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We are fortunate to have two Summer Recreation Leaders to help lead Big Canoe paddles and support our environmental education programming, brothers Joshua and Jo’Sean Joseph. Some summer programming was delayed due to Covid, so our education team is delighted that these “Summer” Recreation Leaders will be continue working with the group this fall, too.  

Joshua and Jo-Sean spent a lot of their time with us on the water in the Big Canoes.   

“A highlight for me was learning to steer the Big Canoe and seeing people’s reactions to being on the water – many for the first time,” said Joshua

The Estuary Partnership Education Team has been staying at home, like most of you. So we've been thinking up activities to keep you and your "littles" engaged in learning about science and nature in and around your home. Check our At-Home Activities page for ideas, and keep your eye on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest!

Major construction has wrapped for the season for the Steigerwald Reconnection Project. Fall rain and the in-water work window, which protects salmon during the most vulnerable parts of their life cycle (spawning and egg incubation), means most construction has to stop during fall and winter. There is one more season of construction to come next year. We recently released a video recapping the project and the work done so far. 

Crews from our lead contractors Rotschy, Inc. and LKE Corp., both local firms, made a lot of progress on some major construction components through the season. Raising

We owe a thanks to our sister organization, fellow National Estuary Program the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP), for lending us one of their VetsWork Interns this year. Over the last few months, Chris Sutherland has worked on a variety of projects with us. While he’s still assigned to TEP, unexpected challenges from the pandemic made it hard to reach Tillamook consistently. Since he is local to the Metro area, we have been happy to provide fieldwork opportunities for him.  
 

Chris was born and raised in California where he discovered an early love for the outdoors and developed a “soft

In a normal year, the Estuary Partnership’s Big Canoes hit the water in mid-late March, with a warm up paddle here and there. By mid-May, we typically have 10 paddles under our PFDs, and our staff is ready and dialed in for a summer of providing multiple on-water Big Canoe trips a week for youth and community groups from diverse communities. Trips in our Big Canoes—29-foot, 14-passenger, orange canoes—are typically a summer highlight for many participants as well as our Education Team staff. Hey, who can complain about getting paid to canoe!?

Of course 2020 has been no normal year, and sadly

Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge reopened to the public on May 1. After nearly two years of closure to construct the largest habitat restoration project ever along the lower Columbia River, the Estuary Partnership, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and all the other project partners are excited to welcome the community back to the Refuge.
 

Public Reopening Ceremony

A public reopening ceremony will be held Saturday, May 7 at the Refuge. Family-friendly public activities will take place from noon to 4pm. Walk the new trail, participate in family friendly activities, talk to Volunteer

 The grand reopening ceremony of Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge was held on Saturday, May 7. We embraced the spring rains as we welcomed the community back to their Refuge. On behalf of all the project partners, we are thrilled to see the community back enjoying the Refuge. 

Thanks to all of our speakers and others who made the day special. Special gratitude to the drummers of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe for sharing their music, to Cowlitz Spiritual Leader Tanna Engdahl for providing an opening blessing, to Cowlitz Tribal Chair David Barnett for speaking, and to Vice Chair of the

The Steigerwald Reconnection Project, a $32 million restoration project covering nearly 1000 acres of floodplain habitat at the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, was the largest of its kind. Led by the Estuary Partnership, the enormous restoration project required the support of dozens of partners, funders, and other project advocates. To celebrate the project’s completion and the reopening of the Refuge to the public, the Estuary Partnership hired artist Allie Yacina to create a commemorative poster inspired by the Refuge. 

Allie toured the Refuge in February 2022 for artistic