The Environmental Center

Food Waste Prevention and Composting Workshop (Virtual)
2024-07-02 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Did you know that wasted food makes up over 25% of waste at Knott Landfill by tonnage – making it the largest category of waste in the landfill? Yet, in Deschutes County, 1 in 8 people is food insecure, meaning they don’t always know where their next meal will come from. In addition, the average family of four tosses $1,800 worth of food every year ($150/mo on just wasted food!) and wasted food uses the same energy and water as 50 million homes. It’s time to rethink food waste, and we want to help you do it.
This free virtual workshop will dig into why food waste matters, how to prevent food waste in the first place, and strategies for composting. We will be joined by Diane Simunek from Deschutes Recycling/Composting who will share information on food waste in our composting and answer any community questions.
RSVP HERE!

Happy Hour in the Garden
2024-07-02 16:00 - 18:00 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
Join us in our Kansas Avenue Learning Garden for our ongoing volunteer work party series. In 2022, volunteers contributed over 200 hours to help keep our learning garden maintained over the growing season. We couldn’t do it without you!
This event is open to all ages and gardening abilities! No experience or tools required. Beer and non-alcoholic beverages are provided for all who volunteer. Each event includes seasonal ongoing tasks as well as special projects as needed throughout the growing season. Volunteers are welcome to pop in for an hour or stay the whole time. No need to RSVP or commit ahead of time. (Pro tip – put the following dates in your phone calendar now – then when it pops up you can decide if it works out for you or not!)
In 2024, Happy Hour in the Garden will once again run twice a month from March through October on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 4-6pm. This schedule throughout the extent of the growing season offers meaningful volunteer experiences for all who come, and deeper care for the garden when it needs it.
