Hello and Happy December!
As the end of the year approaches, all of us at CSWC recognize that these past couple of years have been demanding on all of us. At the Columbia Slough Watershed Council (CSWC), we faced challenges, made adaptations, and emerged from this period of uncertainty as a stronger organization.
Over the past year, the Council team has worked hard to continue fulfilling our mission. The organization and staff continue to be strong advocates for the Columbia Slough and our watershed community by connecting people to natural areas, providing opportunities for free outdoor recreation, improving fish and wildlife habitat, and teaching place-based environmental education at K-12 schools throughout the watershed.
As usual, our staff is out and about in the watershed educating and creating change. Just this past month, the stewardship crew has hosted 4 public events, worked with Verde to build rain gardens, and is working with multiple watershed businesses to restore riparian zones through our Healthy Industrial Lands Initiative! Slough School is busting at the seams with 2-3 classroom lessons a day and 1-2 field trips and plantings a week. Community Events is deep in planning mode to ensure your spring and summer are filled with ways to get out and enjoy your watershed!
Enjoy this month's newsletter - below, you will find some great nuggets of information about upcoming programming (including a new monthly community education series Slough Science), new staff members, and a link to our recently published Annual Report.
CSWC has sent out a number of emails over the past month, asking for your financial support, if you have already donated, thank you. CSWC is a part of this year's Willamette Week's Give!Guide, with a goal of raising $35,000 between now and December 31st - as of right now, we are at 13% of that goal, and I know by the end of the month, we will not only reach but exceed that goal! There is more information below about how to donate and incentives you can earn, so I won’t bore you with those details here, but I will share the news that Wyld will match the first $10,000 in Give!Guide donations, doubling your gift to the Council!
Also this month, be on the lookout as we launch "Did You Know," a month-long campaign to educate people in our watershed and beyond about the amazing work of the council.
Be well,
Heather
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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Help CSWC reach our Give!Guide goal!
Your donation directly supports and grows our 2023 programming so we can provide more paddling, nature walks, birding, stewardship events, workforce development opportunities, and increase the number of students taught and people learning about our watershed.
Make a donation to CSWC through Give!Guide and earn the incentives below!
Any donation of $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win a box of Poler camping gear! (Chance of winning 1 in 500)
All donors aged 35 and under who donate $15 or more will be entered into a raffle to win a box of Patagonia gear! (Chance of winning 1 in 500)
INCENTIVES FOR EVERYONE
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$25+ donation will receive a coupon for a free pint at Level Brewing
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$75 - $99 1 bottle Wyld 500mg Elderberry CBD gummies
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$100 - $124 2 bottles of Wyld CBD gummies - Pear & Elderberry 500mg
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$125 - $249 will receive a 4-pack of Wyld CBD Seltzer Water
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$250+ The first 5 donors will receive a Poler NapSack and ALL donors at this level will receive a 4-pack of Wyld CBD Seltzer Water and a bottle of 500mg Elderberry gummies!
Wyld CBD is matching all donations up to $10,000!
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A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR GIVE!GUIDE PARTNERS! |
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Welcome Amanda Gallegos, Community Partnerships & Events Director
Amanda grew up in the Pacific Northwest and finds herself most at home during quiet moments in a canoe, walking through tall trees, and swimming in its rivers and lakes.
In 2017, she earned her BS in Environmental Studies from Portland State University and since has been working in events. Amanda came to CSWC from Willamette Riverkeeper where she focused on many of their events including: trash cleanup events, community paddles, film events, as well as popular overnight paddle events, Paddle Oregon and Pinot Paddle.
Outside of the Columbia Slough Watershed Council, she is actively engaged with Earth Day Oregon, Johnson Creek Watershed Council, The Intertwine Alliance and her work as a Massage Therapist. On a random day off, you can likely find her on her bike, reading a book, and exploring new food in Portland, often with her pups, Nimbus and Beamer, in tow.
Amanda is excited to deepen her connection to the community throughout the slough, as well as expand opportunities for the community to connect with nature, with each other and with the Columbia Slough itself. She is very excited to learn more about the many bird species that call the Slough home.
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Welcome Maya Hurst-Mayr, Community Partnerships & Grants Manager
Maya has lived in the Pacific Northwest her entire life and is passionate about protecting the natural environment. A Seattlite at heart, she has a deep appreciation for good coffee and rain. In 2021, Maya completed a research project on potential microplastic management in Oregon to earn her Master’s in Environmental Science and Management at Portland State University (PSU). She worked at a local plant nursery while earning her degree and discovered the world of fruiting plants and horticulture.
At Columbia Slough, she is very excited to continue growing partnerships and make the slough accessible and welcoming to all. She looks forward to finding more ways to support partner organizations in their missions. She is also excited to collaborate with the directors at the Council and bring in new funding sources. When not working, Maya can be found walking or running with her dog, Nala.
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Hot off the press: CSWC 2021-22 Annual Report |
We’re excited to share our 2021-2022 annual report with you—hot off the press! This report summarizes the work of our stewardship, events, volunteer, and education programs, highlights partnerships and special events of the past year, and includes a message from our Executive Director.
Highlights: from July 2021 to June 2022 include
- Over 100 community events including 38 paddles and over 50 stewardship events
- Installed over 7,000 native shrubs and plants,
- Took students out into nature on 71 field trips,
- Connected people to nature in the city through 18 free bird walks and forest bathing workshops.
- We’ve continued our efforts to advance equity in access to the outdoors and provide green workforce development through strategic outreach and partnerships with local organizations led by and serving people of color.
- In 2021-22, we continued to invest in equitable outdoors access through our Bilingual Paddle Leaders Program, partnerships with Outdoor Afro, Black Men’s Wellness, and other groups, and fiscal sponsorship of People of Color Outdoors.
Learn more about our programs, priorities, and the amazing work that supporters and volunteers like you have done in the watershed here
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Holiday Tree Toss is Back! |
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SAVE THE DATE!
That's right, the annual Holiday Tree Toss event is back in action and set for Saturday, January 7th, 2023! We are just now in the planning phases of this event but check back in on our social media platforms and events page within the coming weeks for more details.
For those of you asking, "What is this event?"
This event helps to create essential salmon habitat for juvenile salmon in the Columbia basin. Juvenile salmon need coarse woody debris (your tree!) for habitat as it provides shelter and food (by building the habitat, it creates an environment for smaller bait fish and insects). We'll help you recycle your holiday tree when you're all done with it, and we'll put it to good use! Oh, and we'll have plenty of hot chocolate and donuts to go around too!
Come along with your holiday tree, hop into one of our canoes and help us improve salmon habitat in the Slough!
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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 3rd, 9AM-12PM
Join CSWC, Friends of Trees, and Portland Parks and Recreation for a morning of planting native plants! We’ll be working at Johnson Lake Natural Area and an adjacent riparian area owned by ACME storage. This is a great opportunity to explore a lesser-known natural area and help improve the watershed.
Saturday December 10th, 8:45AM - 1PM
Let's plant trees together in the Argay and Wilkes neighborhoods of NE Portland! Join CSWC and Friends of Trees as we plant trees and enjoy sweets in the Wilkes area!
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Get ready for Slough Science!
Starting in January, CSWC will be hosting monthly educational Slough Science Talks at Level Beer on 148th Ave!
In January, join C. Zee Searles Mazzacano, Ph.D. a local Entomologist & invertebrate ecologist who will be talking all about Dragonfly's. The presentation will be in English and Spanish. These events are free and open to whoever is curious!
Date and Time TBD: check our events page in the next couple weeks for more details!
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