Making Sense of the 2020 Wildfires
2020-11-18 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Making Sense of the 2020 Wildfires will focus on the most recent wildfires and what we can do to protect our communities, our forests, and our climate in the face of unprecedented change.
Making Sense of the 2020 Wildfires
Wednesday, November 18th | 4pm – 5:30pm
Virtual meeting via Zoom
This multimedia conversation moderated by Courtney Johnson, Executive Director of Crag Law Center, builds on years of work in the courtroom and in the forests, and information from top wildfire and climate scientists. Panelists include:

Dr. Tim Ingalsbee, Executive Director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology
Ralph Bloemers, Senior Staff Attorney at Crag Law Center

LandWatch’s Executive Director, Ben Gordon, will join at the beginning of the presentation to discuss our work to prevent development in fire-prone areas and how we use land use planning to keep Central Oregon safe.

Wolverine(s) of Oregon Webcast
2020-11-18
According to biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are fewer than 300 wolverines left in the contiguous United States, putting the future of this species in jeopardy. Here in Oregon, the Wallowa Wolverine Project will begin its second year using remote camera monitoring and snow-tracking to learn more about the status and conservation needs of the state’s most elusive carnivore.
We hope you can join Oregon Wild for next week’s webcast, where they welcome special guests Scott Shively and Kayla Deher, field biologists for the Wallowa Wolverine Project. In addition to sharing unique (and exclusive) photos and videos of Stormy, they’ll also talk about what you can do to help this extraordinary species.

Honoring Native American Heritage Month at COCC
2020-11-18
Join a Native fry bread cooking demonstration with Joie Simtustus-Chavez, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs via Zoom: https://cocc.zoom.us/j/97954015852. Simtustus-Chavez learned how to make this customary food from her grandmother and mother, with the recipe handed down in the oral tradition. Please have the following ingredients assembled prior to the event: flour, salt, baking powder and warm water.

She Feeds the World – Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition
2020-11-19
Join FAO North America and CARE USA for a Congressional Briefing on how empowering women brings us closer to our goals of eradicating hunger, ensuring food security, eliminating all forms of malnutrition, and improving the lives of people around the globe.

Supporting Youth Through the Holidays during COVID
2020-11-19
Join Camp Fire Central Oregon for their monthly community conversation series covering the latest topics in youth development. FREE and open to anyone who cares about our youth!

This month: There’s no denying it: Holidays will look different this year. Join Camp Fire for an interactive discussion, emphasizing easy, actionable, low-stress ways to support your kids through a COVID-19 holiday season.

Bend COTA Work Events
2020-11-19, 2020-11-26, 2020-12-03, 2020-12-10
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.

Gather Film Documentary and Discussion-InFARMation: Racial and Food Justice Series
2020-11-19
Gather is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.

Environmental Justice Shared Learning Space
2020-11-20
Central Oregon Womxn in Conservation is offering a focused space to help people hold themselves accountable in what is intended to be a primarily self-led learning experience around justice and equity within conservation. COWC will be convening monthly, from 6:00-7:30pm on:
Call 1: Tuesday, October 20
Call 2: Tuesday, November 17
Call 3: Tuesday, December 15
Call 4: Tuesday, January 19
Call 5: Tuesday, February 16

Locavore's 11th Annual Holiday Gift Faire
2020-11-23 - 2020-12-08
Shop the 11th Annual Locavore Holiday Gift Faire- Special 2020 Online version!
The Annual Locavore Holiday Gift Faire is one of the best ways to find perfectly unique gifts for your special people made right here in Central Oregon. Will you buy them art, local honey or vinegar, hats, a new painting or a beautiful piece of jewelry? You don’t have to decide now—browsing the merry tables of these artists, farmers, and crafters is half the joy of this top notch gift faire.
The other half is knowing your dollars are supporting a vibrant local arts scene. Spending your money on local products is a rewarding way to diversify our economy. These events are truly for our community, by our community and are made possible by the support of dozens of local businesses and volunteers!  Snacks, warm beverages, and lunch will be available.
Ordering from Your Market helps to build and support our community, and to preserve our precious agricultural land for future use.
Support local businesses this holiday season.
Over 100 local farmers, ranchers, and vendors are selling their wares via an online platform. Ordering opens November 23rd and closes December 8th. Pickup up at Agricultural Connections on December 12th.

