October 2023 | Columbia Slough Watershed Council News
Hello Everyone, 

It is my favorite time of year! Though I will miss the long days of summer, I truly love it when the rainy days roll in, the colorful leaves of fall, and sweatshirt weather!

Over the past month, we have been prepping for fall programming and our year-end giving campaign! This has allowed me time to really think about this past year at CSWC. The staff, board, and our cohort of incredible volunteers have continued to pursue our mission to protect and enhance the Columbia Slough and its watershed through community engagement, education, and restoration, and we did it with gusto! 
 
During this past year, CSWC markedly increased programming and advocacy for the watershed by hosting hundreds of community events, stewardship events, and Slough School field trips and classroom lessons. Through this work, we continue to serve and introduce people to this hidden gem and educate them to become advocates of our watershed. All of these components combine and make our Watershed Council unique.

I hope to see you at one of our Fall events soon … perhaps a Stewardship Saturday, an Owl Prowl, or maybe while trick-or-treating at Whitaker Ponds for Boo in the Slough! Please come up, introduce yourself, and tell me your favorite thing about the watershed! 

Until then, be well!
Heather

Heather King
Executive Director
Please consider donating to CSWC, supporting the free community programming that happens throughout your watershed! 
Welcome to Our New Board Members!

This month the Council's Board of Directors voted to add 4 new members to our board and we are very excited to introduce them to you!
Nathalie Duer (she/her)
Nathalie is an Industrial Engineer with over 5 years of experience in direct client and support services programs. She is currently working at the Head Start program from Mt. Hood Community College as the Administrative Office and Technology Manager, where she's had the opportunity to improve the workplace by building strong relationships with stakeholders, bringing attention to matters that have been historically forgotten, and problem-solving with initiatives that facilitate the daily tasks.

Originally from Colombia, one of the world’s “megadiverse” countries, hosting close to 10% of the planet’s biodiversity (Convention on Biological Diversity, n.d.) but whose people experience forced displacements and a never-ending civil war. This disparity motivates her to keep learning about the intersection of community wellness and the environment, and how to protect our natural resources and make them accessible for those who need them the most. Her favorite place is wherever there’s a stream of water, a small creek, river, waterfall, or the sea; and what she likes the most about the Slough is how accessible it is, and the different types of birds it keeps. 
Marisa Trujillo DeMull (she/her)
Marisa Trujillo DeMull is a mother, partner and transportation engineer for Portland Bureau of Transportation. Her personal and professional life has been dedicated to uplifting the voices and labor of marginalized people. As a resident of the watershed, she is enthusiastic about bringing her unique perspective and lived experience to the Board.
Peter Hedman (he/him)
Peter represents Norsk Hydro, a global aluminum and energy company with several sites in the Columbia Slough watershed. He has a deep love of nature and enjoys paddling, riding, and recreating on and around the slough with his family. He especially enjoys helping others to experience the beauty of the watershed “hidden” within the city.
Over the past twenty years Peter has worked in a variety of roles ranging from product design and R&D to marketing and communications in the sporting goods and aluminum industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Eastern Washington University and an MBA from the University of Oregon.
JJ Bjordahl (he/they)
JJ has been enchanted with the Slough since the mid-1990s, having first experienced it as a flash of mysterious riparian area under the highway while en route to downtown. Having moved South from Vancouver, Wa in the early 2000s they would spend nearly twenty years working and volunteering on local community, education, arts and environmentally focused initiatives, with nonprofits and public agencies, both in the watershed and around our greater community. They hold an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science from Portland State and work as an Engineering Technician for Multnomah County. In their free time you can find them paddling the Slough, the Willamette, circumnavigating Cascade volcanoes, doing citizen science and looking for beautiful old trees in wilderness and forest.
Give!Guide Sneak Peak!

Give!Guide is Willamette Week’s annual effort to raise funds for — and draw attention to — the good works of local nonprofits. CSWC is proud to be one of the 200+ non-profits participating this year! Depending on your donation level to CSWC, you can earn some cool incentive gifts or be entered into raffles to win cool stuff from a local retailer.

This year CSWC has partnered with Level Beer, Wyld CBD, Garnish, SymbiOp Garden Shop, Next Adventure, and Patagonia to give our donors access to some great incentives. Just a few of our incentives are listed below!

Incentives for everyone:
  • $25 - Free pint from Level Beer (donors 21+)
  • $75 - $99 Wyld CBD Grapefruit Sparkling Water 4-Pack (20mg CBD : 10mg CBG per can)

Incentives for donors 35 and under:
  • Donors age 35 and under who donate $15 or more will be entered into a raffle to win a box of Patagonia gear (worth $250) and a case of Yerba Mate, or a $50 Next Adventure Gift Card and a case of Yerba Mate.
Communities Cleaning the Slough
Beginning in January of this year, we expanded our cleanup program to once a month events which have been a huge success.

Year to date we have removed 25 tons of trash, including 60 tires! This work would not be possible without the support of our community - we cannot thank you enough!

Our October events have been added to the calendar, and we cannot wait to get to work with you. Join us later this week on October 5 for a land based cleanup in partnership with SOLVE. Details and registration can be found here.

Our final cleanup event of 2023 will be on October 29 in partnership with Mosquito Fleet. Come in costume and be prepared to get dirty as we clean up the Slough by boat. Details and registration can be found here. A huge thank you to Budget Dumpster, who has donated the dumpster for this event.
Boo in the Slough is Back!
Join us and People of Color Outdoors for a Halloween celebration at Whitaker Ponds on Tuesday, October 31 from 4 - 6PM!

