Immerse 2024: A Night to Remember

On June 6, 2024, The Freshwater Trust (TFT) hosted our flagship fundraiser, Immerse. This year, we brought together a community of changemakers in Portland, Oregon, to share and celebrate our data-driven and outcomes-focused watershed restoration methods.

Nearly 250 guests attended at the Loft at 8th Avenue, a chic events venue in southeast Portland.

Joe Whitworth presenting at Immerse 2024.

Floor-to-ceiling projection screens showcased live videos of TFT’s water conservation and restoration sites throughout Oregon. Although our home base is in Portland, we also do active conservation work in California, Idaho, and Colorado. In fact, during the event, we premiered our Beta version of the Impact Explorer, an interactive digital map that allows users to move across satellite imagery and view conservation locations.

TFT team members showcasing the Impact Explorer.

This year’s event speakers included TFT’s CEO and president, Joe Whitworth, and TFT Headwaters Council member, Michael Richardson.

Whitworth gave a rousing and inspirational speech addressing the obstacles to water conservation today and how TFT is overcoming those obstacles by implementing analytical tools to bring conservation practices into the 21st century using an outcomes-focused approach.

Headwaters Council Member Michael Richardson.

Richardson shared a personal story about the Weiser River in Idaho, the changes that have happened over the years to its water quality, and how organizations like TFT have worked to improve and restore the river to health.

During the event program, TFT always showcases a brief video about the organization’s work and how support through donor dollars helps us continue to fulfill our mission to preserve and restore freshwater ecosystems.

We are proud to say that this year, Immerse raised $135,000 to support water conservation projects. Thank you to all our donors, sponsors, and partners for making this event so successful.

Paddle raising excitement.

Attending Immerse and participating in the evening’s activities is an excellent way to support The Freshwater Trust, but there are other ways to keep support going all year long.

• Follow TFT on social media and share their stories with friends.
• Join TFT’s newsletter and stay up to date on their work and impact.
• Donate to the cause with a one-time gift or become a monthly donor.
• Get to know TFT’s community by learning about their partners and sponsors.