REI Continues to Support River Forum with New Grant

In our efforts to connect people to the river, the River Forum has found a kindred spirit in REI. Said Carol Christensen, REI’s community outreach coordinator, “We believe that stewardship and recreation do go hand in hand. People that are really involved in outdoor recreation recognize that without stewarding an area it won’t be there anymore.”

The River Forum is pleased to announce receiving a grant from REI. The grant will support volunteer restoration efforts at Stateline and Barker Road and the annual Upriver Scrub Cleanup. The grant also supports the Spokane Water Trail website, which is now visited by thousands of people.

REI’s support of the River Forum began in 2011with a grant to restore Mirabeau Point and develop the Spokane River Water Trail. Carol says she’s received great feedback on both projects.

In Carol’s interactions with paddling customers on the sales floor, she’s seen a transition in the last few years from destination paddlers (people who load their boat and drive to a lake or river outside the city) to more people paddling on the Spokane River. She credits this to improved accessibility, particularly the mapping on the Spokane River Water Trail.

The River Forum is one of many nonprofits REI empowers throughout the country. Locally another one of Carol’s most successful partnerships has been with the Riverside State Park Foundation. In 2012 they awarded the Foundation a grant to create a volunteer coordinator position. Since its inception the position has facilitated hundreds and hundreds of hours of volunteer work along the Centennial Trail and in the park.

In all of Christensen’s outreach work, success hinges on “…finding the commonality between interested parties to create something great for the community.” This philosophy made the River Forum a natural partner. City of Spokane Valley, Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club, and Northwest Whitewater Association all joined the River Forum to restore Mirabeau Point. And prominent kayakers, paddlers and anglers all stepped up to help populate the Spokane River Water Trail with information.

Moving forward the same collective approach will be used to organize volunteers to water native species recently planted at Barker Road and Stateline. The dry months are coming but with the help of the River community and allies like REI, the River Forum is confident it can take the heat.