2011 Individual Winner

Matt Shinderman

Matt is a professor of natural resources at OSU Cascades and lives in Bend with his wife and son.  

What stood out to us:  Matt Shinderman shows his commitment to sustainability in all aspects of his life: his everyday actions, his work and his volunteer efforts in the community.  He goes above and beyond for his students, colleagues, and the community by leading the way with passion and dedication.  Through his work at OSU Cascades, Matt is helping create a generation of Oregonians for whom sustainability is a way of life.  Matt doesn’t just talk about sustainability, he walks the talk.

Matt has embedded sustainability deeply into his daily life.  Some highlights include:

• Matt has opted out of using a clothes dryer when the weather permits.

• He has reduced outside grass to 10% of the total lot footprint and used native plants to xeriscape his front yard.  

• His family uses a worm bin for composting food waste.

• He purchases 100% of his electricity from Pacific Power’s Blue Sky renewable energy program.

• He lives in close proximity to services so that he can walk or bike 50% of the year.

• Matt drives a low emission, high efficiency Prius.

In his work at OSU Cascades, Matt serves as the co-chair of the faculty Sustainability Working Group, which is developing an undergraduate sustainability program for the university.  Matt also takes his students outside of the formal classroom to ensure their education includes practical application of sustainability concepts.  Examples of his students’ projects include:

• an ecological assessment at Juniper Ridge;

• a review and recommendation of sustainable practices at the Old Mill District; and

• a carbon inventory for the City of Bend

At the community level, Matt:

• Contributes sustainability related articles to Bend Living and Gusto magazines.

• Serves on a variety of boards and committees, such as: Deschutes River Mitigation and Enhancement Committee and the Deschutes County Green Print Advisory Panel.  

• Matt serves on the Board of Directors of Bend 2030, ensuring that the vision includes a pathway for a more sustainable future.