Education & Outreach

A thousand miles is a lot of watershed to cover!  It takes the time, dedication, and expertise of hundreds of volunteers each year to help keep the Clackamas flowing.  

CRBC is dedicated to engaging citizens in caring for the Clackamas basin! We go about this in many different ways – coordinating the Down the River Cleanup each year, providing pesticide reduction consultations to landowners, and visiting schools are just a few of the ways we engage the community. We receive funding for our education and outreach work through the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Clackamas River Water Providers, and Water Environment Services.

Events

Our biggest public outreach event is the Down the River Cleanup, which takes place the first Sunday after Labor Day each year, and attracts over 300 volunteers. Volunteers float the length of the Clackamas from Barton Park to Clackamette Park, and end the day with a free barbecue lunch, silent auction, and live music. Register to reserve your spot today! This event is sponsored in conjunction with We Love Clean Rivers.

Individuals can keep the river clean all year long using the Stash the Trash bags we place at Barton, Carver, and Riverside Parks between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year.

You can also look for our interactive fish toss game and watershed model at events such as the Better Living Show, the Day in Damascus and the Pioneer Family Festival. 

Support for Schools

We’re a member of the Clackamas County Water Education Team (CCWET), a consortium of different organizations dedicated to providing hands-on watershed education to local schools. Through CCWET, we organize an annual Celebrating Water Earth Day event, and participate in the Children's Clean Water Festival.

If you’re a teacher and you’d like to find a way to bring more outdoor and hands-on experiences into your classroom, consider contacting CRBC. We’re available to provide presentations on macroinvertebrates, water quality sampling, and anything else you can dream up. We also have some equipment that can be used during these experiences.

We offer internships for high school and college students alike, and are available to help students with senior projects, capstone experiences, and Eagle Scout Projects. If you need to do community service, we can find a way to involve you in the community!

Support for Communities

CRBC loves working with private landowners to help them improve their property. If you’ve got a question about pesticide use, native plants, or invasive species, just call or email our office. We’ll come out to your property and do a one-on-one consultation to discuss your concerns and aspirations for your streamside land.

We also collaborate annually with Portland State University's SWRP program to do water quality monitoring on private and public lands. If you’d like to have your water tested, just let us know – it’s free!
Volunteering Opportunities