Bend COTA Work Events
2017-02-23, 2017-03-02, 2017-03-09, 2017-03-16 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
When: Thursday Aug 11, Tuesday Aug 16, Tuesday Aug 23 and Tuesday Aug 30, 5:15 to Dusk
Where: Meet at the old Ray’s parking lot, NE corner of Simpson Ave and Century Drive in Bend
Worksite: Varies
There’s only one thing better than mountain biking in Bend, OR and that’s riding in Bend, knowing that you helped build and maintain the trails you love.
Please bring a hydration pack with water and a snack.
Be sure to bring appropriate layers to accommodate whatever the weather may be.
Questions? contact@cotamtb.com
All COTA trail work events require the following safety measures:
All participants are required to have the following protective clothing and equipment:

Sturdy shoes or boots
Gloves
Eye protection with clear or light colored lens
Long pants

Due to COTA’s insurance requirements and the inherent dangers of trail work, we must implement the following policy regarding children at work events:

For anyone 14 years of age or younger, we require one parent, guardian, or responsible adult for supervision of every four kids attending any COTA trail work events.
All minors under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian available to sign our waiver.

Anyone who arrives for a work event may be turned away if he/she cannot meet the above requirements.

The Return of the River: Film and panel discussion
2017-02-23
This award-winning film tells the story of a remarkable campaign to set the Elwha River free. It is an unlikely success story for environmental and cultural restoration that offers hope and possibility for a more sustainable future. The film will be followed by a panel discussion about river restoration with the director/cinematographer and two research scientists who worked on the project.
Registration is required as we expect this program to fill. Please help us defray costs by making a suggested $10 donation at the door.

Mountainfilm on Tour: A Fundraiser for The Environmental Center
2017-02-24, 2017-02-25
Mountainfilm is back for its 14th tour in Bend. As always, the event will showcase the very best of Telluride Mountainfilm Festival, an annual film festival in Colorado synonymous with the world’s finest film making.
All event proceeds benefit The Environmental Center’s mission to embed sustainability into daily life in Central Oregon.
Stay tuned for ticket sales around mid-January, and visit our Mountainfilm webpage for updated info!

2017 COBKA Bee School
2017-02-25
This year’s Bee School will be held at the Central Oregon Community College and will feature our COBKA Beekeeping 101 class as well as lectures from regional COBKA mentors on topics including but not limited to:

Equipment
Hive types
Bee Suits
Tools
Installing bees into a hive
Hive management
Reading the frame

Pest control
This event is structured to provide attendees with all the information needed to begin beekeeping in Central Oregon. Our event booklet will include the information discussed during the event as well as handy local supplier contacts, advice on local plant varieties to encourage pollinators and much more.
We will have breaks between lectures to visit with mentors and see different types of hives and beekeeping supplies. There will be a lunch break with some snacks provided – please bring a sack lunch if you choose.
We are working towards reducing waste created by our events: Please bring a water bottle and/or your beverage of choice as we will not be providing beverages in disposable packaging.

Eagle Watch
2017-02-25 - 2017-02-26, 2017-02-26 - 2017-02-27
The 22nd annual Eagle Watch Celebration is on February 25-26 at Round Butte Overlook Park near Madras. The celebration focuses on the eagles and other raptors that live in the Lake Billy Chinook area. This is a family-friendly event that includes live birds of prey, wild eagle viewing, raptor education, kids activities, and a special presentation of tribal drumming and dancing by The Quartz Creek Drummers and Dancers.
The event is from 10am-4pm on Saturday and 10am-3pm on Sunday. It is hosted by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Portland General Electric, Crooked River Grassland, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
To learn more, visit the event facebook page.

VegNet February Potluck
2017-02-25
Vegetarian, vegan, or veg-curious? Join us at VegNet’s monthly potluck! Bring a vegan dish to serve 4-6 people and your own plate and utensils. Eat, socialize, and try for a prize during veggie word scramble. This is a family-friendly, alcohol-free event. Hope to see you there!

