Outreach

Reflections of a Year of Outreach

by Kasey Hovik…

• Reflections on a Year of Outreach

2024 has been another great year for Outreach at Umpqua Watersheds. We had many major events, including UW’s 28th Annual Banquet, River Appreciation Day, and the Umpqua Brew Fest. We also tabled at many events, held concerts, led hikes, and joined our partners at state-wide events such as the Public Information Environmental Law Conference, the Oregon Non-Profit Leadership Conference, and Oregon Wild’s 50th Anniversary celebration in Portland. This year, we started having a monthly gathering called Watershed Wednesdays on the last Wednesday of each month, which has been very successful. It lets us casually gather with our members, supporters, and the public to discuss our projects and answer questions while enjoying great pizza and beverages from Old Soul Pizza. 

 

Outreach is vital to the mission of Umpqua Watersheds because it enables us to effectively engage with our community, promote our values, and achieve our organizational goals, including:

1. Community Engagement and Support
2. Education and Advocacy
3. Building Partnerships and supporting Collaboration
4. Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
5. Providing an opportunity to “tell our story”, which is vital in grant writing and obtaining financial support. 
6. Promoting Outdoor Recreation and Stewardship

 

Our major Outreach Projects are known as the “Main Street Initiatives.” Three significant projects fall under this umbrella. They are the KQUA Community Radio, The Umpqua Outback Project, which is creating a community space for events behind our building, and Operation Access, in which we share our resources (radio, Umpqua Outback Stage, and Pavilion, and our building} with community partners. We will also continue to expand our regular special events and add new ones. 

 

We look forward to completing phase II of the Umpqua Outback Project, which includes creating a cover for the stage, a mural behind it, and lighting for the stage in the 1st quarter of 2025. We also believe we will be able to start broadcasting our KQUA radio station using our full-power, Non-Commercial Education license during the same time. These two projects will dramatically expand our footprint, support our programs more, and enable us to increase our staff. 

 

2025 will be an exciting year for the Umpqua Watersheds Outreach Program. Please stay tuned for more exciting announcements as we enter the new year!