OMSI Science Pub: The River Remembers: Community, Science, and the Future of Portland Harbor

OMSI Science Pub is taking over the Mission Theater on Tuesday, December 1, for a talk titled The River Remembers: Community, Science, and the Future of Portland Harbor. The evening centers on the Portland Harbor Superfund cleanup, a project that's as much about public health and environmental justice as it is about the river itself. The whole thing is presented by the Portland Harbor Community Coalition, and they're coming to Science Pub to lay out what's at stake and why community and Tribal voices need to be at the center of the decisions that will shape the Willamette for generations.

Leading the conversation are Cassie Cohen, Executive Director of the Portland Harbor Community Coalition, and Ja'Marian Malley, the coalition's Campaign Manager. They'll be the ones on stage walking you through the cleanup and the coalition's work. If you've spent any time around the river, you've probably heard the term "Superfund" tossed around in relation to the harbor, but this is a chance to hear the specifics from the people pushing for a community-led approach to the cleanup.

For those who haven't been to one, Science Pubs are casual lectures held in venues across the region, and they're recommended for ages 10 and up. The Mission Theater—known around town as "the Mission"—is a McMenamins movie-and-music pub in the West End Entertainment District. It started as the Swedish Mission Covenant congregation back in 1912 and now runs second-run films and hosts concerts, burlesque, comedy, and live-podcast nights. It's a table-seating room with a stage, so you can grab a drink and a seat rather than standing in a crowd.

Doors open at 6 PM and the presentation starts at 7 PM. Tickets are $9, and all ages are welcome. One small thing to keep in mind: the Mission Theater passport stamp won't be available at the door for this one.