Farmer Chef Mixer
2017-02-27
Chef workshop
On the table – developing a Chef’s Collaborative. Join the discussion!
Chef-Farmer Workshop
One-on-one time with farmers and chefs. Bring your foodie desires and price sheets. Food & Bevie included
Farmer Workshop
What’s the difference between direct and wholesale markets? From farmer’s markets to CSA and restaurant to institution, each market has distinct characteristics.
RSVP Today!

Workshops are FREE
The Mixer costs $10 and includes food and beverages. We will send you a link via PayPal to pay for the event or you can pay by check or cash at the event.

Inner Sustainability through Living Mindfully
2017-03-01
Whatever our outer work, our effectiveness in it depends on how well we are sustaining ourselves on the inside. The practical tools of mindfulness help to reconnect our attention and intention with values and wisdom, that alignment that often gets watered down or lost altogether, as we face the challenges and stresses of our lives. Mindfulness is foundational to making the world a better place, by starting with yourself.
Laura Bartels, Executive Director of the Mindful Life Program based in Colorado, will talk about how developing the four key areas of mindfulness—attention, values, wisdom and an open heart—can transform your life and build resiliency. Join her on March 1st at 6 pm for this free talk entitled “Inner Sustainability through Living Mindfully” followed by a time for questions. The talk will take place at The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend.
By far, one of the biggest obstacles to finding inner peace and developing our highest potential is the inability to direct our attention where we would like, such as to our intentions for the day or to those activities that are meaningful for us. Through mindfulness, we can consciously train our mind and develop the ability to direct it where we would like and attend to what we choose to attend to. If we don’t train our mind, it can endlessly drag us from one thought to another, compulsively drawing our attention away from what we are presently doing and from what we would like to be thinking about. How much of each day are we able to actually be in the present moment? So much of our life goes by without actually being present in the moment. If we are minds aren’t in the present, then we cannot consciously bring our intention to our days. Researchers report that a wandering mind can be a detriment to being happy.
Bartels says, “Mindfulness goes well beyond individual benefits and supports positive impacts on others and our communities, creating more compassionate and equitable relationships.”
Laura Bartels will share the full MLP Mindfulness Foundations course March 3rd – 5th, which offers practical, accessible and universal skills to live a meaningful life. Learn more about this and other upcoming courses and programs at www.mindfullifeprogram.org.

New Hikes in Eastern Oregon
2017-03-07
Oregon’s hiking expert will take you on a slideshow tour of a dozen new trails he found while researching the third edition of his book, “100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Eastern Oregon.” Hear about a colorful badlands on the Owyhee River, a stunning wilderness with cactus flowers on the John Day, and a viewpoint hike to a ranch at the east end of the Columbia Gorge. We’ll even explore half a dozen little-known hot springs. As always, Sullivan spices his talk with notes on the geology, wildlife and history of the land.

All About ADUs
2017-03-09
Join Earth Advantage 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.
* TEC members get a discounted registration fee.

Deschutes NF Volunteer Info Night
2017-03-09
Discover Your Forest is hosting the Deschutes National Forest Volunteer Information Night this Thursday, March 9th. The event will be taking place at the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District Office at 63095 Deschutes Market Road from 6:00 – 7:30 PM. Come and learn about how you can get involved on the Forest, plus maybe win some really cool prizes.
The event is focused on recruiting volunteers to serve as Interpretive and Educational Volunteer Rangers, Trailhead Stewards, Special Field program assistants (i.e. in Aquatics or Botany), and much more. People interested in other volunteer opportunities on the Deschutes National Forest are encouraged to attend the event.
Please RSVP and/or for more information, contact Stacey Cochran, Discover Your Forest Community Engagement Director, at 541-383-5530 or stacey.cochran@discovernw.org.

