Meet our 2020 Henrietta Award Winners!

Since 2001, the Columbia Slough Watershed Council has recognized individuals, groups, or projects each year that have made outstanding contributions to the health of the watershed. Named after our beloved Council mascot, Henrietta the Great Blue Heron, the Henrietta Awards are a tribute to the impact of strong partnerships and collaborative action in our community.

Corky Collier introduces Reed Wagner at the Henrietta Awards Celebration in early October.

While 2020 has been a challenging year on many levels, this year also highlighted the leaders, visionaries, activists and community educators that continue to provide hope for our future. We’re proud to recognize two of those individuals as our 2020 Henrietta Award Winners: Nestor Campos and Reed Wagner! Watch their award videos here:

Nestor Campos

Reed Wagner & Levee Ready Columbia

Traditionally, the Council celebrates the Henrietta Award winners at our annual gala in April. In order to protect public health during Covid-19, we made the Gala a virtual event in the spring and postponed the Henrietta celebrations until we could gather safely in person. Last Thursday, following health and safety protocols, the Council hosted a small gathering outdoors at Whitaker Ponds to honor our two award winners and all that they have done, and continue to do, to help our communities and our watershed.

While the Council received many competitive nominations for the Henrietta Awards this year, Nestor and Reed’s commitment to the watershed stood out.

Nestor Campos, 2020 Henrietta Award Winner, speaks with our education director, Jennifer Starkey, in Slough attire for an evening paddle.

Nestor Campos, an educator and activist, has worked for Verde since 2006. For nearly 15 years, Nestor has been providing holistic environmental education services to the Latinx community in Portland and empowering residents to engage in conservation action. Serving as the Education Manager, he leads Verde’s work with Expresiones, Hacienda CDC’s after-school program, and other education programs serving the Cully community. He first became involved with the Council in 2009 during the planning stages of Explorando El Slough and he has been instrumental in the success of this bilingual family festival every year since. Starting in 2014, he organized the first ever community bike ride to and from Explorando, making the event easier for people to attend and reducing its carbon footprint. Whether Nestor is working to address issues of social justice and environmental sustainability, training youth of color in building rain gardens for Cully neighbors, or offering planning and translation support for community events, Nestor’s leadership is a gift to everyone. Read Nestor’s Henrietta award speech here.

Reed Wagner of Levee Ready Columbia, 2020 Henrietta Award Winner.

Reed Wagner served as the former Executive Director of the Multnomah County Drainage District (MCDD), and is a co-founder of Levee Ready Columbia. While at MCDD, Reed jumpstarted the modernization of the 27-mile levee system that shapes and protects our watershed. A key part of this work involved the formation of Levee Ready Columbia, a partnership of over twenty public, private, and community organizations. MCDD has long been an important partner to the Council, and Reed helped strengthen this relationship and realize our shared goals for community education and a healthy watershed.

In 2019, legislation passed in the state capitol that enabled the creation of a new district to replace Portland’s existing four drainage districts and expand its mandate to include environmental and social justice goals alongside flood protection. This was a culminating achievement for Reed, MCDD, and all of the Levee Ready Columbia partners. The Awards Review Committee recognizes Reed Wagner for his vision, collaborative spirit, and dedication to the Columbia Slough and its watershed.

Karen Carrillo of MCDD introduces Nestor Campos for the 2020 Henrietta Award.

The evening’s ceremony included remarks from the awardees along with Corky Collier, Executive Director of the Columbia Corridor Association, Karen Carrillo, Public Affairs and Community Relations Manager at Multnomah County Drainage District, and Cathy Kellon, Executive Director of the Council. As Cathy put it, “The Henrietta Awards are a way to celebrate our local heroes and inspire new ones. Because what strikes me is that for their many wonderful achievements, Nestor and Reed are still regular people, making a living, while at the same time making a positive difference in our community. Thank you, Nestor and Reed!”