Happy Hour in the Garden
2024-05-07 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-05-21 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-06-04 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-06-18 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-07-02 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-07-16 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-08-06 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-08-20 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) and 4 more dates | 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.

Crook County On The Move’s Community Garden Party
2024-05-11 10:00 - 14:00 | Prineville Presbytarian Church, 1771 NW Madras Hwy, Prineville, OR, United States
Free Family Fun! Bring the whole family to meet red wigglers, plant a garden salad bowl, get free seeds, experience the pollinator station, visit with Master Gardeners, talk with Search & Rescue to learn about Hug A Tree, get free plant starts, composting tips, play games and win prizes!
Lots of information is shared to help you grow your own fresh produce. Don’t have space for your own garden? Come by and learn how to utiltize our local community gardens!

Garden Clean Up at Franklin’s Corner Pollinator Garden
2024-05-21 09:00 - 10:00, 2024-05-28 09:00 - 10:00 | Franklin’s Corner Pollinator Garden, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
May 21 and May 28
9:00-10:00 AM
No registration. Just show up.
NE 9th and NE Franklin, Bend
Bring weeding tools, shovel, bucket, gloves, hat, sunscreen, water.
Franklin’s Corner pollinator garden is co-located with the community vegetable garden. The pollinator garden demonstrates waterwise landscaping with native pollinator plants. It’s maintained entirely by volunteers.

Volunteer at Native Plant Giveaways
2024-06-01 09:00 - 12:00, 2024-06-08 09:00 - 13:00 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
June 1, 9:00-12:00 PM at Caldera High School (60925 SE 15th St, Bend)
June 8, 9:00-1:00 PM at Hollinshead Park (1235 NE Jones Rd, Bend)
Volunteer to hand out plants or staff the info table by completing this form. We will give away plants to 560 households this year thanks to the City of Bend, Wintercreek Nursery and Worthy Environmental. That means we need a lot of help!
Please note that there was a separate registration for plants and both dates are sold out.

Eggshell Garden Starts at The Environmental Center's Happy Hour in the Garden
2024-06-04 16:00 - 18:00 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
Make cute garden starts in eggshells and explore a garden!
Stop by the Environmental Center’s Happy Hour in the Garden to plant some eggshell starts, and feel free to volunteer in the Environmental Center’s learning garden afterwards (optional). This is a family friendly event – no experience or tools necessary. Beer and bubbly will be provided!
In 1989, The Environmental Center was born to inspire locals to live lighter on the planet. Their work began with a handful of people and a building in the center of Bend. Today, they’ve grown to become a regional leader in environmental education, engagement, and action. Their team works alongside people of all ages, local businesses, and elected officials to create and advocate for meaningful, lasting change.
Through unique programs and partnerships, the Environmental Center engages as many people as possible in their mission: To embed sustainability into daily life in Central Oregon.

Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Workshop
2024-06-19 13:30 - 15:30 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
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.
We will start with a brief presentation on why food waste matters, how to prevent food waste, and strategies for composting. Afterwards, a small group of us will walk over to the Bend Farmers Market to the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA) booth for an intro and demo to food rescue. If you’re interested in both, the presentation and the demo, be sure to select the appropriate ticket below. There are only 15 spots open for the demo, so once it is sold out, that option will no longer be available. Please reach out to kavi@envirocenter.org with any questions.
REGISTER HERE

Native Pollinator Walk with Pollinator Pathway Bend
2024-06-20 10:30 - 12:00, 2024-06-21 10:30 - 12:00 | Worthy Brewing, 495 Northeast Bellevue Drive, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
June 20th, Worthy Brewing
June 21st, Franklin’s Corner

Wildflower Show & Pollinator Festival
2024-06-22 09:00 - 15:00 | Sunriver Nature Center & Oregon Observatory, 57245 River Rd, Sunriver, OR, 97707, United States
Wildflower Show & Pollinator Festival
Saturday, June 22, 2024, 9am – 3pm
Join Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory and the High Desert Chapter of the Native Plant Society as we celebrate the diversity of wildflowers in Oregon and the pollinators who love them. Fun for the whole family includes:

Wildflower display showcasing hundreds of native wildflowers
Guided wildflower walks in the botanic garden
Guided wildflower and pollinator walks
Educational talks and demonstrations
Children’s activities and crafts
Native plants for sale
Educational stations and resources
Local art and photography vendors

Food Waste Prevention and Composting Workshop (Virtual)
2024-07-02 12:00 - 13:00 | 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!

