2025 Fall Fundraising Drive Results – Tools, Truck, Training

We’d like to thank our donors so much for their support of the 2025 Tools, Truck, and Training Campaign. We raised a total of $12,604, including the donation of a old, used Chevy Suburban that has been well taken care of and we’re going to use as our first ever work truck.

 

We’ll post pictures of the truck and new tools once they arrive, thank you all for your support. 

 

12,604 total raised

Part 1 – Tools

As our crew has grown, so has our need for additional power tools to accomplish projects efficiently. We are dedicated to battery powered tools because they are quieter, have lower emissions, and are cheaper in the long run than gas powered tools. We received a Marion SWCD grant to fund our first set of Husqvarna battery powered tools, and they’ve worked fantastically.

Right now we need to add the following to our toolkit:

 

  • A second battery powered chain saw
  • A third battery powered brush cutter
  • Two more professional batteries
  • A portable recharging station
  • Three locally forged blackberry grubbing hoes
Tools at Pudding River office

Part 2 – A Work Truck

As we’ve taken on more projects, it’s become increasingly obvious that we cannot continue to just haul tools and plants in our personal vehicles. For one thing, our cars (as the Toyota Yaris demonstrates) are not equipped for safe tool hauling, or large enough for easy transport and load in/out.

Our plan is to buy a used, older work truck with a lockable canopy or topper to keep tools dry and secure during rainy days on sites. 

We would gladly accept donations or friendly deals if you have a work truck you’re interested in selling.  

Loading tools into a Toyota Yaris

Part 3 – Training

Two of our employees have their eye on certifications that would expand the services that our crew can offer the community. These services would both increase the pace and scale of restoration work in the watershed, and also allow us to create new lines of revenue from additional technical skills:

Beaver Corp Certification – With this training one of our employees could install pond levelers, offer technical advice to landowners with beavers, trap and relocate beaver if needed, and generally encourage more beaver habitat and cohabitation locally

PSU River Restoration Certificate –  With this training another of our employees would be able to design and implement stream restoration projects, 

Deep pool on Butte Creek

Thank you again! 

We received and met $5k matching commitment to help jumpstart this fundraising drive. In total we raised:

  • $5k from our matching donor

  • $7,6k from Pudding River staff and board members, their friends and family network, and the larger community. 

 

Pudding River Crew Planting Natives