The Environmental Center

All About ADUs
2022-11-03 08:30 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Central Oregon Association of Realtors, 2112 NE 4th Street, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join us for this 4-hour class intended for real estate and building industry professionals looking to increase their knowledge about ADU development in the City of Bend, OR.
This half-day course is intended to help real estate and building professionals understand the basic planning and building regulations for ADU development in the City of Bend. Participants will gain critical information to help them to respond to increasing client demand for properties with ADU potential, as well as the opportunity to earn the ‘ADU Specialist’ professional accreditation.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand what makes a property ADU-ready/eligible in Bend, OR
Learn what is involved in the process of getting approved to build an ADU
Analyze taxation, valuation and financing options for ADUs
Understand the ADU design, permitting, and building process (attached, detached, and garage conversion)
Gain access to resources to help your clients plan for their ADU (including a budget sample, contract types, development rebate programs, and more)
Gain insight on ADU regulations in the broader State of Oregon
Get answers to your ADU-specific questions

Register

Sustainability in sips coffee hour
2022-11-18 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States

Abundant Oregon: Celebrating 50 Years
2023-06-08 16:00 - 19:00 | The Commons Cafe and Taproom, 875 NW BROOKS ST., Bend, OR, 97703, United States
Join Central Oregon LandWatch to celebrate 50 years of Oregon’s revolutionary land use planning system – with food, music, art, local vendors, and more!

Ethnobotany of the Klamath Basin
2023-09-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Worthy Brewing, 495 Northeast Bellevue Drive, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Native cultures have called the Klamath Basin home for millennium and have developed a long and intimate relationship with the native plants of the Basin for food, medicine, tools, and clothing. In this talk, Erin Rentz, Botanist with Six Rivers National Forest, will discuss a selection of culturally significant plants and the importance of management of these resources. Erin studied Botany and Ecology at San Francisco State University and has worked as a botanist for the Forest Service for the past 15 years in southern Oregon and northern California.
September 27, 2023
6:30 pm
Worthy Brewing
495 NE Bellevue Dr., Bend OR 97701
Register HERE

On the Ground in Greater Bend: Moving Together from Vision to Action
2023-10-26 11:30 - 13:00 | Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 61980 Skyline Ranch Road, Bend, OR, United States
On the Ground in Greater Bend: Moving Together from Vision to Action
Working with thousands of community members, Envision Bend has created the 2023 Bend Vision Plan (will be released next week!). Now, we want to build on our momentum and catalyze our community’s vision into being. Moderated by former state senator Neil Bryant, this forum will provide an overview of the four key plan focus areas – Building an Economy for Everyone, Guiding Our Growth & Development, Cultivating an Inclusive Community, and Ensuring a Safe, Healthy Environment – and then put YOU in the driver’s seat. In small groups at your tables, you will drill down on the Building a Better Economy focus area to consider how best to advance the strategies, activate the stakeholders, and achieve the vision for us all. Please join this highly interactive City Club and learn more about the future we can accomplish, together.
Speakers:
Neil Bryant, Retired Attorney and Past State Senator
Matt Muchna, Executive Director at Envision Bend
Emily Tompkins, Vice Chair at Envision Bend and CEO at Forest Futures
NEW for this month! You have the option of registering with or without lunch included.
For more information or to register: https://members.cityclubco.org/ap/Events/Register/YmHa1OwuWtzCK?sourceTypeId=EmailInvitation

2023 Sustainability Awards
2023-11-02 17:00 - 19:00 | High Desert Music Hall, 818 SW Forest Ave, Redmond, OR, 97756, United States
Buy tickets here!
Sustainability is supported by three interdependent pillars: a healthy environment, social equity, and economic vitality. We see sustainability as both an active process and an outcome to strive for.
The Sustainability Awards is a way to celebrate businesses, organizations and individuals who are helping to shape sustainable communities that meet human needs equitably, live within our planet’s ecological limits, and build a prosperous economy for all — without compromising the ability for future generations to do the same. Those being recognized are taking action, changing systems, collaborating on solutions, and supporting their peers to do the same.

Intentional Hiking Webinar with Adventure Scientists
2023-11-20 16:00 - 17:30 | Online Event
Topic: Collect Scientific Data While You Hike
Hear from Adventure Scientists about how you can collect scientific data on your next hike.