Virtual Lecture: A Storm of Stars – The Life Story of the Milky Way
2020-11-23
This virtual lecture will be presented by Dr. Shane Larson, Research Associate Professor of Physics at Northwestern University, where he is the Associate Director of CIERA (Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics). He works in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics, specializing in studies of compact stars, binaries, and the galaxy. He works in gravitational wave astronomy with both the ground-based LIGO project, and the future space-based detector LISA.

Native American Heritage Month events
2020-11-25
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, please join upcoming virtual events hosted by the Papalaxsimisha program.
Nov 25: Language Presentation

Rise up for Climate Justice: A Giving Tuesday Celebration
2020-12-01
Join Beyond Toxics on Tuesday, December 1st at 6:30 pm for an uplifting virtual membership party to learn about their exciting new opportunities to lead Oregon on a path to climate justice. The event, Rise Up for Climate Justice: A Giving Tuesday Celebration, includes the premiere of a new short video, introductions of new staff members and live music.

World Soil Day Webinar
2020-12-02
Join FAONorthAmerica ahead of World Soil Day to celebrate healthy soils for the future of food. This year’s campaign “Keep soil alive, Protect soil biodiversity” urges us to focus our attention on the workers below ground – from tiny bacteria to agile millipedes and slimy earthworms – all of which contribute to processes that are indispensable to life on Earth. Biodiversity loss is a major threat to soil, which is home to more than a quarter of the Earth’s biodiversity. Yet, we only know 1% of this universe.
This timely webinar will feature a keynote lecture by Dr. Rattan Lal, 2020 World Food Prize Laureate, followed by an expert panel discussion on safeguarding soil biodiversity.

Webcast: Oregon's Vanishing Glaciers
2020-12-02
The retreat of Oregon’s glaciers isn’t just a sign of a changing climate. Join ONDA Wednesday, December 2nd for a presentation with the scientists of the Oregon Glaciers Institute on what this means for the future of our state.

Celebrating Indigenous Food Ways
2020-12-03
There is a growing revival of cultural practices based in seasonal nutrition, reciprocal relationship, and stewardship of land and water.
With listening, learning, and action in the present, we can shift from a system of exploitation to a regenerative and just food economy that reflects an ethic of care. Join for a story and Q+A with Corrina Gould of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust.

Latino Community Association's Annual Fundraiser
2020-12-03
Virtual Empowering Families Luncheon
Coming to the end of 2020, LCA are reflecting on 20 years of service supporting the Latinx and immigrant community in Central Oregon. This year has brought incredible challenges that remind us that we can not let our guard down. To the contrary, we ought to persist in upholding the rights and worth of all, including our immigrant friends and family.
Join LCA on December 3rd from 12-1 pm to hear stories of triumph from Latinx community members while enjoying a delicious “to-go” lunch and connecting with great guests. This is a digital celebration of LCA’s 20 years of service AND a chance to contribute to their mission!

Oregon Trails Coalition Annual Meeting and Virtual Statewide Strategy Session
2020-12-03
Join Oregon Trails Coalition to meet Coalition partners around the state and discuss how we can work together during these unprecedented times to increase access to and investments in a sustainable trails network.

Virtual Program: Growing Up Owl
2020-12-03
Luna, the Eurasian Eagle-owl, will soon turn 6 months old and she’s done a lot of growing up during that time. Join Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory for a family-friendly virtual program that takes a look back at all the exciting milestones in her first half year through stories, photos, and a live appearance by Luna!
This program will be presented virtually through Zoom. Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to access the program.

The Bioneers 2020 Conference: Beyond the Great Unraveling: Weaving the World Anew.
2020-12-05 - 2020-12-06
Bioneers is excited to introduce the 2020 Bioneers Conference: a virtual gathering encapsulating the magic of our annual live conference.
This year’s theme is “Beyond the Great Unraveling: Weaving the World Anew.” As we enter into a permanent emergency, it’s much easier to see what’s dying than what’s being born. But since the beginning, Bioneers has been about what’s being born. They’ll be showcasing many of the most visionary and practical solutions afoot today, and many of our greatest visionary innovators, including the greatest people you’ve never heard of.

