Volunteer & Event Coordinator
We Love Clean Rivers seeks a part-time volunteer and event coordinator to continue building on our pilot River Ambassador Program and to spearhead the annual “Down the River Cleanup” on the Clackamas River.
This position will be charged with running safe and successful volunteer programming and events, generating sponsor revenue and grant support, and providing reports and updates as needed. The coordinator will have to be a self starter- as the work is mainly done independently. However, both the River Ambassador program and the Down the River Cleanup have returning and seasoned volunteers and an array of other nonprofit and government leaders to help. Moreover, the Volunteer & Event Coordinator will have regular support from the all-volunteer board of We Love Clean Rivers.
The Volunteer & Event Coordinator will oversee the following two activities:
1. River Ambassador
Our newest initiative basically extends the stewardship message of the river cleanup to every busy weekend in the summer (from Memorial Day to Labor Day). We want there to be less trash for the September cleanup, and we want a measurable impact with stewardship and with visitor satisfaction and safety awareness. The River Ambassador program – modelled on a similar program in California on the South Yuba River – requires early outreach to recruit and train volunteers, and regular
communication with key stakeholders and partners (including county/state park staff, & liaisons from the State Marine Board). It is focused on putting volunteers at key access points on the Clackamas River during the summer, providing critical safety and stewardship information to river users during peak weekends. This has been shown to reduce the strain on park staff while propagating the river stewardship ethic among users.
2. Down the River Cleanup
This popular event has been going on for over 18 years, but was canceled last year due to the fires. This one-day event is a coordinated float and paddle down scenic stretches of the Clackamas, with tools and support to pick up all the trash along the way. It ends with a thankyou barbecue for volunteers, and has attracted over 400 people in years past. In order to remove tons of trash (over 80,000 lbs since 2004) from 26 miles of suburban riverway on the Clackamas River, we need many hands. The event typically draws 300-400 recreationalists that are organized into pods to run the river from McIver Park to Clackamette Park in whitewater rafts, kayaks and drift boats. There may also be a scuba diving element to the event or terrestrial cleanups in parks along the river.
General Responsibilities
The Volunteer and Event Coordinator will be responsible for key tasks and milestones including, but not limited to:
- Convening and coordinating with key volunteers and event committees that will spearhead river logistics, sponsorship, registration, events sales and fundraising, and online communications for both the DTRC and RA program.
- Coordinating with existing and recruiting new primary event partners, such as the Clackamas River Basin Council, eNRG Kayaking, Clackamas River Outfitters, and the Portland State University Outdoor Club;
- Writing and sending out event and volunteer announcement press releases;
- Writing and facilitating communications with We Love Clean Rivers past event participants and fans via Facebook and email;
- Facilitating all activities on the day of the cleanup and ensuring their success;
- Facilitating media involvement during the programs and event; and
- Ensuring that We Love Clean Rivers, Inc. fulfills commitments to event sponsors.
A successful candidate must possess strong organizational skills, demonstrate experience with managing volunteers, and have a keen understanding of and comfort with whitewater rivers (Class II+).
The Volunteer and Event Coordinator is a part-time, project-based position, and will be paid as an independent contractor. The position runs from May 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021. Average hours per week are 10, with more time needed closer to actual volunteer days (DTRC or River Ambassador). Payment and work schedule to be discussed upon hiring.
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