Hello Everyone,
Happy New Year!
I want to start out this month’s message by saying a huge THANK YOU!
As all of you know, December is a time of celebration for many people. It is also the time of year that nonprofits do most of their individual fundraising campaigns, and CSWC is no exception. This year our end of year fundraising was two-fold; we participated in Willamette Week’s Give!Guide and accepted donations through our website. Throughout November and December, CSWC put out a call to action, asking people to donate and help support our mission, work, programming, and staff. You all answered that call. In the end:
- We had not one, but two matches: from our board and a generous donor.
-
We not only met but exceeded both our Give!Guide goal and our internal fundraising goal of $30,000! That is three times what we raised last year!
- This year every single reported dollar was a donation.
- This year we had 302 donors on Give Guide
- This year we had 61 donations via our website and the mail
- This year we had a team of incredible people helping to raise this money!
Your support will go a long way to help CSWC.
As the new year starts, CSWC has several programs scheduled for January, including bird walks, cleanups, and Stewardship Saturdays, with more late winter and spring programs still being added. Make sure to check out our events calendar and sign up to get outside this winter! Beyond events, this newsletter has many great tidbits about what is happening at the Council (including news about our new truck and the chance for you to help name it), so keep reading! I am so proud of our little organization, what we have accomplished, and what we have on the radar for this year!
I hope to see you out there soon!
Heather King
Executive Director
PS: If you are reading this, an extra thank you for making it through all our EOY emails and not unsubscribing.
|
|
CSWC is excited to welcome a brand new 2023 Ford Lightning to our family.
This all electric truck was purchased through a grant CSWC received from the PGE Drive Change Fund. This truck will replace one of our older vehicles and be used across all three programs.
Keep an eye out for our staff around town!
Here is where your creative minds come in … our truck needs a name! As some of you may know, our current Ford F-150 is named Slough Slayer. So put on that thinking cap and submit your name ideas using link below. Our staff will vote on the final name at our staff retreat in February and announce it in our March newsletter!
|
|
We hosted 12 successful Slough Science events in 2023, engaging just over 300 community members in learning about their local environment, with topics ranging from Urban Heat Islands to Aquatic Plants to the Vanport Flood of 1948. We are very excited to bring you more monthly talks! As we prepare the 2024 speaker series, we are taking a short break and will not have a January Slough Science.
We will resume in February so mark your calendars for Thursday, February 8th from 5:30 PM-7:30 PM at Level Beer!
|
|
Have an idea for a future speaker or suggestion for a topic? Email Maya to make a suggestion!
|
|
Save the Date for Paddle Team Training! |
|
Join us as a Paddle Team Volunteer in 2024!
This amazing group of community volunteers assist our staff throughout the year in setting up, educating event participants on the water, supporting event safety, and clean up after events. In 2023 we hosted 60+ paddles, offering many opportunities to volunteer.
Stipends will be available for those who speak Spanish, Ukrainian, and/or Russian and support these language specific events.
The Orientation Webinar and In Person Training is required by all volunteers, no matter if you have participated in past years or not.
Save the dates, and registration links will be coming soon!
- 3/20 Orientation Webinar in Spanish (will be recorded)
- 3/21 Orientation Webinar in English (will be recorded)
- 4/6 Training (In Person) in English
- 4/7 Training (In Person) in Spanish
- 4/28 Training (In Person) in Ukrainian and Russian
* Can't make any of these in person dates? We'll be hosting a makeup training in June.
Please reach out to Valeria if you have questions.
|
|
¡Únete a nosotros como Voluntario del Equipo de Remo este 2024!
Este increíble grupo de voluntarios comunitarios nos ayuda durante el año a organizar, informar, apoyar y a limpiar durante los eventos de remo. En 2023 organizamos más de 60 remos en el agua, ofreciendo muchas oportunidades para ser voluntario.
Estipendios serán disponibles para quienes hablen español, ucraniano y/o ruso y apoyen los eventos específicos en estos idiomas.
La orientación en línea y la capacitación presencial son requeridas para todos los voluntarios, sin importar si han participado en años anteriores o no.
¡Reserva las fechas, los enlaces de registro estarán disponibles pronto!
- 03/20 Orientación web en español (se grabará)
- 03/21 Orientación web en inglés (se grabará)
- 04/06 Capacitación (presencial) en inglés
- 04/07 Capacitación (presencial) en español
- 04/28 Capacitación (presencial) en ucraniano y ruso
* ¿No puedes asistir a ninguna de estas citas? Habrá una capacitación en junio para los que no pudieron asistir.
