Greetings!

Happy summer, Columbia Slough community! We hope you're finding time to enjoy the longer days, explore the watershed, and connect with nature through one of our many summer programs and events. June was a month full of milestones: we wrapped up another successful season of bringing 368 4th graders out for Canoe Weeks, gathered with partners and community at our annual Slough Celebration, and reached our goal of welcoming 25 new monthly donors to sustain our work throughout the year. 

As we head into July, we're excited to share upcoming opportunities to get involved, learn, and celebrate the people and places that make the Columbia Slough such a special community.

We hope to see you outside!

Interested in a free yard tree?

CSWC is participating in Portland Parks & Recreation's free yard-tree giveaway program!

Fill out the form below, and you will be alerted when sign-up opens in September 2026.

Please note:

• Trees must be planted on private property inside Portland city limits. If you live in an apartment, you can ask your landlord if trees can be planted on their property.
• Limit 3 free trees per year, per address
• Trees cannot be planted as street trees

Keep your eyes out for an event later this summer to help you select the best tree for your yard!

Slough Celebration Recap

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?! Nope! It’s another Slough Celebration for the books!

We do hope you saw the baby swallows, the Bald Eagle, and/or the Osprey flyover. If you weren’t birding, maybe you took the microscope to the animal pelts, perhaps you expanded your knowledge around the levee, or maybe you saw real living turtles and macroinvertebrates!!

Did we mention how amazing the free food, drinks, and popsicles were? Thank you again to our partners at El Sombrero and Selena's Custom Kitchen!

With record-setting temperatures and high winds, we did our best to stay cool and have fun! The CSWC Paddle Team guided 70+ participants over 15 canoe rides -- a huge thank you to the Paddle Team for their hard work in the heat!

It took the whole Slough Community to make this day the magic that it was, and we were very much appreciative. Thank you to our tabling partners, our sponsors, volunteers, Paddle Team, and to everyone who supported in any capacity.

Community Spotlight

A Special Tribute to Bruce Campbell

The Council would like to honor the memory of Bruce Campbell, a man who truly believed in rewilding and regeneration in the Columbia Slough Watershed. Bruce spent countless hours caring for the Buffalo Slough, the Elrod Canal, and the Peninsula Canal, clearing invasive blackberries, restoring habitat, and helping bring these special places back to life. He also partnered with past Council Stewardship Directors on restoration work along the north side of the Buffalo Slough, and contributed significantly to the rewilding of the Broadmoor Wetlands. He delighted in seeing the great blue herons, egrets, and the occasional stoat that thrived in these restored habitats. Bruce leaves behind a lasting legacy — not only in the landscapes he helped restore, but in the inspiration he provided through his books, written with his wife, Nancy Henry, This Rough Magic: At Home on the Columbia Slough, and High Noon on Come Along Slough. His books can be purchased online from Bookshop.org and are linked below.

We’re excited to share these new online kayak training resources from our friends at Mosquito Fleet!

Mosquito Fleet Kayak Training Series: This free, online series will provide you with basic and advanced skills in kayaking and taking on-water action for the health of our communities, waterways, and climate. Topics covered in the series: Your Boat, Your Gear, Your Paddle, Paddle Techniques & Strokes, Planning a Safe Paddle, Wet Exits & Self Rescues, Assisted Rescues & Towing, Rafted Banner Raises, and In-Line Banner Raises.

The River Remains: The River Remains is a new film from the Mosquito Fleet documenting the history of industry and colonization along the Willamette River and how communities continue to resist. The film provides grounding for why it is so important that we continue to come together to protect our waterways and each other.