(Photo | Courtesy of Upper Deschutes Watershed Council)
A salute to streams, students and stewardship! The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council will be hosting their annual fundraiser, UPSTREAM, at 5:30pm on Friday, May 17 at Brasada Ranch in Bend. UPSTREAM is a community event focused on sharing the work of students and celebrating watershed education. The event is a fundraiser for The Upstream Project, the education program of the Watershed Council which seeks to educate, engage and activate the next generation of watershed stewards.
This celebration is the ninth annual UPSTREAM event. The evening will include a silent and live auction featuring local artists and businesses, a gourmet dinner catered by Brasada, and inspiring presentations and artwork by Upstream Project students. The event supports place-based education opportunities for thousands of Central Oregon youth.
The mission of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council is to protect and restore the Upper Deschutes River through collaborative projects in habitat restoration, watershed education, and long-term monitoring. The Watershed Council works with approximately 2,000 students across Central Oregon schools every year. Through streamside learning activities in science, art, writing and music, The Upstream Project helps students develop an informed sense of place for our local rivers and streams. Connecting students to the natural world in active and meaningful ways allows students to develop a sense of civic responsibility as they learn the importance of stewardship in their home watershed. “One action can create a chain reaction and, soon, hopefully everyone will want to take care of the place I am blessed to call home,” says an Upstream Project student from Sisters High School. Kolleen Miller, the education director for the Watershed Council, affirms, “Today’s students are the future caretakers of our rivers and streams!”
UPSTREAM is an amazing opportunity to support the movement to connect youth to the natural world and ensure a legacy of stewardship for generations. Tickets are on sale for $90 per person and tables for eight guests are $700. For more information or to buy a ticket visit restorethedeschutes.org or contact Kolleen Miller, kmiller@restorethedeschutes.org
