Hello and happy June everyone!
I will start by noting that during the month of May I continued my exploration of the watershed. I paddled several new stretches of our waterways and walked several trails I had yet to explore, each time encountering new things (including a red headed woodpecker) and watching trees sprout new leaves and flowers continue to bloom (nootka rose being one of my favorites). For me it is a pleasure, an adventure, and an honor to continue this exploration, discovering the natural areas that make up our watershed. I hope that some of you are joining along and doing this journey on your own or through to one of our many free events!
Speaking of free public events, this past month we hosted the 2nd Annual Slough Celebration. This event, held at Whitaker Ponds, is a celebration of the organization, our community, and all the wonderful things that make up our watershed! This year, blessed with a sunny and just warm enough day, we had over 400 people join the celebration which included activity stations, free food and beverages, music, face painting and much more. It was a delight to walk among community, say hello to folx I met at other events and meet new people as well! Thanks to all the people who attended and to our amazing sponsors who helped make this event possible!
As the summer starts in earnest, we again have much going on … Slough School, our environmental education program is closing out the school year with 3 weeks of paddles for 5th graders. Last week we spent 3 days with the producers of OPB’s Field Guide, paddling and talking about the Slough (more to come on that next year). I hope to see some of you at our events in June and there are plenty to choose from – paddles, nature walks, trash clean-ups, and more! I have already put my name down for a few, including the Pride Paddle we are hosting this Saturday!
I hope to see you out there!
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Heather
Heather King
Executive Director
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PS: Please consider donating to CSWC, supporting the free community programming that happens throughout your watershed!
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Since 2001, the Henrietta Award, also referred to as the Environmental Leadership & Achievement Award, has recognized individuals, groups, or projects that have made outstanding contributions to the health of our watershed.
This year, we are excited to honor two amazing and dedicated watershed volunteers as our 2023 Henrietta Award winners. Meei Lum and Paul Taylor have each spent hundreds of hours paddling on the Columbia Slough, sharing this special place with others and contributing their time and energy to make it better for everyone. We are immensely grateful for all that they’ve brought to the Columbia Slough and to our community.
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Meei Lum is an exceptional Columbia Slough Watershed Council board member who has served and volunteered with the Council for 15 years. We honor Meei’s outstanding devotion and service with the Henrietta Award.
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Paul Taylor has gone above and beyond to support the health of the Columbia Slough. If you’ve ever paddled out from the Whitaker Slough recently, you’ve probably seen Paul on the water hauling a pile of trash on top of his kayak.
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In one day by bicycle in the Columbia Slough watershed, CSWC bird walk leaders Thomas Meinzen and Ryan Gilpin searched to see how many bird species they could find by pedal power. By collecting pledges per bird species, the biking big day supported watershed conservation efforts and the Council's free bird walk program. Read about their adventure and the birds they found.
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Do you have a strong commitment to protecting the Columbia Slough Watershed?
Become a member of the CSWC Board and help make decisions that drive our organization's mission! We are currently recruiting for all positions on the board.
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June Speaker Event -
Working with Nature and Beavers
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Thursday, June 21, 5:30-7:30PM at Level Beer on NE 148th |
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Join Carrie Sanneman from Flood Safe Columbia River to learn about community partners working with nature and beavers to manage flood risk along the Columbia River in a changing climate. A system of flood-control infrastructure – hidden in plain sight – protects the Portland region from devastating floods. Climate is changing and extreme weather threatens vulnerable communities, water quality, and the natural environment. Fortunately, nature-based solutions can help this system be more resilient to climate change.
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Events are free and open to whoever is curious, so come learn with us! Spots are limited so please register on our website. |
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Great Slough Cleanup Registration is Live! |
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Join us on Saturday, July 8, for the annual Great Slough Cleanup! This year, we are hosting three events, one on land and two on the water, where participants will help us to remove trash and debris from the Slough.
