Tryon Creek Watershed Council’s Watershed 101 Workshop program:
Each fall and spring, we seek to work with groups to share watershed science education and implement hands-on restoration in the Tryon Creek watershed. We have a flexible workshop that can be tailored -in topics, duration, and activities- based on your group’s needs and interests. Tryon Creek Watershed Council provides this workshop, both indoors and hands-on, for watershed residents, who invite their neighbors, friends, and colleagues to attend.
In person as well as on Zoom, we’ve delivered our workshop program to many audiences, including schools and student groups (PCC Sylvania, high schools, and elementary classrooms – recommended 4th grade & up), and community groups such as Neighborhood Associations or Homeowners Associations, informal groups of friends and neighbors, colleagues at organizations, and more.
In-person volunteer events: We can provide tools, gloves, and native plants and can teach best practices on invasive plant removal and native plant installation. We’re excited to facilitate restoration to pockets of greenspaces throughout the watershed!
The presentation can focus on a selection of a variety of topics to build a sense of place and understanding of watershed stewardship. Available topics include:
- Explaining “what is a watershed?”
- Virtual/Photographic Tour of the Tryon Creek watershed
- Native and invasive plants
- Invasive plant removal basics
- Pollinators
- Soil health/science
- Impervious & pervious surfaces
- Rainwater → Stormwater
- Green infrastructure
- Fish presence & habitat in the Tryon Creek watershed
- Fish passage barriers
- Urban watersheds and water temperature
Depending on each group and COVID precautions, we can deliver the presentation indoors then head outside for hands-on work, or we can split the two portions into different days or online-only.
We schedule throughout the fall, winter, and spring. With about 3-4 topics the presentation runs about 45 minutes to an hour (depending on topics, level of interactivity, age group, etc.). We’ve found it works well to split the presentation into a multi-part series for continued learning and engagement.
With COVID, we’ve made several modifications to the program as explained above. Usually the workshop starts indoors with a one-hour presentation that includes an explanation of watersheds and Tryon specifically, native and invasive plants, fish and habitat, and what individuals can do to steward their watershed. Then, participants head out into the host’s yard to learn proper invasive removal and native planting techniques, working outside for about 2 hours.
- The workshop format is flexible. While we usually host at homes where hosts invite their neighbors and friends, we’ve also given this workshop to schools and businesses. Contact us if you’d like more information.
- The site hosts are responsible for recruiting neighbors and colleagues to participate and providing beverages (coffee/tea). Some hosts also choose to provide snacks like cookies or crackers and cheese or even pizza, but this isn’t expected or required.
- We provide handout materials, gloves, tools and native plants for your yard. We can bring our own computer and projector for the presentation portion of the workshop.
Please email alexis@tryoncreek.org to coordinate!
The Watershed 101 Workshop Program is funded by City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services’ Community Watershed Stewardship Program.
The below flyer is specific to teachers, but much of the content applies for all groups:
