A message from Terri Preeg Riggsby, Chair of the West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors:

Hello Friends of the District,

The West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors is very pleased to announce that Casey Jogerst has joined our team as our new District Manager.

Casey joins our District with over 20 years of experience in environmental sciences with a focus on urban forestry, as you can read in her bio. She brings the skills to lead the District and navigate changes from governmental shifts, as well as challenges related to the increasing impacts of climate change.

Casey’s enthusiasm for conservation and leading a team in successful restoration work lifted her to the top of an incredibly qualified candidate pool from across the country. After careful consideration, the Board decided unanimously that Casey is the right person to lead us into a healthy future for our local agricultural, natural area, urban, and forested lands.

Please join the board in extending a warm welcome to Casey! We look forward to great work ahead.

Want this in your inbox? We send e-newsletters like this quarterly. Scroll to the bottom of the page where it says “Newsletter Signup” and enter your email to get the next one sent straight to you!

News from the District

Welcome Casey, our new District Manager: As Terri said above, we’re excited to welcome Casey Jogerst to the team as our new District Manager. Casey came on board in late August, taking the helm of our organization. You can read her full bio on our blog.

Welcome, Rachel and Stormwater Stars: We have another new team member and program, in the form of Rachel Dvorsky, Stormwater Specialist, and the Stormwater Stars program. The program has been running with the District’s support for 10 years, and we’re bringing Rachel on staff! The program will continue running as usual.

Behind the Scenes with our Interns: Our two seasonal interns are halfway done with their term and gave a great update on what they’ve been working on the past few months. Know someone who might want to start work in the conservation field? Send them this!

Grant programs returning soon: We are excited to restart our grant programs this fall. Please keep an eye on our website and this newsletter in October and November. If you already know your community organization or nonprofit may want to apply, reach out to ariana@wmswcd.org.

Apply to host a Stormwater Stars Workshop Site: Our Stormwater Stars program is seeking sites for fall and spring workshops! They can be at nonprofits, businesses, or homes— check out the full criteria and what we can do for you to help you with rainwater and building community! You can also sign up for Stormwater Stars updates if you’d like to attend one of the workshops.

Upcoming Events

-listed in chronological order-

• Ash and Oak Folk! Multiple Dates: 9/30, 10/4, 10/14
  Registration now open, free.
  We’re looking for community scientists to keep an eye out for identifying healthy and sick Oregon Oak and Ash. At these free workshops you’ll learn to identify trees and track them in iNaturalist. We have 2 new in-person workshops and one Zoom webinar coming up this fall. Register here!