Comunícate con Valeria si tienes preguntas.
|
|
Explorando el Columbia Slough
|
|
First Meeting for Explorando Planning Committee
January 17th from 6:00 PM -7:00 PM via Zoom
Are you interested in helping plan a bilingual community event in North Portland?
CSWC is recruiting for a planning committee for Explorando, a festival-style event with opportunities to learn about and explore the watershed, with resources and activities in Spanish!
Explorando is planned for July 20th, 2024. Committee members will be paid a stipend for participating in planning meetings and the event.
Please reach out to Maya to join the committee.
|
|
Primera reunión del Comité de Planificación de Explorando
17 de enero de 6:00 PM a 7:00 PM vía Zoom
¿Estás interesado en ayudar a planificar un evento comunitario bilingüe en el norte de Portland?
CSWC está reclutando voluntarios para un comité de planificación para Explorando, un evento estilo festival con oportunidades para aprender y explorar la cuenca, ¡con recursos y actividades en español!
Explorando está previsto para el 20 de julio de 2024. Los miembros del comité recibirán un estipendio por participar en las reuniones de planificación y en el evento.
Comunícate con Maya para unirte al comité.
|
|
Use Your Skills For Good. Become a Volunteer!
|
|
Share your talents and passion to help protect and enhance the Columbia Slough Watershed. See ongoing Volunteer opportunities and visit our events calendar often!
|
|
- Want to get out on the water?
-
Paddle Team members support event coordination and guide community members on tours through the Slough.
- Calling all plant enthusiasts.
-
We host Volunteer Stewardship events year-round. Delicious coffee and snacks provided.
|
|
- Empower the next generation of environmental stewards.
-
Assist Slough School educators year round in the delivery of hands-on science programs.
- Take your stewardship a step further.
-
Join a Cleanup or adopt your own stretch of the Slough and conduct your own Cleanups!
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, January 24 at Level Beer, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Do you work for an organization that partners with or is interested in partnering with the Columbia Slough Watershed Council?
Please come join us, enjoy a drink and learn about CSWC! The Council works with a variety of organizations in Portland to help us achieve our mission pf protecting and enhancing the slough!
Please reach out to Maya to for additional information.
|
|
|
|
Join the CSWC for a slough of events this new year to help improve the watersheds important natural resources, learn about native plants and connect with community! or find out more information about CSWC and our events on our website.
Thursday, January 11, 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Join Columbia Slough Watershed Council, local group Güero Bird Club for a bird walk and cleanup event at Johnson Lake Natural Area in NE Portland. This event is free and open to all 14 and older.
Saturday, January 13, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
CSWC and local tree and bird expert, Ryan Gilpin, will offer a free winter walk all about trees. Winter can be a challenging time to identify urban trees, but a great time to view their structure and focus on the finer details to tell a story of the life of the tree, and through this story, gain insights about the history of a place itself.
Saturday, January 20, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Join CSWC and Portland Parks and Recreation for a morning of planting native plants! This is a great opportunity to explore a lesser known natural area and help improve the critical wildlife habitat in the watershed.
Monday, January 22, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Join Columbia Slough Watershed Council, local organization People of Color Outdoors (POCO), and resident owl expert Elaine Murphy for a free outdoor night walk at Whitaker Ponds Nature Park. This free event is for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color of all ages.
Wednesday, January 22, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Columbia Slough Watershed Council is hosting a Partner Happy Hour to create space for current and new partners to get to know one another! Please join us for a casual gathering at Level Beer's Annex space at their brewery on NE 148th. Drinks and food are available for purchase.
Registration is free and all are welcome to attend!
Saturday, January 27, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Saturday, February 3, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Join CSWC, local archivist Marti Clemmons and Han Lyons of Birdhers for a birding and history walk. Throughout the walk, we’ll discuss historical contact of the area, Vanport (1942-1948), and Japanese American detainment at the Expo Center in the summer of 1942.
Sunday, February 4, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Join Columbia Slough Watershed Council, local archivist Marti Clemmons and Han Lyons of Birdhers for a birding and history walk. Throughout the walk, we’ll discuss the historical context of the area, Vanport (1942-1948), and Japanese American detainment at the Expo Center in the summer of 1942.
Thursday, February 8, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
This free educational event will feature Elaine Murphy who will be discussing Mason Bees. Elaine also leads Owl Prowls and Bat walks for the Council, so keep an eye out for other fun events with her.
Saturday, February 10, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Join CSWC, Portland Parks and Recreation and Bark for a group work party at our favorite natural area, Whitaker Ponds. This natural area is home to 186 birds throughout the year and is the central hub for so many CSWC programs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
