Hello and Happy March!
I hope you are all doing as well as can be. Each day brings a bit more light, and for me it has definitely been noticeable. While we are still technically in winter, it is nice to see some signs of spring.
Here and there, one can see the leaves of Oso berry plants emerging, as well as the buds of other trees sleepily revealing themselves. In addition to more light at the end of the day, one can also see the angle of light changing, all moving toward more green life emerging and longer days. These are indeed signs of change, hopefully in tandem with decreasing issues related to COVID-19, with lower hospitalization rates, and some of the restrictions on masking being removed. As one who got covid in January, it is good to see us collectively getting over the worst of it!
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Speaking of change, WR’s Deputy Director is moving on. After 4 years of Heather King’s work at WR, we are happy for her new opportunity becoming the Executive Director of the Columbia Slough Watershed Council. In addition to being a friend, Heather has been a fantastic employee at WR, and has helped to elevate our organization to the next level.
In our talks over the years, she had been clear that at some point she wanted to be an ED. The position at the Watershed Council is a logical step! Of course, she will not be a stranger to WR, as we will continue to work with her in her new role.
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Congratulations Heather! We are sure to miss you and George as well! Thankfully, both Heather and George will be taking part in Paddle Oregon, 2022! Heather and her sister, who is a medic, will be part of our Safety Crew for the upcoming event.
Speaking of, look over upcoming events section below for an announcement on Paddle Oregon. After having our 20th Anniversary trip derailed for two years, we will finally be conducting the 20th Paddle Oregon.
Thanks again for all of your combined support, and hopefully we will see you soon!
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Travis Williams
Riverkeeper & Executive Director
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Header photo: A Willamette River winterscape, taken at Sam Daws Landing |
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Portland Trashy Tuesdays: Work with Willamette Riverkeeper along the Eastbank Esplanade in SE Portland on March 22, or join us on April 5 for a cleanup on the Springwater Corridor. Details and registration for both events can be found here.
Eugene-Springfield Trashy Tuesday: We are continuing our cleanup efforts on the water from Aspen Street to Alton Baker on March 8. Find more details and register here.
Corvallis Trashy Thursday: On March 17 we are work at the confluence of the Mary's and Willamette River. More details and registration for this on the water event are available here.
River Action - Online Advocacy Training: Have you ever wondered how to use your passion for healthy rivers at a policy level? Wondering how your on-the-ground efforts can be utilized to make a stronger case for change? Learn with Willamette Riverkeeper's Michelle Emmons, Eli Holmes and Travis Williams about how you can use your voice to help make a difference. Join us on March 30 for this virtual webinar. Register today!
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Portland Discovery Paddle: Just a few spots left for our Saturday, March 12 Discovery Paddle! Register today to join us as we paddle 7.5 miles through the Portland Harbor, which offers unique views of 8 Portland bridges, cargo ships, as well as an educational component about the Superfund site and Willamette River history from Riverkeeper and Executive Director, Travis Williams.
Pinot Paddle and Paddle Oregon Registrations are LIVE! Register today to reserve your spot at one of these overnight trips. Both events offer a unique experience and adventure like no other on the Willamette River.
Harvest Paddle Registration will be released in April.
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Ludwigia Logjam Cleanup at
Willamette Mission State Park
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Willamette Riverkeeper, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and our incredible volunteer group teamed up last month to help keep Ludwigia out of Mission Lake! This amazing group was eager to pitch in with extracting the aquatic invasive species, Ludwigia, that had been carried to the inflow of Mission Lake from this winter’s high-water event at Willamette Mission State Park. We had a total of 14 volunteers, 4 OPRD staff members, 2 WR staff, and two dump trucks that removed a total of five loads of Ludwigia to OPRD’s burn pile. Through this collaborative effort we ensured this invasive patch could not spread further into this area.
We are grateful for everyone’s hard work and look forward to more restoration volunteer work parties later this year!
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A Day in the Life of Restoration Planting: A Highlight of R. Franco Restoration, Our Contractor Crew |
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Willamette Riverkeeper is excited to share our success in installing 40,000 native plants at Gail Achterman Wildlife Area (GAWA) last month. We couldn’t accomplish such a huge task without our amazing contractor crew, R. Franco Restoration!
The day of restoration planting started by picking up the bareroot natives from a cooler at 6am. With the support of the Arbor Day Foundation these native plant materials came from funds from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s “Collective Grow” program. These bareroot natives are grown from seed by local nurseries all around the valley and preordered two years in advance. The cooler is located at the Adelman Peony Gardens where over a million native plants are stored for restoration work up and down the Willamette Valley. All plants are well cared for by Juan, the cooler manager, and the guard cat, Bob. Once the crew loaded the 40,000 plants, we headed to GAWA to begin planting.
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R. Franco Restoration is led by Rosario Franco who has been running restoration crews for 25 years. Through planning with our Willamette Riverkeeper restoration team, being in tune with the site and conveying the order of operations with his skilled crew they began sorting plants suited for each unit. The workers divided into groups according to elevation and species, each person carrying a planting shovel and a huge bag of plant stems around their waist. With speed, precision, and a smile the crew managed to sift through old plant debris, maneuver tough terrain and plant the native vegetation. |
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Having started working in restoration in 1997, Rosario has a deep appreciation for restoring our land to its native state - with a record planting day of installing 55,000 plants with a crew of 26 and several of his crew members have been working in the restoration field since 1979! Many of us can appreciate going out and identifying our native flora but it’s incredible that the crew can take one look at a barely leafing-out twig with roots and identify the species.
Rosario continues to inspire his crew members and teach the importance of fostering native vegetation throughout the landscape. There is no planet B - we are extremely grateful for every hand that helps us protect, conserve, and restore this one. Our team appreciates working with Rosario and his crew to accomplish large scale plantings and dramatic ecosystem improvements to the natural sites where we work.
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Willamette Riverkeeper is Hiring! |
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We are seeking two full time individuals to join our team - a Development Director and Staff Attorney. Candidates must be located in the Willamette Valley and have the ability to, at times, work in our Portland office. For both positions, email resume, cover letter and additional materials to travis@willametteriverkeeper.org.
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Coffee! Warm up this winter season with Roast #187 from Pastor John's Blessed Beans. Roasted in Oregon City, this is a great way to support Willamette Riverkeeper and a local small business. Purchase 2lbs. (that's two bags!) of this amazing dark roast for just $35!
Paddle. Camp. Repeat. Tees! These tri-blend tees come in a women's or men's fit, with the option of blue or gray. Purchase yours today for just $25!
Maps! Starting to plan for your summer river trips? Grab a digital or paper (waterproof of course) copy of our Willamette River Maps on the Willamette Water Trail. Available for the Upper and Lower Willamette River.
Willamette Water Trail Patches, we're selling them for just $5!
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