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Columbia Land Trust Celebrated 25th Anniversary with Wild Splendor

o Stewardship Lead Lindsay Cornelius presents hydrologist and geomorphologist Will Conley with a glass salmon to honor his work on the Klickitat River.

Portland, September 19th, 2015. Columbia Land Trust celebrated 25 years of Northwest conservation at its annual gala and fundraising event, Wild Splendor. Stewardship Lead Lindsay Cornelius presents hydrologist and geomorphologist Will Conley with a glass salmon to honor his work on the Klickitat River.

Betsy Henning, Corey Shields, and Steve Shields of AHA! and Columbia Land Trust Executive Director Glenn Lamb pose in front of Corey Shields’ Northwesterners photography collection. This series of double exposure prints inspired the theme for the event, “share your love for the land that shapes you.”

Attendees enjoyed a live auction, which included local art, tours, and even a shark tagging expedition in San Francisco. An interactive map of the region helped people mark the lands dear to them, whether it was their own backyard or a favorite hiking spot in the Pacific Northwest. The premiere of short film, “A River Reborn.”

The film tells the story of how the Land Trust is helping restore the banks of Washington’s Klickitat River. The video also explores the ways in which the land shapes us at the same time we endeavor to reshape the land.

From Columbia Land Trust:
Thank you so much to our donors and sponsors who made this year’s event a resounding success. Together, you raised more than $255,000 for Columbia Land Trust to continue its work conserving and caring for the Northwest that we all love. Also thank you to Swaim Strategies, Streamline Support, Johnna Wells at Benefit Auctions 360, our photographer Andie Petkus, and all of our volunteers and Young Ambassadors who helped make this Wild Splendor our most successful event yet!

At the event, we also shared photos of meaningful Northwest places submitted by our staff and supporters. You can still share images of the lands that have shaped you by using the hashtag #LandShapesUs on Instagram and Twitter.

Elisa Klein

I’ve been a professional journalist and writer since 1987, (and long-time reporter for KOIN-TV.) As a nationally published reporter, with a Master’s Degree in Journalism, I love to report positive news and information. Journalism has also connected me with another non-profit where I served as a leader; the Northwest’s biggest writer’s organization: The Willamette Writers.