Meet Janet, Our New Business Manager!

January 17, 2023

Welcome, Janet! We are excited to have Janet Llerandi Gonzalez (they/them) join the Environmental Center as our new Business Manager! In this role, they will be responsible for the important operations that keep our organization running smoothly, from office administration to bookkeeping to managing the facility rentals! Previous to joining TEC, Janet worked in various […]

Winter Break Activities for Kids and Families

December 19, 2022

Photo credit: US Fish & Wildlife Central Oregon is a winter wonderland, full of things to do to keep you and your family outdoors no matter the elements! While hanging by the fire pit is an obvious great choice, our Youth Education team put together a few more ideas to enjoy this season. We hope […]

Our First School Garden Bike Tour

October 26, 2022

It was a sunny Saturday in October… Earlier this month, a group of 10 folks biked to three youth garden projects on a beautiful autumn day. Here’s some highlights for those not able to join us! We kicked off our ride at the Dennis Maloney Community Justice Center, one of Deschutes County’s Juvenile Community Justice […]

Welcome Al, Our New Development Coordinator!

October 25, 2022

Al Kolenda (she/her) just joined our team as the Development Coordinator! In this role, Al will be supporting fundraising activities and building relationships with our members at The Environmental Center. Al lives in Redmond and is an avid kayaker, motorcyclist, and fluent French-speaker. She started her position in September and has already been a wonderful […]

“Green Drinks” Celebrates Latinx Heritage Month With Upcycled Piñatas!

October 10, 2022

2022 has been exciting, as we have been able to get back to gathering in-person for our various events: Earth Day, the Green Tour, Power Hour, and one of our favorites — the Green Drinks series! Green Drinks is an international concept that brings people together to learn about sustainability efforts. Here in Central Oregon, […]

Welcome, Wesley!

September 12, 2022

Our Youth Education team has a new Coordinator Over the summer, we brought Wesley Yoder (he/him) on as our Youth Education Program Coordinator, and he jumped right in helping to deliver fun-filled summer camps. Wesley has an extensive background in environmental education, and brings knowledge and skills from his degree in biology with a focus […]

Meet The Artists: 2022 Multicultural Artwalk in the Garden

September 9, 2022

The Environmental Center is pleased to host our third annual Multicultural Artwalk in the Garden as part of the City of Bend’s Welcoming Week! This year, the theme of Welcoming Week is #WhereWeBelong, which inspired us to invite artists from all backgrounds and styles to participate in this live exhibit in our space. Read on […]

CIF Spotlight: Council on Aging

August 30, 2022

Community Innovation Fund (CIF) Project Spotlight The Environmental Center awarded the Rethink Waste Program’s Community Innovation Grant to the Council on Aging of Central Oregon, to purchase reusable bags for the Council’s nutrition programs, in December of 2020. In the past, the organization has used plastic delivery bags for the Meals on Wheels program. This […]

1% for the Planet Business Spotlight: Fresh Off The Grid

July 29, 2022

Whether you are just learning about The Environmental Center or you have been aware of us for a long time, you know that we offer a wide variety of programs including sustainability education for local youth, garden education and technical assistance for school gardens, numerous free community events, climate advocacy work at local and state […]

Rethink Waste Announces 2022 Community Innovation Fund Recipients

July 15, 2022

The Environmental Center’s Rethink Waste Project is thrilled to showcase the recipients of the 2022 Community Innovation Fund (CIF)! CIF is a funding program that supports individuals, businesses, and community organizations throughout Deschutes County advance projects that aim to reduce waste right here in Central Oregon. Fields Farm & Spider City Brewing will initiate a […]

Author: Amelia Remington Corbari