The Buzz: September 2025 Newsletter
This is The Buzz - Mosquito Fleet’s monthly e-newsletter!
Read on to learn about what’s going on at Green Anchors, plus upcoming events in September!
Dear friends,
School may be back in session, but summer is still in full swing here at Fleet HQ! We’ve had a jam-packed summer on the water: hosting private paddles for some of Portland’s coolest organizations, paddling in the Free the Snake flotilla, hosting a community clean-up day at Green Anchors, and much more.
Read on for updates from the Fleet, upcoming paddles at Green Anchors, and events from our homies all over the region. Thank you for continuing to support Mosquito Fleet!
News from the Fleet
Kayak Lending Library season ending:
The 2025 season of the Kayak Lending Library is winding down, meaning fewer opportunities for public access and orientation. The KLL will close at the end of October. Orientations, which are required in order to access the library, happen at the end of every public paddle; if you are interested in joining the KLL but cannot make it to a paddle, reach out to ari (ari@mosquitofleet.us) to schedule some on-water time and an orientation.
Ross Island algae bloom:
A note from our friends at Human Access Project: “In mid August, there was a very bad harmful algae bloom in Willamette Cove. It has become a more frequent occurrence over the last 20 years. This not only impacts Willamette Cove but it also impacts Cathedral Park. When our river is impacted by bad {or poorly thought out} river engineering harmful algae blooms are more likely to form. Harmful algae blooms at Willamette Cove are a social justice issue. It makes the Willamette River unfishable, unswimmable and undrinkable {water with cyanobacteria cannot be filtered}. It kills dogs, impairs water quality for juvenile salmon and can make people sick.”
Remember to check the Oregon Health Authority reporting on water quality before getting out on the water. The Fleet team keeps our eyes on this regularly, and will cancel paddles during periods of unsafe conditions.
On-water action against Microsoft’s complicity in genocide:
Last week, people of conscience in Seattle took kayaks to the waters of Lake Washington and paddled to the waterfront mansions of Microsoft Executives Satya Nadella and Brad Smith to demand an end to their complicity in genocide and apartheid. While Palestinians are displaced and forcibly starved over and over again, Satya and Brad maintain Microsoft's contracts and partnerships with Israel, and they profit off of Palestinians' blood to live in luxury. Learn more about the No Azure for Apartheid campaign here, and sign the petition to Microsoft here!
Free the Snake reportback:
The Fleet was honored to be invited to this year’s Free the Snake flotilla. The flotilla is an annual event in support of the Free the Snake campaign, an effort led by the Nimiipuu tribe and allied groups calling for the removal of four outdated, harmful dams on the lower Snake River. We attended the second Free the Snake event way back in 2016, so it was especially meaningful to return after all these years. It was a beautiful weekend, with hundreds of attendees, amazing food, great music, and incredible speakers. Scott Putman of Bluz River Productions put together a beautiful video of the event: check it out here! You can learn more about the ongoing campaign to Free the Snake from our friends at Save Our Wild Salmon.
Local campaign update:
Our friends at the Portland chapter of Resist US Led-War have launched a PNW-specific Resist Glorification of War and Militarism campaign, focusing on goals like ending Portland’s Fleet Week. A few Fleet members will be caravanning down
to the Oregon Air Show in McMinnville on September 27th; we encourage you to get involved if you’re interested! For more information, check out @resistusledwarpdx on Instagram or visit the Resist Us-Led War website.
Upcoming Events
REMINDER – SEATTLE: Kayak Training 101 for Water Protectors
Saturday, September 13th, 2025 | 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM | South Seattle (exact location to be provided to participants)
Reminder for Seattle friends: join Mosquito Fleet kayak trainers to learn how to take direct action on the water! We will cover on-water safety, basic paddle strokes and on-water banner raises. Register and learn more here, or find the event on our online calendar.
QTBIPOC Paddle
Tuesday, September 16th | 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Fleet HQ (Green Anchors in St. Johns, PDX)
Calling all QTBIPOC! Join Mosquito Fleet for a Sunset Paddle along the Willamette River. Weʻll get out on the water together around sunset, watching for critters on the banks of the river. Queer and trans people of color with all levels of kayaking/paddling experience are welcome! Register and learn more here, or find the event on our online calendar.
Morning Paddle
Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Fleet HQ (Green Anchors in St. Johns, PDX)
Join Mosquito Fleet for one of the last morning paddles of the season! We’ll enjoy a calm paddle on the Willamette. Folks of all kayak experience levels are welcome to join. There will be an optional Kayak Lending Library Orientation after the paddle - stick around if you wanna learn how to access the Fleet’s gear through the remainder of the season. Register and learn more here, or find the event on our online calendar.
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!