Along with their 30th anniversary, the Bitter Root Water Forum is celebrating an update to their name, now the Bitterroot Water Partnership. “Over the last 30 years we have grown from a grassroots Forum of incredible community volunteers, into an organization that has a great capacity to partner with our communities, and advance conservation of our waters and our ways of life. Now, our name reflects that”, says Heather Barber, Executive Director of the Bitterroot Water Partnership.
The Bitterroot Water Partnership invites you to celebrate their 30th anniversary between 5-8 PM on July 7 at their Block Party on 2nd Street in downtown Hamilton. There will be several vendors and organizations offering food and beverages for sale, and activities for all ages. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 5:30 PM. There is no cost to attend this event, and guests can come and go at any time.
“Our conservation efforts have always been made possible through partnerships – with landowners, agencies, outfitters, donors, businesses, other non-profits, and dedicated local stewards, and since those partnerships are so central to our success, we knew it needed to be central to our name”, said Barber.
The update also brings a new logo and new tagline, reading ‘Our Waters, Our Ways of Life’. Alex Ocañas, Community Engagement Coordinator with the Water Partnership said that, “As we made these updates to how we communicate our conservation work, we spent countless hours learning from community feedback. Through those conversations, we reaffirmed that conserving our waters means conserving our most cherished ways of life – fishing, ranching and farming, open space, vibrant landscapes, healthy wildlife and so much more.”
The Bitterroot Water Partnership continues their stream restoration work and conservation engagement programs. Their restoration efforts are designed to help reduce stream pollution, keep more water in the Bitterroot Valley, and establish healthy habitat. Their conservation engagement programs are made to equip local people with the understanding, skills, and tools they need to become a partner in conservation.
The Bitterroot Water Partnership invites you to stop by their office at 162 S 2nd street to learn more about their efforts and these recent updates. You can also learn more at bitterrootwater.org.