Westwind Values Sustainability
At the beginning of last year, we announced our six core values: Discovery, Engagement, Belonging, Resilience, Interdependence, and Sustainability. These values encapsulate what we and our community believe that Westwind should be. They are actionable steps for us to implement our mission and vision. As a staff, we consider how all aspects of Westwind fit…
Sustainability through education
The Westwind mission inspires people to be stewards of the environment and their communities. We believe that long or short, your time at Westwind can profoundly affect all aspects of your life. Experiencing the natural world and learning about the ecosystems where we walk, inspires us to be conscious of the world around us. Through…
2024 Annual Report
Westwind’s 2024 Annual Report is here! Our Annual Report is a snapshot of another incredible year. It highlights Westwind by the numbers, upcoming projects, and all of our incredible donors. The best part of our annual report? We do so much incredible work that we couldn’t possibly fit it all into one report. While we…
The future of our coastal prairie conservation
Did you know that coastal prairie is one of the most endangered habitats in Oregon? Due to trifecta of development, woodland encroachment/fire suppression, and invasive plants, less than 1% of Oregon’s original coastal prairies remain. Westwind is looking to change that. We are currently engaged in two multi-year projects to conserve these habitats. At Iris…
Spring Camp Recap
Let’s look back at an amazing month of Spring Camps! We kicked off March with Spring Stewardship Weekend. A group of amazing volunteers helped us break Westwind out of its winter slumber and prepare for programs and rental guests. Next, we held our third annual Spring Friends and Family Camp, welcoming over twenty families to…
Outdoor School Is Back
This week marks the first week of the Spring Outdoor School season. We are so excited to be working with MESD Outdoor School (ODS) again. For the week, ODS takes the classroom outdoors, where sixth-grade students from Multnomah-area schools spend the week learning among the forests and beaches of Westwind. What is outdoor school? The…
Third Annual Earth Day Celebration
It’s that time of year again. The sun is staying longer, the first buds and shoots are starting to poke out of the ground, and the squirrels, birds, and bugs are shaking off their winter slumber. Spring is right around the corner and that means it’s almost time to celebrate Earth Day at Westwind! Earth…
2025 ACA National Conference
Last month, our Camp Director Denali and Assistant Camp Director Jupiter traveled to Texas for the 2025 American Camp Association (ACA) National Conference. This week-long event was a chance for Westwind to connect with other camp professionals, share the incredible work that we are doing, and prepare for another amazing summer. Being part of the…
Setting the standard for summer camp
Did you know that Westwind is an ACA-accredited summer camp? ACA stands for the American Camp Association. It is a national non-profit focused on ensuring a standard of care and quality of experience at camps across the country. ACA supports camps of all sizes and program types. It advocates on their behalf and provides an…
Taking Westwind on the road
This week, our Site Manager Brian travels to Camp Allen, Texas to present at the UMCRM National Camp & Retreat Leaders’ Gathering. He is teaming up with fellow Site Manager Burt (aka Puck) from Camp Namanu to present on our site-based partnerships. They are sharing how other camps nationwide can develop volunteer-based partnerships to teach…