Events

Feather and Flow Birding at Whitaker Ponds

Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026
Starts at 9 a.m.

Whitaker Ponds Natural Area
7040 NE 47th Ave.
Portland, OR 97218

Join WaterWatch for a morning walk with birders of all experience levels at a special Feather and Flow birding walk and WaterWatch fundraising event at Whitaker Ponds Natural Area in Portland on Saturday, Aug. 15th, led by guide and author Eric Carlson. Enjoy beginner-friendly bird identification and a relaxed, gentle pace with plenty of time to stop, listen, and share the joy of birding in our local Whitaker Ponds. Reserve your spot now!

Feather and Flow is a welcoming, supportive environment to share the joy of birding at our local Whitaker Ponds, a popular riparian zone that attracts a wide diversity of species. Come observe waterfowl, listen to songbirds, and appreciate the overhead activity. Coffee and doughnuts will be provided too!

Space is limited, so be sure to book your space now for this special WaterWatch fundraising event at one of Portland’s hidden natural gems.

Shifting Tides Workshop

Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026
Starts at 10:30 a.m.

The Salmonberry Restaurant
380 S. Marine Dr.
Wheeler, OR 97147

The WaterWatch team is looking forward to hosting this special fundraising event at The Salmonberry Restaurant in Wheeler along the Oregon Coast between Manzanita and Rockaway where the Nehalem River empties into Nehalem Bay on Saturday, Aug. 22nd, beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Join us for this Shifting Tides Workshop as we make seaweed cyanotype prints under the guidance of marine biologist Alanna Kieffer. A photographic blueprint made through a chemical reaction between UV light and chemically coated paper, cyanotypes date to the 1700s and were one of original forms of photographic printing, as well as a form of scientific documentation for seaweed, terrestrial plants, and other natural specimens.

Space is limited! Be sure to book your space now for this special WaterWatch fundraising event on the Oregon Coast.

Paddling Across Time — A Hayes River Journey

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Hopworks Brewing
Powell Mothership Location
2944 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202

In conjunction with the Lower Columbia Canoe Club, WaterWatch is thrilled to present Portland adventurer Lee Sessions, who has ventured to the Far North on more than 35 canoe expeditions in pursuit of a lifelong passion for paddling and rediscovering the routes of early explorers, as he presents “Paddling Across Time,” a presentation that follows Lee and his crew as they recount their 2025 self‑supported canoe expedition down Nunavut’s remote Hayes River — a seldom traveled route north of the Arctic Circle in Inuktitut, Canda’s largest, northernmost, and newest territory.

Drawing on research and interviews with past travelers, Lee and his team explore how motivations for undertaking northern journeys have evolved over time. Their own experience — six paddlers navigating a challenging Arctic river — offers a contemporary lens on the pull of wilderness, the meaning found in shared effort, and the deep connections forged through travel in the North. The Hayes also has a special connection with famed Oregon explorer Frederick Schwatka.

Join us for this very special event at Hopworks Brewery on Powell Blvd. Wednesday, Sept. 16th. The presentation will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.