Our blog is your go-to resource.
The Environmental Center is your friendly neighborhood sustainability hub.
Our blog tells the stories of the people and organizations, the programs, tools and technologies, that make sustainability real every day. You’ll find the inspiration and resources you need to put sustainability into action in your life, at home or at work.
Be sure to check out our community calendar for upcoming events, and get to know our Partner Groups. Need a space for an event? Our door is open for learning, collaborating, and a whole lot more.
Recent Posts
The Hub
Advocating to Modernize Oregon’s Recycling System
April 19, 2021
Modernizing Oregon’s Recycling System (SB 582 – 9): Overview Oregon has an outdated recycling system that leads to public confusion about what can and cannot be recycled, and consequently, high rates of contamination. The system also places too large a burden on local communities for the end-of-life costs of materials. This bill would finally apply […]
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Advocating for the Right to Repair
Right to Repair (HB 2698): Overview If you can’t repair your own things, do you really own them? In a time of planned obsolescence where stuff is made to be broken, this bill will empower repair rather than disposal by requiring manufacturers to provide us with the tools and manuals we need to fix our […]
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Chasing Arrows Symbol: what does it mean?
People know it as the “universal recycling symbol”. But guess what? It does NOT mean “recyclable”. The ubiquitous chasing arrows symbol doesn’t mean that something is recyclable?? What? I know. Crazy, right? It was a brilliant deceptive campaign introduced by the petroleum industry. The truth: The number inside the chasing arrows symbol is something called […]
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Free Yard Debris Drop off: Spring 2021 Fire Free Weeks!
April 12, 2021
During a wildfire, most homes are lost when falling embers smolder and ignite vulnerable areas around homes. Reduce the risk of losing your home to wildfire and take advantage of FREE yard debris disposal at local collection sites. Recycle your needles, leaves, branches and brush for FREE! Grass clippings, brush, plant prunings, pine needles, pine […]
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Earth Day Celebration and Events in Central Oregon
The Environmental Center will offer a series of events and activities for local individuals, families, students, and young kids to celebrate Earth Day. All Central Oregonians are invited to participate between April 16 – 25, 2021. “Coming together around Earth Day to learn and take action allows us to harness the power of collective impact,” […]
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Move Like An Animal!
April 9, 2021
Welcome back to another Lunch Bites Blog! This week’s Lunch Bites Highlight is from one of our partners from the Children’s Forest of Central Oregon. We are lucky to partner with different organizations in Central Oregon, creating interactive and fun flyers for our students. Children’s Forest of Central Oregon is an organization that focuses on […]
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Learning about Pollinators at Forest Explorers Spring Break Camp
April 5, 2021
This past week we had the wonderful opportunity to teach our Forest Explorers during spring break camp a variety of fun lessons. Pollinators, astronomy, geology, and water were the main topics we explored with our young learners during camp. Our first day focused on a topic that is extremely relevant to springtime: pollinators! Pollinators are […]
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Green Spotlight: Rugged Thread
March 29, 2021
Repair!! It’s the key to a circular economy, y’all. In this day and age with planned obsolescence being the norm for everything from our cell phones to our appliances to our CLOTHING, we want to use our money to buy quality items that have more durability and combine that with excellent repair options. Never heard […]
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Should I Choose the Carton or the Jug?
March 23, 2021
So many choices… how do I make the best decision? Shopping in our modern supermarkets, there is a packaging decision in every aisle. We want to make the choice that is the best for people and the planet, but how are we supposed to know? Milk: carton or plastic jug? Pasta: box or plastic bag? […]
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How to Protect Nature: Ideas from Students in Central Oregon
March 19, 2021
What can you do to protect nature? What can we teach our students to do to protect nature? These important questions are key to understanding how to help the Earth thrive. These are also questions that we ask our students at our Forest Explorers Camp here in Central Oregon. Our Lunch Bites Highlight this week […]
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