Kor Community Land Trust Annual Fundraising Dinner
2017-03-09
Support Affordable Housing in Bend By Attending the Kôr Community Land Trust Annual Fundraising Dinner
Is affordable, sustainable housing something you can get passionate about? If so, please join Kôr Community Land Trust for their annual fundraiser in the Tetherow Basalt Room Thursday, March 9 from 6:00 pm to 9 pm. What better way to support local affordable housing than to feast on a wonderful 3-course meal, sip your favorite beverage, and listen to some fantastic local music. The fundraiser also includes a silent auction that is sure to have something for everyone.
Kôr is a young, enthusiastic nonprofit which seeks to make homeownership attainable for Bend’s many skilled residents who find themselves priced out of the local housing market. Kôr uses the Community Land Trust model to build goal net-zero housing that will be affordable for generations.
Kôr is collaborating with other Central Oregon fair housing advocates to build Bend’s first sustainable and affordable community housing project. Due diligence for placement of Kôr’s first project is expected to be complete by this Spring, and the annual fundraiser will allow Kôr to purchase the brick and mortar items required to complete their first project.
Kôr Community Land Trust is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to develop and provide attainable conscious housing in Bend, Oregon. For more information please visit www.korlandtrust.org.
Tickets available here for $85.

Living on a Few Acres Conference
2017-03-11
Plan to attend this informative annual conference held on March 10, 2018 at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond. Improve your knowledge and acquire new skills by taking courses taught by experts in a variety of subjects. There is something for everyone, from urban gardeners and hobby farmers to ranch and farm business owners.
This educational experience, presented by the Oregon State University Extension Service, is a successful collaboration of many Central Oregon agencies, sponsors, vendors and volunteers.
Learn more about the following topics: Food safety from garden to kitchen, pressure canning, beginning beekeeping, enhancing wildlife habitat on your land, wildlife intervention strategies, weed management, soil information, pasture managment, growing hay, raising livestock and poultry, water rights, new irrigation projects from COID, use and calibration of backpack and ATV-mounted sprayers, irrigation system maintenance and cost share ideas, and many more.
Registration is now open!
Early registration deadline March 2nd – $50/person
$60/person after the deadline

Arbor Day Planning Meeting
2017-03-14
Please join us as we plan our first Arbor Day Celebration for Bend in 10 years on April 28th. The Tree Coalition will having a booth with the Sierra Club for Earth Day on April 22nd. We are looking for helpers with planning the events, running the booth along with tree planting. We are hoping to work with Parks & Rec and the School District as well as the Deschutes Community Forest to enhance community outreach.

How Will Climate Change Affect Human Health?
2017-03-15
Have you thought about how Climate Change might affect not only vegetation and animal life, but people?
As the climate changes, extremes of temperatures have created effects that are both anticipated and unpredictable. Many of these conditions are directly connected to human activity.
Specific aspects of these consequences and possible solutions will be presented by Mary Ellen Coulter, MD in collaboration with Physicians for Social Responsibility.
6:30 p.m. social time/snacks, 6:50 program.

Locavore Food School Presents: A Fresh Start
2017-03-16
Locavore Food School is a monthly, on the third Thursday of each month, offering of nutrition and cooking classes taught by volunteers and community members including farmers, local food producers, nutritionists, chefs and alternative health care practitioners.
The class- A Fresh Start: The Basics of Stocking your Kitchen for Optimal Health. This class will go over revamping your pantry and shopping list to ensure that you have all you need to prepare simple and healthful meals at home. Whether you are cooking for a family of six, or just yourself, you will learn strategies that will simplify meal planning, free up time, and help prevent food waste.
The Instructor- Heather has two teenage boys and knows all about making meals work for families, as well as adapting for specific nutritional needs. She also loves working with older clients, and likes to focus on making meal prep easy and simple. For Heather, eating well is all about what is manageable and sustainable.

Progressive “Speed Dating"
2017-03-16
Network with local progressive groups who will be tabling at this event.