Have a chance to win giveaways from Trails Magazine

Have a conversation with other intentional hikers about the topic

Non-profit Partner: Help raise money for the Adventure Scientists by leaving a donation when you register.
All donations will be split evenly between the guest expert, the non-profit partner, and your host. Because Adventure Scientists will be both the guest expert and non-profit partner, they will receive 2/3 of the donations. *Donations will appear as a second “ticket” in your order
REGISTER HERE

Ribbon Cutting for Rooted Homes’ Poplar Community
2024-01-09 12:00 - 13:00 | OR
Please join Rooted Homes, in partnership with the Bend Chamber, in celebrating the completion of the new Poplar Community!
The ceremony will take place in a heated tent and begin with home tours from 12:00PM to 12:15PM, followed by speaker comments from 12:15PM to 12:45PM, including a special note from Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang. The ribbon-cutting ceremony and photo-op will be at 12:45PM. RSVP recommended to Jackie Keogh at jackie@rootedhomes.org
Qualified, first-time homebuyers were encouraged to apply for the homeownership opportunity in this workforce housing pilot project. Employees of the employer partners received two preference points in the public lottery selection process.
The purpose of the pilot is to demonstrate that employers can support a path to homeownership for their employees. As part of the proof-of-concept, the Bend Chamber is sponsoring four of the seven new homes in the Poplar development, thanks to financial support from Providence Health Plan and specific Bend Chamber members. The sponsorship helps support the difference between the cost to build these homes and what income-qualified homebuyers can afford.
The Poplar Community project includes seven 3-bedroom, 2-bath homes designed to net-zero energy standards for households earning equal to or less than 80% of Area Median Income. These homes, designed by Ten Over Studio and constructed by Solaire Homebuilders, are located on Rooted Homes’ land and retain a deed restriction that ensures each subsequent home resale will preference employees of qualified employer partners, extending this benefit to the Bend workforce in perpetuity.
Rooted Home’s Mission
Provide environmentally sustainable and permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for those who contribute to the fabric of the Central Oregon economy and community.
Bend Chamber’s Mission
Create an environment where businesses, their employees and our community excel together through collaboration, advocacy, resources and leadership to meet Bend’s business challenges.

EDCO January Central Oregon PubTalk
2024-01-25 16:30 - 19:00 | Worthy Brewing, 495 Northeast Bellevue Drive, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
EDCO’s Central Oregon PubTalk is a happy hour aimed at bringing together different facets of the business community in one place to network, share ideas and further local businesses.Agenda:
Community Spotlight: Oregon Outdoor Alliance (OOA)
Tyson Perkins, Operations Manager, OOA
Company Pitch: Broke Supply Co.
Anne Price, Founder, Broke Supply Co.
Ryan Price, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Broke Supply Co.
Company Update: SnoPlanks Academy
James Nicol, Founder, SnoPlanks
Todd Laurence, Business and Entrepreneurship Adjunct Faculty, OSU-Cascades
Keynote: Navigating Changing Tides in the Outdoor Industry
John Evons, Former President, KEEN
Russ Hopcus, Former President, PrAna
Ellen Sheedy, Head of Legal – Americas, On
Phyllis Grove, Board Member, Outdoor Industry Association
We look forward to seeing you at 4:30 PM on January 25th, 2024 at Worthy Brewing Company, 495 NE Bellevue Dr, Bend, OR 97701.
Questions? Contact Megan Kantrim at EDCO: megan@edcoinfo.com or 541-388-3236 x3.

Gardening for Native Pollinators
2024-02-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Moonfire and Sun Garden Center, 61944 27th St, Bend, OR, 97702, United States
Pollinator Pathways and Moonfire and Sun Garden Center have teamed up to present a free class on gardening for pollinators.
Registration is required and space is limited. Register by calling 541-638-6155
Moonfire and Sun Garden Center: 61944 27th St. Bend, OR 97702

Happy Hour in the Garden
2024-03-05 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-03-19 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-04-02 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-04-16 16:00 - 18:00, 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 and 3 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.

Recycled Materials Bag Sewing Party
2024-04-08 11:00 - 15:00 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
Calling all seamstresses! St. Charles Medical Center and Bend Anesthesiology Group are partnering with The Environmental Center to create reusable tote bags out of sterile blue wrap, used to sterilize surgical instruments. This repurposed material is water resistant, sturdy, functional and with your help, fashionable! If the material is not being reused, it is immediately tossed in the trash and sent to our landfill. This is one chance to help our community divert non-recyclables from the landfill! These bags will be reused in our “Sustainable Summer” fundraising event later this year (stay tuned!).
Bring your sewing machine, scissors, pins, ruler, chalk, and cutting mat and we will provide the fabric and patterns!
**All levels of experience are welcome!**

