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Volunteer Opportunities
The Tillamook Estuaries Partnership as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to the
conservation and restoration of Tillamook County's estuaries and watersheds in their entirety.
Our Program Areas
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The Tillamook Estuaries Partnership is a member of the Association of National Estuary Programs (ANEP).
The use of our local waterways for recreational paddling - kayaking and canoeing - has grown significantly in recent years. A community partnership of interested citizens, facilitated by the TEP, is working to develop a comprehensive map and guide to assist paddlers in determining where to go based on access points, amenities, level of skill required, and other pertinent information. Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks, including in-water research. For more information, contact Julie Chick, Water Trail Project Coordinator at the TEP office: (503) 322-2222.
Local Watershed Councils, natural resource agency personnel, and TEP are partnering to develop a source for local riparian plantings through the cultivation and growing of native plants. Periodic work days at the Horning Nursery in Estacada and local seed harvest and plantings are just a couple of ways that volunteers can help in this important project. For more information, contact Kurt Heckeroth at the Tillamook Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office: (503) 815-1132.
This bi-annual one day event gives locals and visitors alike an opportunity to put hands and feet to their stewardship by spending a few hours picking up accumulated litter along the bay's beaches. Sponsored by the Tillamook Bay Watershed Council, this partnership includes support from the county solid waste department and recycling centers. Contact Denise Lofman, Tillamook Bay Watershed Council Coordinator, at (503) 322-0002 for more information.
Held over two days in May each year, school groups, teachers, parents and individual citizens participate in river clean ups throughout the county. Volunteers focus on clean up (litter and invasive plant removal) of a particular stretch of waterway, or lead an educational session for students on local plants, animals, birds, trail building or other natural history subjects. For information, contact Claudine Rehn at the TEP office: (503) 322-2222.
This one day event in the spring brings every Tillamook County fourth grader to a series of workshops and hands on activities that teach them about the value of clean water to their environment. The event complements in-class curricula that is created and distributed by TEP. Volunteers chaperone a class throughout the day's activities and are treated to a free lunch! For more information, contact Claudine Rehn at the TEP office: (503) 322-2222.
A committee of local citizens, including TEP staff and the City of Tillamook, are working together to build a trail along the banks of the Hoquarton Slough, which traverses downtown Tillamook. The interpretive trail will highlight the cultural and natural history of the area while providing a safe pedestrian and bike path, linking citizens with each other and their natural environment.
TEP supports a dedicated team of community volunteers who collect water samples throughout the Tillamook Bay watershed. Data on bacteria and temperature reflect water quality trends and help us to target enhancement activities to critical areas. Volunteers are needed for either bi-monthly sampling or as periodic back up samplers. For more information, please call Don Reynolds, our Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program Coordinator at the TEP office: (503) 322-2222.