Hello Everyone,
It is wintertime in the watershed; you would think that as the world slows down a little, CSWC would do the same. While it is true that we are not holding any paddle events in December, that is the only programming that is on a slight hiatus! Please check out our calendar and join us in December for a Stewardship Saturday, an Owl Prowl, or at our Slough Science event for a reading from “This Rough Magic: At Home on the Columbia Slough! As always, all these events are free, and you can sign up!
I am going to veer slightly from my usual monthly messaging about adventuring in the Slough and the magic of our natural areas to ask you a couple of questions.
- Did you know that the majority of philanthropic giving happens in November and December and that 26% of that happens in the month of December?
- Did you know that individual and corporate giving accounts for almost 20% of CSWC’s annual budget?
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Did you know CSWC just released our FY23 Annual Report? This report highlights the amazing work accomplished in our last fiscal year, including increased free community programming and advocacy throughout the watershed!
One final question … Can you help CSWC reach our year-end fundraising goal by making a donation today? Donating is simple and can be made either through our Give!Guide Campaign or directly on our website. Every dollar given by you helps CSWC continue to offer free community programming and advocate for your watershed!
Thank you, for all you do for our watershed!
Heather King
Executive Director
PS: Please know that it is giving season, which means there will be an increase in the number of emails you will receive from CSWC over the next two months. I ask you to refrain from unsubscribing from our mailing list and know that come January, we will return to only sending you one or two emails a month with program and organization updates!
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From today through the end of December, please make a donation and help reach our Give!Guide goal of $25,000
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INCENTIVES INCLUDE:
A coupon for a free pint from Level Beer (donors age 21+)
AND MORE!
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A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR
GIVE!GUIDE PARTNERS!
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Book Reading with the authors of This Rough Magic: At Home on the Columbia Slough
Wednesday, December 13, 5:30 - 7:30pm at
Level Beer on NE 148th Ave
Join Columbia Slough Watershed Council for a unique Slough Science event with local Portland authors Nancy Henry and Bruce Campbell. Their recent book, This Rough Magic: At Home on the Columbia Slough, offers readers a lush tale of learning about, advocating for, and explaining the mysteries of Portland’s most hidden natural landscape, the wet and wild Columbia Slough.
Anyone who attends will be entered to win a copy of the book!!
All are welcome, but spots are limited, so please register below!
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Stewardship Saturday - Belonging Project |
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Thank you all who participated and joined us on our December 2nd Stewardship Saturday!
The Belonging Project is a community-inspired restoration project at Whitaker Ponds focused on the intentional inclusion of all communities that live/work/play in the Columbia Slough watershed.
The ultimate goal of the project is to create a place where all community members feel like they Belong, have a place to gather in community and learn about/experience nature, and where their story is being told.
Thank you to Güero Bird Club, Feminist Bird Club, Portland Parks & Recreation, and our amazing volunteers, who installed 150 native plants, mulched 180 plants, installed a purple martin commune, maintained the turtle nesting area AND installed an experimental wapato propagation cage (big shout out to volunteers Steve and Melina Cameron for building and installing).
Thank you to our amazing volunteers and partners! All of these projects would have not been possible without your enthusiasm, dedication and hard work. THANK YOU!!
We have one more Stewardship Saturday event this 2023!! To learn more and to register, click here. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with the Columbia Slough Watershed Council this upcoming 2024, please reach out to our Volunteer and Outreach Manager, Valeria!
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Explorando el Columbia Slough is back!! |
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Save the Date! Explorando El Columbia Slough is July 20th, 2024, from 1-4pm.
CSWC is excited to work with the community to host Explorando for the first time since 2019. This festival-style and bilingual event will be an opportunity to learn about and explore the watershed, with events and activities in Spanish! Stay tuned for more info in 2024.
Want to help plan the event? CSWC is recruiting community members to join the Explorando planning committee! Committee members will help decide on activities, find vendors, and recruit volunteers.
Committee members will be paid a stipend for attending planning meetings and the event itself. Please reach out to Maya Hurst-Mayr to join the committee.
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¡Reserva la fecha! Explorando El Columbia Slough será el 20 de julio 2024, de la 1 pm a las 4 pm.
CSWC se enorgullece en trabajar con nuestra comunidad para organizar el evento de Explorando por primera vez desde el 2019. ¡Este festival bilingüe será una gran oportunidad para aprender y explorar la cuenca, con eventos y actividades en español! Mantente alerta para obtener más información en el 2024.
¿Quieres ayudar a organizar y planificar el evento? CSWC está reclutando miembros comunitarios para formar parte del comité de Explorando! Los miembros del comité ayudarán a planificar las actividades, encontraran otros socios y ayudarán a reclutar voluntarios.
Se les otorgará un estipendio por asistir a las reuniones y al evento.
Si te interesa participar, comunícate con Maya Hurst-Mayr y únete al comité!
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Meet our Volunteer and Outreach Manager - Valeria Villanueva |
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We are thrilled to welcome our newest member to the team, Valeria, who will be joining us as our new Volunteer and Outreach Manager.
Valeria comes to us with a wealth of experience and passion for community engagement. With a background in Communications and Outreach in the non-profit sector, she brings a unique perspective and dedication to making a positive impact in the Slough.
The Council is excited to have Valeria on the team and we look forward to achieving wonderful things together. If you have any questions, ideas, or if you'd like to get involved in our volunteer programs, please reach out directly to Valeria, she will love to hear from you!
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Join the CSWC for a slough of events this fall to help improve the watersheds important natural resources. Register or find out more information about CSWC events on our website.
Saturday, December 9, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Join the Columbia Slough Watershed Council and Portland Parks and Recreation as we work to restore the Columbia Children’s Arboretum! Come and help us install native plants to improve habitat, look at the state trees for all 50 states, and have fun outside on a nice fall morning. All the tools you need are provided, along with snacks, hot coffee and water.
Monday, December 11, 5:45 PM - 7:30 PM
Join CSWC, local organization Birdhers, and resident owl expert Elaine Murphy for a free outdoor night walk at Whitaker Ponds Nature Park. This event is for womxn, queer, non-binary and trans people of all ages.
Tuesday, December 12, 5:45 PM - 7:30 PM
Join CSWC, local organization Birdhers, and resident owl expert Elaine Murphy for a free outdoor night walk at Whitaker Ponds Nature Park. This event is for womxn, queer, non-binary and trans people of all ages.
Wednesday, December 13, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
At this December Slough Science, participants will have an opportunity to listen to the authors read an excerpt of the book which offers readers a lush tale of learning about, advocating for, and explaining the mysteries of Portland’s most hidden natural landscape, the wild Columbia Slough.
Saturday, December 23, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
We are celebrating the first couple of days of winter with a bird walk! Join Columbia Slough Watershed Council and bird walk leader, Ryan Gilpin, for a walk at Company Lake, an urban lake located in Troutdale and along the edge of the Columbia Slough Watershed. This free event is open to all ages.
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