Sound Stewards

October 2023

go with the flow - free the Deschutes!

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Dear friends, colleagues, and estuary enthusiasts,

We at DERT are extraordinarily grateful to our donors, sponsors, supporters, and attendees for making our 2023 Auction and Fundraiser one of our best yet! Not only did we surpass our goal of $10,000, we had a wonderful time celebrating all of the major wins over the last year and the community of people that support us in carrying out our mission:

To realize a fully restored Deschutes Estuary that reflects and respects the history and culture of the south Salish Sea, and advocate for a community-managed Deschutes watershed that provides for all inhabitants for generations to come.

We would like to give a special thank you to Representative Beth Doglio and Special Assistant to the DES Director Ann Larson, for being our Auctioneers and bringing lots of energy and laughs to the event! A big thank you to Jeff Dickison for speaking to the founding of our organization and for adding invaluable context and perspective on where we are today, how far we have come, and the relationships that have been built along the way. I would also like to recognize DERT’s Board of Directors for their tireless efforts to free the Deschutes River, with special acknowledgments to Co-Founder Sue Patnude and Board President Dave Monthie. Please see the list of our donors and sponsors below, we could not do this without them and we have nothing but the deepest gratitude for the investment in our communities health and future!

There is much more to come through the end of 2023 and into 2024. Please stay tuned for more ways you can be a participant in freeing the Deschutes and a huge thank you to all of our supporters, whether you support us with your time, financially, or in spirit, we cannot do this without you!

Casey Allen

Operation and Development Manager

Thank you to our donors this year:

Adam Rosezkewicz

Alan McMeel

Bill Whalen

Blue Heron Bakery

Boston Harbor Marina

Capitol Florist

Captain Little

Caroline Slagle

Casey Allen

Clair Kerwin

Cole Baldino

Dave Monthie

Dave Peeler

Greg Psaltis

Hama Hama Oyster Company

Jae Harris-Townsend

Jeff Dickison

Jeff Frost

Katrina Keleher

Lincoln Creek Lumber

Nancy Connery

Oly Sailing Company

Painted Plate

Ramblin Restaurants

Ray Willard

Russ Cahill

Storman's Inc.

Sue Patnude

The Bread Peddler

The Oyster Boys

Tom Hyde

Traditions

Tyler Cowdrey

Well 80

A big thank you to our sponsors, guest speakers, and auctioneers:

GIVE LOCAL IS BACK!

Don’t Miss DERT’s Give Local campaign page! The South Puget Sound Community foundation is at it again, hosting their yearly Give Local campaign where our community can invest in the local nonprofits that are working to effect change in Thurston County. Browse the myriad of amazing nonprofits and get ready for the giving season.

GIVE LOCAL!

NOVEMBER COMMUNITY FORUM

Check out our upcoming forum on Saturday, November 18th starting at 2pm at the New Traditions Cafe , “Cultural Ecosystems in Restoration” with the former cultural resource specialist (who we are lucky to now have on the Olympia Parks Team) Mo Majors.

Learn about the intersection of cultural ecosystems and restoration and enjoy free pizza from the comfort of Traditions, a longtime staple of downtown Olympia with a front row seat to the estuary!

Click here to our website, view details, and let us know you are coming!

Port Elections

Port elections are right around the corner and given the magnitude of several projects that are influenced by the port, from the estuary restoration to the Budd Inlet Sediment Remediation, it is vital that you make sure that you have your voice heard when it comes to choosing a Port Commissioner.

For more information on the port candidates, to make sure that you are making an informed decision, take a look at these resources.

Check out this Interview on KAOS radio of Carla Wulfsberg and Jon Ceazan from the “Port of Olympia Action Team,” where they share important information about the history of the port, the issues, and the candidates. Get your education on and make an informed decision!!

Voters' Guide

DERT'S NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Evergreen Gateways Program Educational Walking Tour

DERT Partnered with the Evergreen Gateways program to provide an educational and engaging walking tour to participants in Evergreen's program.

