As we transition into fall at Tualatin Riverkeepers, and we’ve begun to reflect upon the season, a theme – which wasn’t evident earlier – has certainly emerged. While it wasn’t planned, it’s clear that this summer saw a focus on future leaders and stewards of our watershed joining us for restoration work, paddle trips, and nature-based learning. If we include next weekend’s Merry Heart Camp paddle, we will have held 25 youth-oriented events since May, engaging more than 400 young residents of our watershed.
While we didn’t necessarily enter into the season with a specific intention to focus on younger residents of our watershed, we entered 2025 with a new Strategic Plan that calls, in part, for expanding “partnerships with culturally specific organizations that provide experiences for young residents to learn about restoration and outdoor recreation in the watershed.” We know that experiences on the river and caring for the land are essential for creating future advocates. And as a changing climate impacts the Tualatin River watershed, these young advocates and future leaders are essential.
High school-aged youth from Cascade Education Corps and the Oregon Zoo Zap program rolled up their sleeves for instream habitat restoration projects at Summerlake Park in Tigard and on the mainstem of the Tualatin. Summer camp participants from Lake Oswego helped TRK and our partners restore habitat at Dirksen Nature Park in Tigard and Tualatin Community Park. Early in the summer, 23 adults and 47 youth from Adelante Mujeres joined us at Rood Bridge Park in Hillsboro for Rumbo al Rio, a day of paddling and nature-based activities. Our work with Adelante continued into the summer, as we hosted a paddle trip with their Chicas program, which empowers more than 700 Washington County Latine youth to develop their leadership potential, develop cultural identity, achieve academic success, and build community. We’re thrilled to be honoring the Chicas program with our Watershed Champion Award at our October 4 Green Heron fundraiser.
Historically, nature-based learning was a key component of Tualatin Riverkeepers work. We hosted summer camps prior to the pandemic and Sue Manning, this year’s Green Heron Award winner, led her students at Fowler Middle School in planting thousands of trees at what is now Dirksen Nature Park. This summer, our Volunteer and Restoration Manager, Erik Horngren, continued our partnership with Community Partners for Affordable Housing, leading five unique nature-based education sessions at Oleson Woods in Tigard. Although our programs have changed over the years, Tualatin Riverkeepers remains committed to building opportunities for young watershed residents to gain valuable experiences as the next generation of conservation leaders in the Tualatin Valley and beyond.