Integrated Landscape Strategies to Reach Post-2020 Biodiversity Conservation Goals
2020-12-07
Join FAO North America and EcoAgriculture Partners for a high-level dialogue featuring distinguished speakers that will share their vision for how integrated landscape approaches could guide major initiatives pursuing post-2020 biodiversity goals.

Love Your Neighbor - Virtual Forum
2020-12-07
Learn perspectives from local community members of color, and share your ideas for advancing racial justice locally and around the country.

OLCV Book Club: Flight Behavior
2020-12-08
Flight Behavior is a novel about a woman in Appalachia who discovers a strange migration of butterflies in her backyard, and learns how this sign of a changing climate will affect her life and her rural community. Barbara Kingsolver is a renowned literary fiction writer known for tying environmental themes into much of her work.
Whether or not you’ve joined for OLCV’s past two book club meetings (for The Overstory and Saving Big Creek), we hope you’ll join this time around! Everyone is welcome!

Community Solar - Local clean energy comes to Oregon
2020-12-09
Join Electrify Now, Community Energy Project, Solar Oregon, Passive House Northwest, New Buildings Institute, Zero Energy Project, Renewable Hydrogen Alliance and The Environmental Center as we discuss the benefits of Community Solar and how to sign up.
Community Solar is a new alternative that is just now going on-line in Oregon. New small, utility scale solar farms are being built in the Willamette valley that enable us to subscribe to the clean energy they generate. By participating in these programs, you are helping to fund new renewable energy generation for our state which creates green energy jobs. Subscribers get reduced rates and these projects are required to serve low income subscribers who can save as much as 20% on their electricity.
View the event recording on YouTube.

COVID 19 Impact Webinar: New Metrics and the State of our Health
2020-12-09
On Dec. 1, Governor Brown announced updates to county risk levels under Oregon’s new public health framework to reduce transmission of COVID-19. The framework uses four different risk levels based on COVID-19 spread — Extreme, High, Moderate, and Lower — and assigns health and safety measures for each. See details here.
Join to hear from Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the State Health Officer and Epidemiologist, and Emily Freeland, Environmental Health Specialist, Deschutes County Public Health Department as they discuss:
• New restrictions on businesses and gatherings in Deschutes County
• Metrics and protocols for moving from one tier to the next
• Case counts and the impact on St. Charles ICU and hospital
• New COVID-19 vaccine — number of doses expected to be available, how safe and effective they are along with protocols and plans for distribution
A Q&A session will follow.

Snowshoeing Central Oregon presentation
2020-12-09
Join Oregon Wild for a presentation on how and where to snowshoe, with a focus on Central Oregon. They’ll share tips and suggestions regarding everything from safety to gear to picking the most scenic trails. They’ll also include some “Snowshoeing 101” for those new to the activity as well as some tips on locations that would be applicable to all ability levels. The presentation will include:
• Photography of recommended scenic snowshoeing destinations in central Oregon
• The basics of learning to snowshoe
• Reference map
• What to bring
• How to be safe when snowshoeing
• Gear (snowshoes and clothing)
We hope to see you there!

Basics of Solar : Redmond
2020-12-10
At the Basics of Solar Workshop, you’ll learn everything you need to know to feel confident adding solar to your home or business.

Solar Oregon is hosting this special webinar on the basics of solar.
We will answer your questions about how solar works, share information about incentives available, and help you take the first step to adding solar on your home or business. In addition, we’ll briefly talk about how the combination of solar + storage (batteries) can provide critical home energy resilience in the context of the Cascadia earthquake and other hazards.
This webinar is free and open to everyone. RSVP for a link to join.
This workshop is made possible with support from Energy Trust of Oregon.

Virtual Lecture: Photographic Storytelling of Central Oregon Landscapes
2020-12-10
Between the high desert, soaring mountains, alpine lakes, and its flowing rivers, Central Oregon provides ample stunning wilderness to immerse yourself in and is a photographer’s dream. Join Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory for a virtual lecture and photographic journey led by Bend-based professional photographer, Christian Murillo. Murillo will explore the idea of what it means to tell the story of Central Oregon’s wilderness areas and how he has found intriguing subject matter and inspirational moments in our local environment.
