Free the Deschutes this GivingTuesday!

The Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team (DERT) is a 501(c)3 non-profit group working toward the health of the Deschutes watershed and its inhabitants, with a special focus on the estuary itself. Our organization is comprised of dedicated & seasoned environmental advocates and professionals. We value listening to and promoting science to enhance ecological health, allying with the current and historical stewards of these lands, including the Squaxin Island Tribe, and collaborating meaningfully with local organizations, agencies, and community members. We have been successfully advocating for the removal of the 5th Ave Dam and restoration of the Deschutes Estuary since 2009.

Now that Estuary Restoration is slated to take place, we continue to engage public officials, tribes, agencies, non-profits, schools, and the broader community in support of a healthy and community managed watershed. We also provide feedback on environmental legislation and restoration projects with direction from the Squaxin Island Tribe. Our education and outreach efforts center around issues of water quality, salmon health, climate change, environmental justice, and biocultural restoration, and include workshops, community forums, tabling events, and generating media content.

On Saturday November 22nd we held our first annual Deschutes Watershed Symposium, where we invited community members to learn about the current state of the watershed, current efforts to restore the estuary, and made space for local collaboration between advocates and professionals in the field. To make more events like this happen, we need continued support from our community!

This GivingTuesday, consider making a small Holiday gift to DERT. Whether you can spare $5 or $50, every penny will go towards environmental advocacy in the South Puget Sound and educational outreach efforts.

Help us free the Deschutes!