March 27th-31st! Fun activities include seeing live turtles and birds, and exploring a local park! All children are welcome to participate, so please share the news with friends and let them know to register at the link below.
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This month we are highlighting Poler, our Give!Guide partner who was instrumental in raising our average gift amount during this fundraising campaign.
This Portland-based company provides outdoor gear, and they donated their famous Napsacks and a camping set up for our end of year fundraising campaign. These were a huge hit and allowed us to raise more funds to support the Council's mission. We are looking forward to future partnerships with Poler!
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Please join us this month for a Stewardship Saturday, birding event, cleanup, and or Slough Science talk! There are lots of ways you can help improve and protect the Slough, and we look forward to seeing you out there! Register and find out more information about CSWC events on our website.
Saturday, March 4th, 10AM-1PM
See above for more information.
Tuesday, March 7th, 9AM-12PM
Join the CSWC for a cleanup event beginning at Whitaker Ponds Nature Park in NE Portland! This event is best suited for those 18 and older. Minors 14 and older are permitted if accompanied by an adult.
Saturday, March 18th, 10AM-12PM
Celebrate the last few days of winter with Columbia Slough Watershed Council and Ryan Gilpin at a free community paddle focused on birding at Smith & Bybee Wetlands Natural Area. All ages are welcome to this community event - minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Thursday, March 16th, 5:30-7:30PM
NOTE: This talk has been RESCHEDULED for March 16th, 2023. If you have already registered for the event, you are still registered for the new date. Please reach out to us if you can no longer attend.
Thursday, March 23rd, 5:30-7:30PM at Level Beer
See above for more information.
Saturday, March 25th, 10AM-1PM
Join CSWC and Portland Parks and Recreation as we restore one of our favorite hidden gems of the watershed! Come see the natural area's new ADA accessible path and parking lot while we install native plants to improve habitat. All the tools are provided, along with snacks, hot coffee and water.
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