Contact: Jason Burge, burgejason@yahoo.com

Transportation for Oregon's Future at Pints and Politics
2017-03-16
Join OLCV and our friends from Commute Options, Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council and Oregon Environmental Council for a presentation about competing in the 21st Century with safer streets sidewalks, crosswalks and the Safe Routes to School program and find out what transit services need in order to meet increasing demand and connect communities. Join us to find out how you can take action and ensure that Oregon’s next transportation package addresses pressing urban and rural transportation needs.

Discover Nature Days - Snow Explorers
2017-03-18
The Children’s Forest of Central Oregon has four great family programs coming up this spring! Presented by our partners, Discover Nature Days are free family events throughout Central Oregon that connect children and families to the wonder of nature. Join us for 2 hours of art, science, and play while learning about the natural world and exploring local parks.
Saturdays, March-June, 10 am-12 noon
March 18
Snow Explorers at Skyliners Lodge with Discover Your Forest. Discover winter ecology and explore the forest in winter time through hands-on science activities and games.

Other events…
April 15
Monarchs and Milkweed at Miller’s Landing Park with Discover Your Forest and Sunriver Nature Center. Learn about the incredible life cycle of the monarch butterfly through science activities, stories, and games.
May 13
The Invisible Tracker at Shevlin Park with Wildheart Nature School. Learn how to walk like an invisible fox, the science of bird language, and the art of being undetected while tracking in nature!
June 10
Fur and Feathers at Cline Falls State Park with High Desert Museum and The Environmental Center. Learn about adaptations of local birds and wildlife, try out birding and wildlife tracking, and play fun games.
Register here or call 541-383-5592.

Spring Clean up on DD Ranch
2017-03-18
Come help support a Ranch that loves to give back to its community.
It is time to do some Spring Cleaning and make space for some new changes to the ranch. You may remember the windmill on our old logo… well, we are planning to erect that fallen windmill and we need some help to get ready. We also need help cleaning up after a tough winter.
Broken into 2 shifts of 3 hours each. Work suitable for ages 10 and up. Carpentry skills welcome. Sign up for one of the two shifts described below:
Shift 1: (10am-1 pm)
Jobs:

Moving 3 Fridges
Clean Brush from Circle in the middle of the circle drive – future home of the windmill!
Sweep the Barn and Dust
Clean corrals/coops
Repair/construction of corral gates/fences

Shift 2 (2-5pm)

Clean scrap wood up from behind lower chicken coop
Clean the petting zoo’s
Clean the Ticket booth
Clean corrals/coops
Repair/construction of corral gates/fences

Light Snacks, Coffee and Water Provided
Small but heartfelt token of appreciation given out to individuals who volunteer.
Contact:
Jodie Lindbo
jodie@ddranch.net
503-757-8220
Let us know your coming so we can make sure to have plenty of coffee, snacks, water and tokens of appreciation!

Climate Change Trivia on Tap!
2017-03-18
Trivia on Tap! An evening of fun at Broken Top Bottle Shop. Join us for food, drinks, climate themed trivia and a raffle all to benefit your local climate change non-profit; 350Deschutes. Saturday March 18th at 6 PM. $12.00 per person. Please register in advance.
For more information visit 350Deschutes.org

Is it Spring Yet? Vegan Potluck
2017-03-18
Spring is in the air (we hope) at VegNet’s monthly potluck!
Join us to eat, socialize, and win a prize during veggie bingo.
Please bring a vegan dish (no animal products, including honey) to serve 6-8 people, a card listing ingredients, and your own cup, plate, and utensils.
This is a family-friendly event.
Suggested donation $2-5 to help cover room rental.
See you soon!