Using the “Olympia’s Hidden HIstories” StoryMap as a base, we shared and conversed about the history of environmental justices and inequalities around the mouth of the Deschutes and how we as a community might begin to unravel these traumas and make sure that we do not perpetuate them into the future.

We also learned about the science of an estuary, the environmental issues around the Deschutes Estuary, and the expansive opportunities and challenges that a large restoration project like this will bring to our community! We look forward to working with the Gateway Program in the future.

Orca Recovery Day Tabling

DERT tabled at the South Salish Sea’s Orca Recovery Day event, hosted at Squaxin Park by the Thurston Conservation District (TCD) and the City of Olymipa, and had a wonderful time sharing with all of the dedicated volunteers that came out to support our watershed health, salmon health, and the emblematic and vital Orca!

A big thank you to the TCD and all of the volunteers for supporting each other and the beautiful place that we call home, coming together to make this a better place for all of the human and more than human inhabitants of the region!

You are part of the vision and hard work that guarantees the Deschutes River WILL meet Puget Sound without a barrier. Together, we will continue to advocate for the restoration of our urban estuary. Please consider donating to DERT today.

DONATE TO DERT

NEWS IN THE WATERSHED

Reasons to jump into our rivers

"A young girl, I’d guess about nine, stood with her mother watching the Chinook salmon swim and leap in the concrete holding pens at Tumwater Falls Hatchery. Having recently taken a class on the life cycle of salmon, I was there too, offering information as a Stream Team volunteer."

JOLT | By Mara Leveritt

Olympia: It's the water (level). Sea level rise and what we're doing about it

"To free salmon stuck behind dams in Oregon’s Willamette River Valley, here’s what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has in mind:

Build a floating vacuum the size of a football field with enough pumps to suck up a small river. Capture tiny young salmon in the vacuum’s mouth and flush them into massive storage tanks. Then load the fish onto trucks, drive them downstream and dump them back into the water. An enormous fish collector like this costs up to $450 million, and nothing of its scale has ever been tested."

Propublica | by Tony Schick

Capitol Lake – Deschutes Estuary EIS identifies estuary restoration as preferred long-term management approach

October 31, 2022: "Estuary restoration best achieves project goals compared to the other alternatives considered, has the broadest stakeholder support, and provides other environmental benefits. Project goals are improving water quality and ecological functions, managing sediment accumulation, and enhancing community use. The restored estuary is the only alternative that can achieve state water quality standards."

For inquiries:

Linda Kent | 360-972-6413 | linda.kent@des.wa.gov

DES

Do you have watershed news to share?

Send it to us at olydert@gmail.com

Facebook Recurring Donations

Are you an estuary enthusiast?

Consider becoming a recurring DERT donor on Facebook! Facebook routes donations through Network for Good so we receive 100% of your donation - no fees!

With monthly donations from caring supporters like you, we can do more good, every day, for the health of our Deschutes estuary and watershed.

Become a donor on Facebook!

POLLUTION REPORTING RESOURCES

As a community dedicated to protecting the Deschutes watershed and South Puget Sound, we must all keep an eye out for potential pollution incidents when we are out and about.

To report suspected pollution in your community, email olydert@gmail.com.

DERT's South Sound Healthy Watershed Program operates thanks to our sponsoring foundations and donors like you. Did you know that donors are now able to set up automatic recurring monthly donations in any amount? Follow the link to the right to get set up. Thank you for working with us towards a free Deschutes!

Donate Today!

MANAGING YOUR INBOX

Do our emails get lost in your promotion tab? Here is a quick trick to make sure our newsletter goes directly into your primary inbox*. Simply click on the email in your promotions tab, and drag it up and over to your primary tab. Voila! From now on, every DERT email will go directly to your primary tab!

For more information CLICK HERE

*This tip is for those who use Gmail, but it may be applicable to other platforms.