Our guest speaker on October 12th was Sandra Amolo, Community Organizer with the Tualatin Riverkeepers, or TRK. Sandra holds a BA in Business Administration and Marketing from Seattle University. Originally from Kenya, Sandra speaks Kiswahili, English and Spanish fluently. She has been in the United States for 15 years. The Tualatin Riverkeeper’s website describes Sandra as “a community organizer with a passion for social and environmental justice, and a keen interest in creating a multi-cultural environmental movement that is welcoming and inclusive to all ideas and backgrounds.”
Sandra reviewed the history of the Tualatin River, which had become polluted with chemicals and sewage by the 1980’s. It is now safe to swim in, and to even eat the fish caught in the river (in moderation, she says). Sandra said that last summer, 2500 paddlers enjoyed the river, and 1500 children participated in field trips. The cleanup of the Tualatin River has been a remarkable recovery effort, led by a coalition of farmers, government agencies, business leaders, non-governmental organizations, and schools. The TRK has been instrumental in the protection and restoration of the Tualatin River and its 27 creeks for the last 28 years. TRK is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity. Its programs include watershed watch, environmental education, restoration and recreation.
Sandra explained that she has been active in building partnerships and facilitating dialogue between TRK and communities of color, communities of faith, and economically disadvantaged communities. For example, she said she has been working with CPAH on after-school programs. Tualatin Riverkeepers has a staff of just 5 people, but directs and manages the activities of hundreds of volunteers. Of local interest, 450 volunteers from Intel spent 3 days cleaning up Dirkson Nature Park in Tigard. She also noted that they are working on providing access to the river from the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.
For more information, please visit http://tualatinriverkeepers.org. To watch the video Sandra shared with the members today, please follow this link: http://tualatinriverkeepers.org/climate-change-and-river-restoration/.
To commemorate Sandra’s presentation, the Club will place a book in the Tigard Library. The book is “National parks of America: experience America’s 59 national parks” by Amy Balfour, et al. The publisher describes the book as follows: “From Acadia to Zion, take a pictorial tour of America’s national parks. Along with statistics and information on wildlife, you’ll get itineraries and practical tips on what to do and see in each park to get you started planning your next adventure. As we celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of the National Parks Service, find out why they’re worth celebrating, and get inspired by America’s diversely breathtaking expanses “.