Trick-or-treating stations will be set up along the 0.5 mile trail around the ponds, a mostly flat dirt trail. And Elaine Murphy, resident bat and owl expert, will be set up to offer some spooky animal education. Bring your candy bag and come dressed in your Halloween best! 
It's Stewardship Saturday Season!
With October rains comes fall planting events!

Join CSWC and partners Portland Parks and Recreation, Gresham Barlow School District, SOLVE and PGE for a bunch of fun volunteer events while we install native plants and pull english ivy to help improve the watersheds' wonderful natural areas. 
October Slough Science:
Tree Care for Birds
Wednesday, October 11th, from 5:30-7:30 PM at Level Beer on NE 148th

Join us for a free presentation and discussion on Tree Care for Birds with Ryan Gilpin, and learn what arborists are doing to make our urban forests safer for wildlife and what you can do. Wildlife habitat in the Columbia Slough watershed includes both great natural areas like Smith and Bybee, city streets and parks, and your back yard. Much of the Council’s focus is rightfully on these great natural areas, but Ryan will talk about the urban forest as important wildlife habitat.

Want to learn more from Ryan? You can also join him outside on 10/14 for a Bird and Urban Wildlife Walk. He'll be discussing what is being done to provide habitat and minimize disturbance for these birds in urban areas and a call to action to do more. 

Events are free and open to whoever is curious -
come learn with us!
Sponsor Highlight:
Pest & Pollinator LLC
A huge shoutout to Pest & Pollinator! Founded by a lifelong naturalist and organic gardener, Pest & Pollinator priortizes biodiverstiy conservation while protecting families and pollintors. They have generously supported the Council and helped us manage wasp issues around our office.
October Events Lineup
We have tons of fun events this fall, with lots of nature walks, a stewardship event, cleanups, and Boo in the Slough! Register and find out more information about CSWC events on our website.

Thursday, October 5, 10 AM - 12 PM
Join Columbia Slough Watershed Council and SOLVE for a cleanup where MLK crosses the Columbia Slough. This area contains a high concentration of litter that poses a threat to public safety and environmental quality. This cleanup is not family-friendly or suitable for anyone under the age of 18 due to an increased presence of hazardous materials.

Domingo, Octubre 8, 9:30 AM - 12 PM
Únase a la facilitadora Cici Orozco de Temenos Rising y CSWC para una conexión gratuita con la naturaleza y una caminata de exploración de atención plena en el Columbia Children's Arboretum. Al darnos la oportunidad de cultivar atención plena, de escucharnos y de conectar con lo que nos rodea, nos abrimos a vivir en el momento presente. Esta oferta se recomienda para mayores de 16 años.

Wednesday, October 11, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
This free speaker event will feature Ryan Gilpin, an arborist and trip leader for CSWC Bird Walks, talking about what we can do to improve urban forests in our backyard. We will be back at Level Beer on NE 148th for the talk. Check out the bird walk on 10/14 with Ryan to learn more!

Thursday, October 12, 5 - 6:30 PM
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of birds as we embark on a memorable journey through a local birding trail. This unique event is designed to celebrate the diverse birding community and provide an inclusive space for BIPOC individuals to connect with nature and each other.

Saturday, October 14, 9 - 11 AM
Join CSCW and bird walk leader Ryan Gilpin for a follow-up to the October 11 Slough Science presentation on Tree Care for Birds! Ryan will lead a bird walk focused on the habitat needs of the birds that we find at Whitaker Ponds. This event will explore what is being done to provide habitat and minimize disturbance for these birds in urban areas and a call to action to do more. This free event is open to all ages.

Saturday, October 14, 9:30 AM - 12 PM
Join facilitator and educator Jo Linden from Temenos Rising and CSWC for a free guided 2.5-hour nature connection and mindfulness exploration walk at the Columbia Children's Arboretum. This offering is for our LGBTQIA+ community and is recommended for those 16 and older. 

Saturday, October 21, 11 AM - 1 PM
Experience the wonders and wildlife of the Slough up close with this free community paddle hosted in partnership with People of Color Outdoors! This event is for our communities of color, and people of all ages. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Please only register for this workshop if you identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and/or as a person of color. 

Sunday, October 22, 9:30 AM - 12 PM
Join healer Misako Yamamoto from Temenos Rising and CSWC for a free guided 2.5-hour nature connection and mindfulness exploration walk at Columbia Children's Arboretum. We hope to explicitly make space in this offering for our communities of color and is recommended for those 16 and older. Please only register for this workshop if you identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and/or as a person of color. 

Saturday, October 28, 10 AM - 1 PM
Come join the CSWC in this region-wide event to rid our natural landscapes of the pesky invasive species English ivy. The event will take place at Wilkes Creek Natural Area and will focus on removing English ivy to improve this important natural area. Come and hang out with your neighbors and see who can pull the longest piece of ivy!

Sunday, October 29, 9:30 AM - 12 PM
Join Irene Bailey of Temenos Rising for a free guided 2.5-hour forest bathing walk at Columbia Children's Arboretum. This event is open to all community members, although recommended for those 16 and older.

Sunday, October 29, 1 PM - 4PM
Join Mosquito Fleet and CSWC for a Halloween themed on-water cleanup! Participants can bring their own boat, or reserve a seat in one of ours. This is for people 14 and older, minors must be accompanied by an adult. 

Tuesday, October 31, 4 PM - 6 PM
Join CSWC and People of Color Outdoors for some all ages Halloween fun! We’ll have trick-or-treating stations set up along the 0.5 mile trail around Whitaker Ponds - come dressed in your Halloween best! 
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