Meet Your Farmer at Deschutes Mountain Room ft Barley Beef
2017-03-18
The Meet Your Farmer Dinner Series is a wonderful way to really meet your local farmers!
Meet Your Farmer dinners consist of a locally sourced, gourmet meal hosted by and prepared by rotating local restaurants. During dinner you will be treated to a presentation by the evening’s featured farmer.
About Deschutes Brewery: While the beer speaks for itself through a total of 19 taps, our chefs also put the same quality and hand-crafted excellence into the cuisine. Our beer-centric menu features fresh ingredients, many sourced from local farmers, foragers and ranchers with whom the team has built strong relationships over the years. Most menu items are hand-crafted from scratch whenever possible, and several items are made with spent grain from the brewing process.
About Barley Beef: Barley Beef is offered by a group of small family-run farms in Central Oregon. Our two main farm familes are the Borlen Cattle Company and the Rastovich Family Farm. Together we raise a modest herd of cattle that we like to call Barley Beef. We’ve been raising cattle for almost 100 years. No hormones, no crowded processing plants, no corporate meat farms — just well-fed and nurtured cattle.
Menu
by Chef Nick Baroni
Plated Appetizer
Beer Braised Osos Bucco with polenta and roasted corn
Second
Grilled Radicchio and Kale Salad with honeycrisp, smoked blue cheese, candied pecans and a warm maple bacon vinegrette
Entree
Barley Beef Spent Grain Rub Prime Rib Roast with barley risotto, brussels sprouts, natural jus and microgreens
Dessert
Moist dark chocolate cake, spiced with cinnamon and molasses, smothered in warm whiskey toffee sauce
Gluten-free option available with advance notice only – (respond to this email to make arrangements)
Full bar and drink menu will be available

Ice Skating With Camp Fire
2017-03-22
Join Camp Fire Central Oregon to celebrate Absolutely Incredible Kid Day here in Central Oregon at the Pavilion in Bend. Open skate will be from 1:15 – 3:45 pm. We will also be playing fun games, and writing letters to the incredible kids in our lives.
RSVP HERE and your kids can skate for free if you are one of the first 50 people to sign up!
P.S. Whether you plan to attend or not, you can still participate in Absolutely Incredible Kid Day by writing a letter of appreciation to a special child in your life. Just keep it simple, write from the heart, and list some of the things you truly admire and appreciate about your incredible kid. And don’t forget to CLICK HERE to print out a special letterhead that you can use to write on!
About AIK Day:
Camp Fire’s Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® honors our nation’s youth by asking adults to write letters of encouragement and inspiration to the incredible kids in their lives. It is a simple, meaningful way to let youth know how much they are appreciated. Join Camp Fire and our many corporate and philanthropic partners as we celebrate the amazing kids who impact our community and communities around the country. Youth from around the nation will be celebrating along with you as we recognize absolutely incredible kids at Camp Fire council events around the nation, on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, in video on YouTube and at live events. AIKD is a day designated to honor our nation’s youth. Adults and teens are asked to write, post, tweet, and tag (#AIKD) notes of encouragement and inspiration. It is a simple, meaningful way to let youth know how much they are appreciated. Lives are changed by this simple act of love and kindness CLICK HERE to learn more.

March Nature Night
2017-03-22
Behind the Scenes With Black Bears
Black bears are the most common bears in our region, yet most of us know little of this omnivore and its habits and habitats. Join wildlife biologist Dana Sanchez for glimpse into the life of North America’s smallest bear species to learn about their ecology, range, abilities, and opportunistic diets. Dana will also discuss the skill bears exhibit in adapting to human habits which can present significant challenges for both humans and bears in places where we share space and resources.
This event is free, but registration is required. Registration opens 1 month prior to the event.
Dana Sanchez is an Associate Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife and an Extension Wildlife Specialist at Oregon State University in Corvallis. She holds a PhD in natural resources from the University of Idaho and her research focuses on North American mammals from the very small to the very large. Dana also explores the effectiveness of online learning and how to broaden participation in science professions among members of underrepresented groups. Dana has lived in the West most of her life and in her spare time enjoys gardening and training her dog, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
**Registration opens February 22nd**
