Part of Sunday Parkways Event
The Crystal Springs Partnership, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) invite all to a free, public celebration for the restoration of Crystal Springs Creek. The Salmon Celebration will celebrate the significance of the creek restoration work that has brought wild salmon back to the city.
WHAT: 2nd Annual Salmon Celebration at Westmoreland Park
WHERE: Westmoreland Park, SE McLoughlin and Bybee
WHEN: Sunday, September 27, 2015, 11am-4pm.
The Salmon Celebration coincides with the final 2015 Portland Sunday Parkways presented by Kaiser Permanente, which includes Westmoreland Park as well as the new Tilikum Crossing Bridge. The Salmon Celebration will include a Native American blessing, a salmon bake demonstration, games, crafts, and inter-tribal activities. The event will be free and open to all. Please see this link for more info.
“Just by looking into the water, we are seeing the exciting results of a project that has had so much community support,” said Portland Parks Commissioner Amanda Fritz. “I hope the re-establishment of salmon back into the center of our city gives kids and parents alike a renewed appreciation for the natural world around us. The Salmon Celebration will again be a wonderful time to come together and appreciate both nature and community."
The event is presented by the Crystal Spring Partnership, a group of community members, organizations, and city representatives who work in partnership with the Johnson Creek Watershed Council to make the Crystal Springs Watershed a vibrant, healthy place for people and wildlife. Portland Parks & Recreation and the Bureau of Environmental Services are proud partners.
“Crystal Springs Creek has brought nature back to the city,” says Portland Environmental Services Commissioner Nick Fish. “The Westmoreland Park stream restoration project, in partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers, was a key part of our responsibility to recover endangered salmon and trout species.”
The Crystal Springs Partnership is using local knowledge and agency expertise to develop a national model for stewardship of urban watersheds. In particular, they are working toward ensuring that Crystal Springs Creek has healthy urban salmon runs, through community collaboration focused on education, advocacy, and restoration.
"The Crystal Springs Partnership is very pleased to join the City of Portland, local non-profits, businesses, and Tribal groups for the second annual Salmon Festival at Westmoreland Park" said Mary Ann Schmidt, co-chair of the Crystal Springs Partnership. "This is a unique opportunity to share the restored Crystal Springs Creek, and the return of salmon to this very urban creek in southeast Portland. Through this event, we continue our outreach to the community as well as provide fun, educational activities for all."
The Salmon Celebration will:
- Celebrate the restoration of Crystal Springs Creek and the return of wild salmon to the city!
- Educate neighbors about human beings’ connection to natural systems and our dependence on a healthy environment
- Share the history, culture and experiences of Native Americans, the first inhabitants of our lands
- Cultivate an environment of intercultural learning
- Help increase stewardship of Crystal Springs Creek through participation in the Crystal Springs Partnership
Activities and Events:
Native American blessing and drums, starting at 11am
Storytelling with Ed Edmo, starting at 2pm)
Native American games
Salmon Bake demonstration
Salmon pledge
Outdoor skills presented by Trackers NW
Program:
Sunday Parkways is a series of five free community events opening Portland’s largest public space – its streets – for people to walk, bike, and roll and discover active transportation. The Tilikum Crossing/Sellwood Sunday Parkways links the Tilikum Crossing Bridge and three activity areas at: Brooklyn School, Sellwood and Westmoreland Parks.
For maps and more information, visit www.PortlandSundayParkways.org or call 503-823-7599. Follow us on Facebook at PortlandSundayParkways and on Twitter @SundayParkways.