The Buzz: May/June 2025 Newsletter
This is The Buzz - Mosquito Fleet’s monthly e-newsletter!
Read on to learn about upcoming events in May and June and how to get more involved with the Fleet!
The Lending Library Opens on June 29th!
The Mosquito Fleet PDX team is so excited to get back on the water with you all. We’re very grateful for your patience and support as our new Leadership Team settled into their roles over the last few months, and we’re thrilled to announce that our Kayak Lending Library will officially open for the season on June 29, 2025! If you can’t make it to the kickoff event on the 29th, don’t worry: the Library will be open all summer long.
We’ll be posting Library hours and other details for events in June on our website soon. If you have questions, reach out anytime by emailing mosquito@mosquitofleet.us.
In the meantime, read on for June events and other news from the Fleet. See you soon!
The Fleet is Recruiting!
Interested in supporting our paddles and trainings on thewater? The Fleet is recruiting a few more folks for our on-water team! If you are excited about the work the Fleet does and you have a love for kayaking, this might be thespace for you. You can expect to attend a couple trainings and orientations to prepare for our busy Summer season! Queer and BIPOC folks are especially encouraged to join as we'll be hosting many queer and BIPOC-specific paddles and events this year. If you're interested, please reach out to El at el@mosquitofleet.us, or respond to this email!
Upcoming Events
Seattle: Orcas Educational Paddle with RAPP
June 1, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Seattle friends, join our homies at River Access Paddle Program for an opportunity to get out on the water and learn about orcas! This event includes a guest speaker and about 90 minutes of paddling. Learn more and RSVP on RAPP’s website here.
Registration Closed: QTBIPOC Action + Arts Camp
June 14-15, 2025 | Fleet HQ (Green Anchors in St. Johns, PDX)
We were humbled and honored by the level of interest in our upcoming QTBIPOC Action + Arts Camp! Registration for camp is now closed, but there will be plenty of opportunities to gather with rad new friends and learn about political art and kayaking this summer, so if you missed registration this time, stay tuned.
Third Annual Juneteenth Paddle
June 19, 2025 | Time: TBD | Fleet HQ (Green Anchors in St. Johns, PDX)
Join Mosquito Fleet kayak trainers for a paddle for fellow Black folks to celebrate Juneteenth. Beginners welcome! Kayaks, gear and snacks will be provided. This is a Black only space; allies can support by sharing this event with their networks! You can see more about the event on our website.
2025 Kickoff Paddle!
June 29, 2025 | 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Fleet HQ (Green Anchors in St. Johns, PDX)
Join us for a public paddle event to kick off our 2025 season! The whole Portland crew (and some Seattle friends) will be at Green Anchors for a celebratory paddle to mark the official re-opening of the Kayak Lending Library for theseason. Come down to meet new friends, catch up with old ones, hear about what we’re up to this year, and most importantly, enjoy being on the water together. Boats will be available, but we may run out, so feel free to reach out ahead of time if you’d like to borrow one: mosquito@mosquitofleet.us.
Check out the Fleet Calendar here!
Become a Monthly Donor!
As a small grassroots organization, Mosquito Fleet appreciates any and all financial support we receive from the community. Recurring donations are particularly helpful to ensure we can continue providing free services and programming to the community. If you’re able to support the Fleet monthly at any amount - $10, $25, $50 - click below!
You can also support the Mosquito Fleet in style with custom gear courtesy of Worx Printing Co-Op, a worker-owned union co-operative print shop! Worx provides this service at no cost to us, so your purchase will directly benefit the Fleet’s work in 2025 and beyond. The Fleet appreciates your support!