CASCADIA STORIES
A digital collection of creative endeavors, uplifting bioregional abundance.Drew Alcoser Llano (they or she) works as a guide and entrepreneurial accelerator for shopkeepers, artists, and emerging small businesses - those passionate about social and environmental justice.
Requests for proposals will be humbly accepted. No job is too small.In collaboration with others, Drew continues to learn but follows the visionary path in the field of community-driven systems and interdependence.
Open to new bioregion-wide clients. Scroll to the "About" section below to understand what Drew intends to do with "Cascadia Stories".
Storytelling: Blogs, Creatives, Digital Designs, artist management
Community Organizing: Environmental Justice Advocacy
Event planning and systems admin: social justice, bioregional awareness, peer-to-peer networks, fundraising, R & D marketing
BLOGS
Read the latest written story, in the next section.
Axe Drax 2024-2026
Cowlitz County, WA, 2026.
As part of Alliance for Community Engagement (ACE) SW WA, Drew continues to organize for - and advocate for - environmental justice in Longview, Washington and throughout our bioregion.
GATHERING CASCADIA #EVENTS
TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2027
Join us in Portland. Details TBA.
Read the latest in the next section.
BLOG BY
DREW ALCOSER LLANO
Resilience Rising Environmental Justice Teach-Ins: Reflecting on Community Organizing
There were two discussion sessions; here from the "Food Justice", session 2 discusssion, Cindy Lopez Werth, left, and Monica Zazueta Tabor.
When I moved to Cowlitz County back in 2019, I was skeptical about the region’s participation in protecting the environment, even though Longview is an industrial town and occasionally, the air quality might be compromised. Even in the Kalama city limits, the smell of pollution in the air was the reminder that paired well with the tightness in my lungs, both sensory systems nudging me to take action. But what I didn’t know is that there had been many people working towards environmental justice long before I had re-located to this beautiful region. I learned all about those grassroots efforts when I attended the first Resilience Rising Environmental Justice Teach-In.
Panelists: Cindy Lopez-Werth, Ian Thompson, and Monica Zazueta Tabor, Diane Dick, Don Steinke, and Juan Monje. Session 1: The history of SW Washington Wins. Session 2: Food Justice. Both panels were moderated by Heidi Cody, the SW WA Field organizer for Washington Conservation Action.
I came to learn about organizing for SW Washington environmental justice when I attended a community event in Vancouver with another organization: Citizens’ Climate Lobby. It was at the Peace & Justice Festival where I met Heidi Cody in 2024. She was wearing a costume for her creative project, called Climate Toothpaste. I wasn’t familiar with Washington Conservation nor ACE but I was there to marvel at the clever toothpaste branded art work on a rectangular box in the style and font of a recognizable brand; Heidi was in a toothpaste costume! As soon as she found out that I was living in Cowlitz County, she said, “OH REALLY?” and promptly asked me to sign up for the ACE mailing list. Little did I know that I would be soon diving into the deep end with the threat of the Drax biomass plant looming over the Columbia River and adjacent communities!
Session 2, Voter Rights and Elections in Cowlitz County. Panelists: Rachel Facer-Stone, Haley Johnson, Joy Stanford, Sue Rutherford. Also pictured, co-moderators, Heidi Cody and Samantha Ingman.
As a fresh out of college graduate, I was able to snag an internship with Washington Conservation Action and eventually, got a 10-hour a week contract position working alongside Heidi and many ACE partners to add to the work that others had spent years advocating for. I was fast-tracked by so many passionate Cowlitz Co. folks that care deeply about what is right, safe, and sustainable for the people that live and work here.Between this and the second teach-in, I tabled at Squirrelfest in Longview, and met some really cool people that are also concerned and ready for change. I also met a prominent politician (D) and we talked about bringing in an innovative industry: growing sustainable hemp for scaling up the housing supply! But, I digress, that is another blog.
Session 1, The history of EJ Wins in SW Washington and the Impacts on Public Health. Panleists: Don Steinke, Hector Hinojosa, Diane Dick. Also pictured, Haley, Ashley, Dave Hale.
There were about 30 and 20 people at Resilience Rising #1 and #2, respectively. Special thanks to Washington Conservation Action for making this event possible and to Cascade Forward for sharing both events with their networks. Many thanks to the panelists and especially to those that attended and shared the event invitation, weaving through their networks.
GATHERING CASCADIA
Holding spaces for real talk about the Great Unraveling, hope, and The Great Turning. Gathering Cascadia is a series of points in time where people in the bioregion of Cascadia exchange stories, knowledge, and curiousity about regenerative systems.What will it take to regenerate your watershed on the map? And what does it mean for the whole community?See how it went at Cascadia Day Portland 2026 at the Gathering Cascadia website:
https://gatheringcascadia.org
ABOUT THIS PROJECT:CASCADIA STORIES
This site is emergent. This work is meant to be done in collaboration with others in the resilience-building movement. I am convening with others to organize a January 26th discussion event in coalition with others in the PDX VanWa metro.Contact: [email protected]*This may become a temporary site - it is meant to manifest amateur storytellers in community - weaving with other factions within the Cascadia movement, specifically in the Lower Columbia watershed and the northern Willamette River basin.I am a sole proprietor seeking part-time 1099 contract work. Cascadia Stories is registered with the Oregon Secretary of State.
Cascadia Stories' Works in Progress
| Media Format | Creatives' Name | Status | Upcoming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed Media, merchandise | Brennan K Miller | development | website 12/2026 |
| Pop-up markets & upcycled merch | Drew G Llano | development | business model canvas 12/26 |
| Fundraiser for Cascadia Day: TECTONIC | Cascadia Stories | organizing | seeking partners 11/2026 |
| Knowledge Giver, Author | Alexander Baretich | paused | more info 2027 |
© Cascadia Stories. All rights reserved.
CONTACT: [email protected]
Photography, main header: Columbia River Highway Marker by Kevin Butz on Unsplash.
Background photo, Regenerate Cascadia.
A Cascadia Climate Cafe is for anyone grappling with the intensity of our current times. Drew Alcoser is a facilitator, trained by Climate Psychology Alliance, N.A.