Participants can bring their own boat, reserve a seat in one of ours, or join our on land efforts! All ages are welcome to participate in these events, however minors must be accompanied by an adult. After these events, volunteers of all ages are welcome to join us for a drink at Level Beer - ciders, soda and kombucha will also be available. The first drink will be on the Council! Food will also be available for purchase from on site carts including Grana (Neopolitan-style pizza), Flor de Guelaguetza, Pita Giovanni & Tidal Boar "Shuck Truck".
This event is made is possible funding from Portland Metro, Communicare, East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, Bottle Drop Give, Paddle Team volunteers and countless community partners.
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Verde NW serves communities by building environmental wealth through social enterprise, outreach, and advocacy. Verde was born in the Cully neighborhood on NE Portland and is dedicated to environmental justice there and statewide. We have partnered with Verde to host events such as building rain gardens with our stewardship program, tabling at the Earth Day Celebration at Wilkes Park, and taking people out on the Slough on partner paddles. We were joined by Verde and their Club Aves program on the Slough in May! We are so grateful to have them as a partner and look forward to more collaborative events in the future! |
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We've got lots of fun events this June, including multilingual paddle team trainings, Pride events, and more! Register and find out more information about CSWC events on our website.
Saturday, June 3, 10AM - 12:30PM
Join CSWC for a Pride celebration at Smith & Bybee Wetlands Natural Area. This paddling event is for queer people and allies of all ages. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Participants are welcome to bring their own boat, or reserve a seat in one of ours.
Sunday, June 4, 9AM - 2PM
Esta capacitación es para aquellos que deseen apoyar los eventos del CSWC, dirigido a hispano hablantes en 2023. Los miembros del equipo de remo pueden ser voluntarios para inscribirse en cualquier turno de voluntariado, sin embargo, recibirán un incentivo de $120 por evento que solicite apoyo en español.
// This training is for those who wish to support CSWC's on-water events for Spanish speakers in 2023. Volunteers are welcome to sign up for any volunteer shift, however will receive a stipend of $120 per event requesting Spanish-language support.
Monday, June 5, 5:30PM - 8PM
Join CSWC and local queer owned business, Affordable Junk Removal, for an on-water cleanup event beginning at NE Alderwood & NE Glassplant Rd. Participants can bring their own boat, or borrow a seat in one of ours. This event is for LGBTQIA+ identifying people age 18 and older.
Thursday, June 8, 4PM - 8:30 PM
Join our Paddle Team! This group of volunteers helps to set up and lead our on-water events on the Slough! This training will be held in person and is required for all Paddle Team volunteers who are new, missed the April training, or didn't attend training in 2022. Anyone seeking a refresher is also welcome to join!
Saturday, June 17, 9AM - 11AM
Join CSWC and bird walk leaders Ryan Gilpin and Thomas Meinzen for a summer bird and tree walk at Columbia Children's Arboretum, one of the hidden gems of NE Portland. This free event is open to all ages.
Wednesday, June 21, 10AM - 1PM
We are offering free 2 hour rentals of our canoes. Each canoe comfortably seats 2 people, a 3rd can fit in the middle if desired, and comes with a life jacket, paddle and whistle for each person. Each canoe must have at least 1 person who is an adult (18+).
Sunday, June 25, 9AM - 2PM
This training is for those who wish to support CSWC's on-water events for Ukrainian and/or Russian speakers in 2023. Volunteers are welcome to volunteer to sign up for any volunteer shift, however will receive a stipend of $120 per event requesting Slavic language support.
Saturday, July 1, 9AM - 11AM
Join CSWC and bird walk leaders Ryan Gilpin and Thomas Meinzen for a summer bird and tree walk at Salish Ponds Wetland Park in the eastern part of our watershed. This free event is open to all ages.
Thursday, July 6, 5:30 - 7:30PM
This educational speaker event will feature CSWC's own Thomas Meinzen, a pollinator ecologist and bee and butterfly enthusiast, introducing some of our local pollinator species and discussing their natural history, ecology, and conservation.
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