A Discussion on Environment and Well-Being with Minal Mistry
2024-04-18 17:30 - 19:00 | Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture, 68467 Three Creeks Rd, Sisters, OR, 97759, United States
Mistry will employ a holistic approach, using systems thinking to unravel the environmental complexities shaping our lives in Oregon. Gain insights into the environmental burdens sustaining the unique Oregonian lifestyle and the nuanced interplay with our collective wellbeing.
This engaging talk will transcend local boundaries, shedding light on our global reliance and the far-reaching impact on communities worldwide. Explore themes of Migration and Transitions, and delve into emerging concerns such as novel pollutants affecting water, land, and food sources.
The evening promises ample time for discussion, offering you the chance to share your personal experiences and perspectives on these critical topics. As we unravel the interconnected web of environmental and human development concerns, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of our shared responsibilities.
About the Artist:
Minal Mistry (he/him) is a biologist/scientist working in the industrial sustainability arena with an emphasis on the impacts of material production and consumption upon the living Earth. His focus area is at the intersections of environmental, ecological and social justice. His art has evolved from those intersections, primarily as sculpture and writing.
Price: This event is free and open to the public. Spaces are limited so registration is required.
Register here

Bend Gear Meet with Outdoorist Oath
2024-05-08 17:30 - 19:30 | The Gear Fix, 550 Industrial Way, Suite 183, Bend, OR, 97702, United States
The Outdoorist Oath and Pattie Gonia alongside trusted allies Outside’s Gear Up Give Back program and local collaborator The Gear Fix invite the Bend, OR community to an evening of gear swaps, gear repairs, gear giveaways, and celebrating our love for the outdoors!
Here are all the juicy deets for the event!

This is a FREE event! Though we encourage folks to RSVP and donate.
Swap used gear w/ community members. Everyone can participate, regardless of whether or not you bring items to swap!
The GearFix will be hosting DIY patch and zipper repair workshops
Come connect with local non-profits to learn how you can take action for planet, inclusion, and adventure in your community!
Win prizes from outdoor & local brands
This event will be hosted by Pattie Gonia with support from The Outdoorist Oath, GearFix, and Outside
All unswapped items at the end of the night will be donated to Outside’s Gear Up Give Back program which helps support The Oath’s free educational resources and events!

RSVP HERE!

Vision Roadshow: Drake-to-Juniper Event
2024-06-01 09:00 - 11:00 | The Commons Cafe and Taproom, 875 NW BROOKS ST., Bend, OR, 97703, United States
Since the release of the five-year Vision Action Plan, Envision Bend has been working with vision lead partners to align efforts, spark action, and track collective progress. In the coming months, Envision Bend will be hosting a Summer Vision Roadshow at various coffee shops and breweries around town for the community to learn more about various strategies. The first event on June 1st focuses on the ‘Drake to Juniper Pedestrian Corridor’ vision strategy.
Meet outside the Commons Cafe at 9:00am for a 2.25-mile group bike ride in partnership with Bend Bikes to Juniper Park via the Midtown Crossings at Franklin and Greenwood. We will reconvene at 10am on the patio of the Commons Cafe to hear from the City transportation planning staff and Bend Bikes with updates on improvements to our Midtown Crossings, the Hawthorne Bridge, and the community’s shared vision to connect Drake Park to Juniper Park as outlined in the Vision Action Plan.
Stay tuned for additional Vision-themed events throughout the summer, such as ‘Railroad Safety and Redevelopment’ on June 27th at Bevel Brewing; a strategy that was created from public input to move the railroad and address safety concerns. There will also be events focused on ‘Expanding Access to Childcare’ in July, ‘Outdoors for Everyone’ in August, and ‘City of Belonging’ in September.
To register, visit envisionbend.org and sign up for the Envision Bend newsletter to stay up-to-date. Join Envision Bend on June 1st to learn more about the Vision Action Plan, meet someone new, and bring your questions to ask organizations that are taking the Lead on these vision strategies.
Envision Bend is a nonpartisan, community nonprofit organization. Its mission is to bring diverse stakeholders together to educate, engage, and empower all members of the Bend community to have a voice in our community’s future. In 2021, as the successor organization to Bend 2030, it reorganized and rebranded itself as Envision Bend. For more, please visit envisionbend.org or facebook.com/EnvisionBend.

