Slough Celebration 2024

Saturday, May 18 from 2 - 6 PM
at Whitaker Ponds

Columbia Slough Watershed Council is celebrating 22 years as a 501(c)3 nonprofit! Join us for a family-friendly afternoon of celebration, community and adventure that will include paddling, birding, stewardship, outdoor education, free food, free drinks, music, a raffle, and more!

Keep scrolling to see more details about this years event.

Getting There

This year’s event will be held at Whitaker Ponds, located at 7040 NE 47th Ave.

• Free parking will be available at TriMet Facility (4421 NE Columbia Blvd, Portland, OR 97218), a 0.4 mile walk to Whitaker Ponds. Drop off is available at Whitaker Ponds, as well as a limited number of ADA parking spaces.

• Public transportation! Bus #75 drops riders off at NE 47th Ave and Columbia Blvd, a 0.25 mile walk from Whitaker Ponds. 

• Bike in! Plenty of bike parking will be available at Whitaker Ponds.

Paddling 2:30 - 5 PM

Looking for a bit more freedom as you explore the Slough? New this year, we are working with our friends at Mosquito Fleet to offer free kayak rentals. There are solo or tandem kayaks available on a first come, first serve basis for those 18 and older, or 14 and older accompanied by adult also using a kayak. Some knowledge of kayaking is preferred, however volunteers will be available to provide additional instruction and offer support. Life jackets and paddles will be available for paddlers.

Support will be available in English, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Russian.

Accessibility: To reach the dock where boats are launched, paddlers must navigate down 4 steps and a short ramp. Some bending is required to get into the boats, and then paddlers should be comfortable to stay seated for ~30 minutes.

Habitat Enhancement 2:30 - 5 PM

Join Yoko Silk from Portland Parks & Recreation to support the turtles of Whitaker Ponds! With community help, they’ll be enhancing turtle nesting habitat, pulling English ivy, and removing problematic blackberry. Participants will also have the chance to engage with live turtles! Volunteers of all ages are welcome to come and go throughout this time frame.

All tools, gloves, and necessary materials will be provided.

This work is a part of the Belonging Project, a community-inspired restoration project at Whitaker Ponds focused on the intentional inclusion of all communities that live/work/play in the Columbia Slough watershed.  The ultimate goal of the project is to create a place where all community members feel like they Belong, have a place to gather in community, learn about/experience nature, and where their story is being told.

Birding 2:30 - 5 PM

Join Watershed Council bird walk leaders Ryan Gilpin and Thomas Meinzen in identifying ducks, herons, migrating songbirds, and more at a birding station between the East and West pond. Bring your own binoculars, or borrow some of ours!

This activity is great for all ages. Participants are welcome to come and go throughout this time frame.

Macroinvertebrate Education 2:30 - 3:30 PM

Join us on the observation dock to find out what exactly lives in the water!

Join Columbia Slough Watershed Council Education Director, Jennifer Starkey, for an opportunity to sample and identify some aquatic macroinvertebrates and learn about freshwater mussels. You’ll have a chance to illustrate what you see, and look through the spotting scope for the animals that find a habitat and home at the West Pond. Participants of all ages are welcome to come and go throughout this time frame.

Raffle 2 - 5 PM

Enter to win a canoe, outdoor gear, gift cards, distillery tasting, distillery tours, and more! Everyone will receive 1 raffle ticket upon entry. Additional raffle tickets are available for purchase throughout the event - cash, card and Venmo accepted. Winners will be drawn around 5:30. Must be present to win.

This year, prizes are available from some amazing businesses in the watershed and beyond. Thank you Equal Exchange, Fire on the Mountain, Float North, Garnish Apparel, Guayaki Yerba Mate, Let’s Hopscotch, Lucca, McMenamins, Mom & Pop Wine Shop, Nico’s Ice Cream, Pip’s Doughnuts, Poler, Portland Leather Goods, Sandy O’s, Straightaway Cocktails, Tacovore, The People’s Yoga, Radio Room, Westward Whiskey, Wild Roots Spirits, Worn Path, and more!

Have a business and want to contribute to the raffle? Reach out to amanda.gallegos@columbiaslough.org!

Food & Drink Free

Food will be provided from 2 - 5 PM or until supply runs out. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options will be available.

Drinks will be available from 2 - 6 PM. Sip on ice cold drinks from Level Beer. Nonalcoholic options will be available from Guayaki Yerba Mate, Happy Mountain Kombucha, Swire Coca-Cola, and Wyld CBD.

Music 2 - 5 PM

Freeform Radio will be back spinning funk, oldies, and hits from the 70’s and 80’s!

Freeform is a 100% volunteer-run non-profit radio station. Every one of their DJs gives the station hours of their own time every month, building our community and ensuring that Freeform Portland serves the community.

Give them a listen at 90.3 / 98.3 FM!

Other Offerings 2 - 5 PM

Face painting will be back this year! Find the face painting station near the parking lot entrance to get your face painted for free! Face painting is first come, first serve.

Make your way around the trail the circles the pond to the earth weave offering from Cedar Tree Learning! With natural arts and crafts materials, you'll have a fuller sensory experience and be able to think outside the box and contribute to this earth weaving masterpiece - contributions from many people is vital to the design as a whole.Visitors of all ages will be able to investigate materials from nature, including their texture, size, and weight, and how they can use them in our earth weaving. We hope that by observing life around the pond, your creative juices flow. Come join us in creating something beautiful together!

New this year, we are offering story hour! Bring a blanket or a chair and join Multnomah County Library for story time in the Belonging Project* field located between the East and West Pond. This activity is great for those ~6 and under. Timing and additional details coming soon.

*Belonging Project, is a community-inspired restoration project at Whitaker Ponds focused on the intentional inclusion of all communities that live/work/play in the Columbia Slough watershed.  The ultimate goal of the project is to create a place where all community members feel like they Belong, have a place to gather in community, learn about/experience nature, and where their story is being told.

Visit with our many tabling partners to hear about the work that they do in the Columbia Slough Watershed and beyond! Thank you for joining us Bureau of Environmental Services, Multnomah County Drainage District, Mosaic Ecology, Mosquito Fleet, NAYA, Oregon State Marine Board, People of Color Outdoors, Rythym Seed Farm, Vanport Mosaic, Verde, Wyld CBD, and more!

Wrap Up 5 PM

We invite all participants to gather in the gazebo area at 5 PM as we give speeches and present the Henrietta Award to honor community member(s) who have been nominated by the community and who have made impactful contributions to the community and the Columbia Slough watershed. Henrietta Award nominations will be accepted through Wednesday, April 17 at 11:59 PM. Click here for more details about the award, and to submit your nomination(s).

An ASL interpreter will be available throughout the Henrietta Awards, additional speeches, and during the raffle announcements.

Can’t join the Slough Celebration, but would still like to make a contribution?
Make your tax-deductible donation to Columbia Slough Watershed Council today by clicking the button below. Thank you!

Slough Celebration is brought to you by our Slough-per Board Members, Paddle Team volunteers, and amazing local sponsors!

Learn more about becoming an Event Sponsor.
Email Event Director, Amanda Gallegos with any questions, or about your sponsorship interest!