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Welcome, Ryan!
We are excited to welcome our newest staff member, Ryan Banning, who recently began a new position as the Director of Community Partnerships & Events! 
Ryan is an experienced nonprofit development and strategic partnerships specialist. Before joining the Columbia Slough, Ryan worked as the Senior Development Associate for City Kids Wilderness Project, where he was responsible for designing and implementing a corporate partnership fundraising portfolio. Ryan was able to secure partnerships with globally recognized brands including Patagonia, REI, and The North Face, integrating business objectives with custom engagement options spanning financial, in-kind, promotional, and though leadership support. Through his work with City Kids, he Ryan developed a strong passion for the outdoors and environmental stewardship and preservation work. Ryan has a Master's in Development Management from American University and a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Political Science and African American Studies. He loves all activities outdoors and spends most of his summer weekends climbing outdoors or surfing along the Oregon coast. When he's not outside, he's in the kitchen cooking a new recipe or playing the piano and organ.
Upcoming Events
Stewardship Saturdays
March 21st, March 28th, April 18th
If you are looking to get your hands dirty, get to know your neighbors, and improve the health of our natural resources, join us for any of our upcoming Stewardship Saturday  events! Click on the button below to learn more.

    
 
Johnson Lake
Come help with a long-term restoration project at this urban greenspace!
March 21st, 9am - 12pm

Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant
¡Únase a nosotros para este evento de restauración realizado en español!
March 28th, 9am - 12pm

Earth Day at Wilkes Creek
Celebrate Earth Day by restoring habitat at the headwaters of the Slough!
April 18th, 9am - 12pm
Learn More & Register Here!
Urban Weeds Workshop
Wednesday, March 11th, 6-8:30pm

Weeds! We all have them. Learn how to identify the most common garden and landscape weeds along with some of the other more notorious plant invaders of the region. We will walk you through how these aggressive plants can take over in your yard and provide some simple yet effective tips that will help you get the upper hand without turning to synthetic herbicides.
Learn More & Register Here!
Slough Celebration Gala 
Thursday, April 23rd, 6 - 9pm
The Slough Celebration Gala is our signature benefit event, through which we recognize community leaders and raise vital support for environmental stewardship, education, and equitable access to nature. This year, the Council will award Nestor Campos of Verde and Levee Ready Columbia for their outstanding contributions to to our watershed. We invite you to join us in celebrating each other’s successes and planting the seeds for a promising and sustainable future.
Learn More
Get Involved
Help us build our new website!

The Columbia Slough Watershed Council is beginning a process to transition our website to a new platform. We value the input of our users and supporters, and hope to create a new website that fulfills the needs of our community and our team. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey questions below. We appreciate your feedback!
 
Please complete the survey by March 10th. 
Take the Survey!
Upcoming Board Meetings
 

If you are interested in learning more about the Council's work, sharing your ideas for improving our watershed, or looking for ways to get involved, please join us for one of our upcoming board meetings!

Date: March 16th
Time: 5:30 - 7:30pm
Location: Whitaker Ponds Nature Park (CSWC Classroom)

Date: April 27th
Time: 5:30 - 7:30pm
Location: Port of Portland
Report Out
Neighborhood Slough Supper Highlights
    

Last Thursday, friends and neighbors gathered at Derby Kenton to support about the Council, learn about the Vanport Places Project, and enjoy local food and music! Six lucky winners even walked away with fun-filled local raffle packages! We are grateful for everyone who attended and donated to our first ever Neighborhood Slough Supper. We offer our special thanks to the following businesses and individuals for their in-kind contributions:
  • Derby Kenton
  • Grocery Outlet
  • Autumn Lindseth & Scott Schlief
  • Triple Crown Market
  • Little Red Press
  • Bart's Barber Shop
  • She Shreds
  • Kenton Hotel
  • Kenton Antiques
  • Kenton Cycle Repair
  • Specks Records
  • Pals Mushrooms
  • Kenton Liquor Store
  • Nossa Familia Coffee
  • Village Frame and Gallery
  • Fire On The Mountain
  • Por Que No Taquiera
  • Working Class Acupuncture
  • Oregon Decorative Rock
Stewardship Double Feature!
  

We kicked off February with a stewardship double feature: Stewardship Saturday at Columbia Children’s Arboretum and World Wetlands Day at Smith & Bybee Wetlands. Over 40 volunteers came out the first weekend of the month and planted 1,600 native plants at two sites in our watershed. Smith & Bybee is the largest urban wetland in the United States and provides many valuable ecosystem services, in addition to a great place to hike, paddle and view wildlife. Columbia Children’s Arboretum is the site of a historic school where children planted an arboretum in the 1970s that you can tour today. Check out these great spots in our watershed!
NE Ainsworth Habitat Corridor Project
  

On February 8th, over 60 volunteers came out for the first community planting day of the NE Ainsworth Habitat Corridor! Volunteers planted 1,400 native plants in the medians between NE 22nd and 24th. Additional community plantings will connect Alberta Park to Fernhill Park. Wildlife corridors in urban areas are highly beneficial to aid migration between otherwise isolated populations, increasing genetic diversity and species resilience. Neighbors are also encouraged to sign up for the Backyard Habitat Program!
Heron Lakes Stewardship Highlights
    

On February 22nd, Columbia Slough Watershed Council partnered with The Blueprint Foundation to host Stewardship Saturday at Heron Lakes Golf Course, which is within historic Vanport. Vanport was a city built to house shipyard workers during World War II. The city flooded in 1948 leaving 18,000 people homeless, 25% of whom were African-American. Over 30 volunteers helped plant 1,350 plants in the riparian area along the lake and learned about the history of Vanport and its impact on our communities.
Leap Day at Wilkes Creek!
  
On Leap Day, 25 volunteers came out to help restore the headwaters of the Columbia Slough at Wilkes Creek. Volunteers planted 400 native plants and removed 500 square feet of invasive ivy and blackberry. Wilkes Creek is the only creek that still flows into the Columbia Slough, making it a very important site for restoration of the Slough.
Community Corner
Metro Transportation Survey
The Metro Council is working with local leaders and communities to develop a package of investments that could make it safer, easier and more affordable to get around greater Portland. Metro is now inviting input in a survey on one area of these investments. It should take 10-15 minutes. Your input will help inform the Metro Council’s decisions as they finalize the plan to get greater Portland moving. The survey closes on March 13.
Take the Survey!
Whitaker Ponds Volunteer Opportunity
Saturday, March 18th, 10am-12pm

You are invited to join Nature Connect NW us in launching a modest stewardship project at Whitaker Ponds in NE Portland on the Columbia Slough. 

What we will do: Walking about 1/2 mile on flat trail we will do light to medium work that might include weeding, clipping and pulling ivy, maybe some blackberry vines, picking up trash, watching ducks, birds, noting beaver sign, spotting sunning turtles, and getting familiar with new kin of all kinds.
Learn More Here

Other ways to support the Columbia Slough: 

Thank you!
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