Oregon Active Transportation Summit
2024-06-05 - 2024-06-07 | Leftbank Annex, North Weidler Street, Portland, OR, 97227, United States
This year’s Oregon Active Transportation Summit, Move Oregon Forward, will ground our community of advocates, organizers, professionals, and decision-makers in the shared belief that a better future is possible. Register today and join us June 5-7 at the Leftbank Annex in Portland, OR.
Who Should Attend?
Each year, hundreds of professionals and advocates from Oregon and SW Washington convene to discuss cutting edge transportation issues. Attendees include: state legislators; policy makers; local and national figures in the biking, walking, and active transportation movement; directors of transportation departments and community-based organizations; engineers and planners; land managers; business owners; health professionals; and community advocates. We hope you will join this wide array of leaders to share lessons and learn. Active transportation advocates and practitioners bring energy and passion for change to this event, and the result is a powerful conference that advances our shared goals.
What to Expect
We’re planning a myriad of presentations, workshops, and field trips to bring attendees together to problem-solve and build community in real time. Expect a full schedule of fun and interesting activities!

Author Event: Rooted by Lyanda Haupt @ UUFCO
2024-06-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 61980 Skyline Ranch Road, Bend, OR, United States
Friday, June 7th, Lyanda Haupt will speak at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 7pm. To purchase tickets, click HERE.
Deepen your connection to the natural world with this inspiring meditation, “a path to the place where science and spirit meet” (Robin Wall Kimmerer). Award-winning writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s highly personal new book is a brilliant invitation to live with the earth in both simple and profound ways—from walking barefoot in the woods and reimagining our relationship with animals and trees, to examining the very language we use to describe and think about nature. She invokes rootedness as a way of being in concert with the wilderness—and wildness—that sustains humans and all of life.
In the tradition of Rachel Carson, Elizabeth Kolbert, and Mary Oliver, Haupt writes with urgency and grace, reminding us that at the crossroads of science, nature, and spirit we find true hope. Each chapter provides tools for bringing our unique gifts to the fore and transforming our sense of belonging within the magic and wonder of the natural world. Lyanda Lynn Haupt is a naturalist, ecophilosopher, and author of Mozart’s Starling, The Urban Bestiary, Crow Planet, Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent, and Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds. Ms. Haupt is a winner of the Washington State Book Award and the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award.
Books will be available for purchase at the event.

July Green Drinks
2024-07-11 17:00 - 19:00 | Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
This Summer, High Desert Makers is partnering with The Environmental Center, and Open Space Event Studios to bring July Green Drinks done Maker style!
This particular Makers Green Drinks event is designed to give Makers of All Ages, who are dedicated to responsible environmental stewardship, a place to show and tell (and sell) what you make and why. There are creators of all ages out there who use materials that promote a circular economy, upcycle waste-stream-diverted materials, and re-imagine uses for existing materials. Some makers create music, stories, theater, performances, and other art that requires very few material things at all.
REGISTER HERE!

Tree-Mendous Victory Party
2024-07-16 17:00 - 20:00 | Worthy Brewing, 495 Northeast Bellevue Drive, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Come celebrate a momentous legal victory that preserved large and mature trees across 7 million acres of Oregon’s and Washington’s eastside forests with live reggae from Rubbah Tree and many tree-themed activities! Hosted by Worthy Brewing, featuring activities from Central Oregon LandWatch, Crag Law Center, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Greater Hells Canyon Council, Oregon Wild, Sierra Club Juniper Group, and WildEarth Guardians.
This event is free and open to all. RSVP online here or at colw.org/events

Shiny Happy People—The Paradoxes of Living in Central Oregon
2024-08-15 11:30 - 13:00 | Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 61980 Skyline Ranch Road, Bend, OR, United States
In our high desert community of Central Oregon, the allure of natural beauty and a desirable lifestyle often comes with hidden challenges. Residents are frequently faced with the high cost of living, employment hurdles, and soaring housing prices, making it difficult to find the happiness and well-being they sought in arriving here. This City Club Forum will address these unique paradoxes, fostering explorations on self-care and community well-being amidst these realities. We will spark conversations about what constitutes personal happiness in our growing mountain town, including its impact on employment, aspirations and growth.
Objectives

Explore Paradoxes of Happiness: Understand the contrast between the idyllic perception and practical challenges of living here.
Promote Well-Being: Share strategies to enhance personal well-being and community thriving.
Facilitate Dialogue: Encourage open discussions about self-care and communal support, why both matter, and personal next steps.

Forum Benefits

Gain Insights: Learn about the realities of living in a place “everyone wants to move to for the lifestyle.”
Reinforce Self-Care: Discover practical self-care strategies to enhance well-being.
Build Community: Connect with others to create a supportive community network.
Engage in Conversations: Participate in discussions about personal experiences and strategies for well-being.
Access Resources: Get information on local resources for housing, employment, and health.
Foster Support: Share stories and navigate the paradoxes of happiness together.

Join us for an enlightening discussion on balancing the charm and challenges of life in Central Oregon, and discover how to thrive amidst the paradoxes.
REGISTER HERE!