Howdy Do: Neighbors Helping Neighbors!
2024-07-18 17:30 - 20:30 | Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture, 68467 Three Creeks Rd, Sisters, OR, 97759, United States
Join your neighbors, School of Ranch, High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, and Pine Meadow Ranch and Nate Stacey, Small Farm Agent for OSU Extension, for our first Howdy Do! Share your best ideas, experiences, ask questions, and let the wisdom of the crowd guide you to a more productive future. There’s nothing like kicking back with fellow farmers, ranchers and gardeners, swapping ideas, and meeting new friends. Come and share! Pot luck too!
When:July 18 5:30 to 8:30
Where: Pine Meadow Ranch in Sisters
Price: Contribute What You Can
REGISTER HERE

Weeding at Franklin’s Corner
2024-08-20 09:00 - 10:00, 2024-08-27 09:00 - 10:00 | Franklin’s Corner Pollinator Garden, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
No registration. Just show up.
NE 9th and NE Franklin, Bend
Parking on NE Larch. Drive east on NE Franklin to NE 10th Street, turn right and proceed one block to NE Larch, turn right.
Bring weeding tools, shovel, bucket, gloves, hat, sunscreen, water. Friends and family are welcome. This is an outdoor event. We’ll cancel if it’s too hot or smoky.
Franklin’s Corner pollinator garden demonstrates waterwise landscaping with native pollinator plants. It’s maintained entirely by volunteers.

The Power Of Food Sovereignty: Diane Wilson And Spring Alaska In Conversation
2024-09-17 11:30 - 12:30 | Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture, 68467 Three Creeks Rd, Sisters, OR, 97759, United States
Renowned author of The Seed Keeper, Diane Wilson (Dakota), and founder/CEO of Sakari Farms, Upingaksraq Spring Alaska Schreiner, will discuss the transformative power of literature and food sovereignty work in creating positive change. This event is free and open to the public. Space is limited so registration is required.
REGISTER HERE

The Journey of the Monarch Butterflies in the Learning Garden
2024-09-20 16:00 - 19:30 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
Join us in celebrating Welcoming Week 2024! This will be a family-friendly event at the Environmental Center’s Learning Garden, focusing on the journey of the Monarch Butterfly! There will be a film about monarchs, kids activities, food, and resources to take home.
No RSVP required!

Día de Las Monarcas, Celebrating the Magic of Migration
2024-09-21 10:00 - 14:00 | Pioneer Park, Northwest Wall Street, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join us on a special day dedicated to the astonishing migratory journey of monarch butterflies with Indigenous performances, a Mayan writing workshop, a butterfly reflection walk, and storytelling. Transportation is available upon request. Food and educational resources are provided. No registration is required. For transportation needs you can email priscilla@envirocenter.org or call/text at (541) 508-5410
Únete a nosotros en un día especial dedicado a las mariposas monarca y su asombrosa travesía migratoria. Durante este evento, exploramos la fascinante vida de estas criaturas aladas, desde sus inicios como orugas hasta su épica migración a través de la observación, talleres educativos y narración de historias. Se ofrece transporte, alimentos y recursos educativos. No es necesario registrarse. Para necesidades de transporte, puede enviar un correo electrónico a priscilla@envirocenter.org o llamar o enviar un mensaje de texto al (541) 508-5410
Thank you to our partners- Deschutes Land Trust, Oregon Wild, Vámonos Outside, and The Environmental Center

Fall Social and Seed Swap
2024-10-02 17:30 - 19:30 | Worthy Brewing, 495 Northeast Bellevue Drive, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Welcome to the Fall Social and Seed Swap! Join us on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 at 5:30 PM at Worthy Brewing Company for a fun evening of mingling, swapping seeds, and sharing garden stories. Whether you’re a seasoned native plant gardener or just starting out, this event is perfect for connecting with fellow native plant enthusiasts .
We’ll provide some light refreshements. Drinks avaialble for purchase.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn about the Pollinator Pathway, make new friends, and enjoy the cozy fall atmosphere. See you there!
Register here
