Estacada AmeriCorps coordinator outlines community environmental engagement event and water‑quality outreach

Ellie, a City of Estacada AmeriCorps outreach and engagement coordinator, told the Parks Commission on Nov. 20 that she is planning an environmental engagement event at Wade Creek Park to highlight local water‑quality issues and to connect residents with regional partners.

The event is intended as an all‑ages, low‑barrier opportunity for residents to learn about local water issues, volunteer openings and city initiatives — including the city’s ongoing work on the total maximum daily load (TMDL) — and to experience hands‑on activities such as fish‑related demonstrations and how‑to workshops for safer household cleaners.

Ellie said about 14 partners had signed up to participate and that she’s still recruiting additional organizations. She described partner activities already planned: a fish‑ladder activity from Portland General Electric (PGE), a fish‑screen demonstration from local park rangers, and other booths providing kid‑friendly hands‑on activities. The event will be held at Wade Creek Park; a poster and a one‑page description will be distributed to commissioners and onto the city’s outreach channels.

Ellie also described a package of related outreach she is building during her 11‑month placement, which runs from September through July. Her work includes a civics academy launching in January to teach residents how local government works, a series of social‑media posts and explanatory materials about stormwater and the TMDL, and a “clean water” resource section for the city website that will list volunteer opportunities and guidance for actions residents can take at home and in their yards.

She said Trout Unlimited will participate in the environmental event and is looking for a site to host a youth fly‑fishing and conservation camp; the organization is seeking a property or park that could provide restrooms and overnight facilities for a pack‑in/pack‑out youth program. Commissioners and community members offered to identify possible sites and contacts.

Ellie described ongoing youth outreach she’s led: classroom and after‑school presentations on the water cycle and native plants, a storm‑drain painting project, and an ivy removal effort near Ranger Woods that removed invasive ivy from roughly half the affected trees about six months earlier; she said staff hope to complete the remaining work in February or March. She said she will assemble a transition package of contacts, timelines and social‑media schedules so the commission can continue the programs after her AmeriCorps term ends.

Commissioners asked that the event avoid conflicts with other community events and suggested greater inclusion of vendor information on the event flyer and social posts. Ellie said she will incorporate those requests and provide a planning package and contact list to the commission before she departs.

The commission and Ellie discussed connections with local volunteer organizations, including the Clackamas River Basin Council (CRBC) and local school garden leaders. Commissioners identified Talika Stanton as a local contact for the school garden program and Mike Ware as a school maintenance contact for coordinating site access.

Ellie encouraged commissioners to forward any suggested partners or local contacts and said she will update commissioners with the completed transition and planning materials.