From our Executive Director

Hello friends and fellow wetland supporters,

Spring is sprung in many of our wetland preserves, and our volunteer teams have been out in force surveying for amphibian egg masses throughout our Portland metro area preserves. This data helps us track the presence of key indicator species and better manage our preserves. Thank you to all the volunteers who have been out there slogging through the mud in the name of science!

The biggest news of 2021 is that The Wetlands Conservancy is turning 40! We are so excited to celebrate wetlands, clean water, and healthy aquatic ecosystems all year long. We have put together a suite of events this spring, culminating in our annual Wetlands & Wellie’s event on May 20th. These events will be virtual, but we are hopeful that vaccines and warmer weather will allow us to meet in small groups this summer. We miss you all!

Thank you for all of your continued support. We know how important wetlands are to the future of our landscape, but we can’t do this work without your support. Hope to “see” you at one of our virtual events this spring!

All the best,

Join the Wetlands Conservancy on May 20th at 6:00 p.m. We invite you to celebrate our 40th Anniversary at our major event – Wetlands & Wellies! The Wetland Conservancy was established in 1981. Inspired by the advocacy of Althea Pratt Broome and Jack Broome, the Hedges Creek Wetland Preserve became our very first success story. Now, 40 years later, we are celebrating our history and honoring our co-founders at our May 20th event.

Wetlands & Wellies will be a week-long celebration the week of May 17th, with an online auction and culminating in an evening event focused on coastal estuaries and the bounty of the sea.

Our keynote speaker, Langdon Cook is a writer, instructor, and lecturer on wild foods and the outdoors. His books include Upstream: Searching for Wild Salmon, from River to Table, a finalist for the Washington State Book Award; The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of an Underground America, winner of the Pacific Northwest Book Award; and Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager. Cook’s work has been nominated for two James Beard Awards (2016 and 2019), a Society for Environmental Journalists award, and a Pushcart Prize. He has been profiled in Bon Appetit, and his writing appears in numerous magazines, newspapers, and online journals, including National Geographic Travel, Outside, Eating Well, and Seattle Magazine, where he was a regular columnist for a decade. Cook lives in Seattle with his wife, poet Martha Silano, and their two children.

What: A Lively Celebration of our 40th Anniversary, including a virtual dig, cooking presentation and auction.
When: Thursday, May 20th at 6:00 p.m.

Earth Day 2021-April  22nd
Support this volunteer day at The Wetlands Conservancy preserves and through an online raffle. Wetlands provide vital capacity for climate resilience, wildlife habitat, clean water, fire protection and flood control. More info to come.