The Environmental Center

Adapting to a Future with Fire: Preparing Our Communities and Our Landscapes
2021-03-23 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Great Old Broads for Wilderness are hosting a four-part webcast series this month on fire. While the first of the presentations on March 2nd – Fire in the Forest: A Natural Process and Unnatural Changes -has already filled up (it will simul-cast to their Facebook page), be sure to take a look at the other three offerings. Click here for more details on each presentation and and follow the links below sign up!

Indivisible Bend and KPOV present Roy Zimmerman Live from the Left Coast
2021-03-23 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join KPOV’s Virtual Benefit Concert presented by Indivisible Bend. You’ll get great music and lots of laughter, a chance to support KPOV, and a full week to watch the exclusive YouTube video — all from the comfort of your own home, or, wherever. What could be better than that?

Secure your virtual front row seat today!

OLCV/OCN 2021 Virtual Lobby Day: The Clean Green Virtual Lobby Machine!
2021-03-24 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
On March 24th, Oregon’s environmental community is going to make a big, virtual splash! It’s a virtual grassroots lobby day with Oregon lawmakers! Can you join us? The OLCV/OCN Lobby Day gives you the chance to meet with your lawmakers and make a lasting impact on them; it gives you the chance to tell your story, and to urge them to make the environment a priority during the legislative session. RSVP below!

Upcoming broadchats
2021-03-24 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The Central Oregon Bitterbrush Broads, a chapter of the Great Old Broads for Wilderness will have a number of broadchats (educational opportunities) that will be virtual until folks can meet in person again. For more information or to sign up to participate, contact Mary Fleischmann at maryriverwoman@bendcable.com.

March 24th: Eastside screenings, what does are the impacts to our forests with trees larger than 21 inches being logged? Join us for this very important conversation.

Webcast: Old-growth forests across the US
2021-03-24 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Joan Maloof was so inspired by what she saw visiting old-growth forests that she founded a national organization to preserve them and help make them accessible for the next generation. Join Maloof as she describes what makes the ancient forests so special, where they are located in Oregon, and how you can help protect them.

Legislative Update with Sen. Jeff Merkley
2021-03-25 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join the Bend Chamber and Senator Jeff Merkley for a legislative update. Senator Merkley will discuss the proposed COVID-19 relief package, a Federal stimulus update and other key legislative proposals planned for 2021.
This webinar will be followed by a brief Q&A session with Senator Merkley.

Bend COTA Work Events
2021-03-25, 2021-04-01, 2021-04-08 | 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.

Oregon’s History of African American and Japanese Timber Workers
2021-03-25 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
This webinar will provide an introduction to the story of African American and Japanese timber workers in the state of Oregon. We hope you can join to learn more about Oregon’s multicultural timber industry and the communities that helped build it.
Featured speakers:
Gwendolyn Trice, Founder & Executive Director of the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center
Linda Tamura, Professor Emerita of Education at Willamette University and a co-editor-in-chief of The Oregon Encyclopedia
Moderator: Lisa Arkin, Executive Director of Beyond Toxics.

Virtual Green Drinks: Repair Edition
2021-03-25 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The Environmental Center is partnering with Good Bike Co. in Prineville and OSPIRG Foundation to bring you Green Drinks: Right to Repair Edition. RSVP IN ADVANCE.
We’ve invited Good Bike Co. to talk about spring bicycle prep, maintenance, and to demonstrate an easy repair how-to all about prolonging the life of your bicycle.
Charlie Fisher, State Director of OSPIRG, will then give an overview of Oregon’s Right to Repair legislation that is currently active in the Senate Committee on Business and Labor.
Learn more about Good Bike and OSPIRG:
https://goodbikeco.com/shop
https://ospirg.org/

Sunriver Nature Hike
2021-03-26 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | OR
Spring is in the air, so gather your family and explore! During this naturalist guided hike you’ll journey through forest and meadow habitats to the river looking for signs of wildlife awakening with spring.
This family-friendly excursion requires walking along muddy trails. Appropriate footwear is recommended. Masks and social distancing are required for this hike.

2021 Spring Ochoco Creek Instream Cleanup
2021-03-27 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The Rotary Club of Crook County is once again teaming up with Crook County Parks and Recreation, Deschutes Land Trust, SOLVE, Crook County, Republic Services and Crooked River Brewing to do an in stream cleanup of Ochoco Creek before high water hits. CCPRD will help with logistics and collect the trash bags during the cleanup. Republic Services is donating a 10 yard dumpster and Crook County is paying for the dumping fees at the landfill.
Volunteers are needed to do a thorough instream and bankside cleanup on March 27th. The reach of Ochoco Creek to cleanup is from Combs Flatt Rd to Gardner Street, within the City of Prineville. If enough volunteers are recruited cleanup will be expanded to outside of the City to the Ochoco Lumber Company property and also to the north east – hopefully to the confluence with the Crooked River.
Due to the complexities of working in the creek, no one under 12 will be allowed to be in the Creek itself and youths between 12-18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Any age can help cleanup the banks and along Ochoco Creek pathway, but children under 12 should have a parent or designated guardian with them.

Community Clean-up Day in Prineville
2021-03-27 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join SOLVE for a Community Clean-up Day in Prineville. Groups/Individuals will meet in Pioneer Park and be assigned a clean-up location. Check-in starts at 12:30 and clean-up starts at 1 and goes until 3 pm.

Contact Eli Tomlinson (541-447-1209) at Crook County Parks and Recreation for any questions.
Crook County Parks and Recreation District | https://ccprd.org/

Exploring Wilderness Using LIDAR Imaging
2021-03-29 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
How and Why to use LIDAR images in combination with your other mapping resources to get a more complete picture of areas you want to explore.
Online Presentation by Tony Cannon, Chairman of the Umpqua Watersheds Wilderness Committee.
Tony will do a short presentation on what LIDAR is, how to use it, why you should, followed by a real time Q& A from the audience.

Legislative Update with Sen. Ron Wyden
2021-03-30 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join the Bend Chamber and Senator Ron Wyden for a legislative update. Senator Wyden will discuss the proposed COVID-19 relief package, a Federal stimulus update and the Wild and Scenic Rivers legislation.
Session will be followed by a brief Q&A where Senator Wyden will answer your important questions.

The Geological Journey of Desert Rivers
2021-03-30 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join ONDA for the second event in the 2021 High Desert Speaker Series, featuring Dr. Elizabeth Safran, Associate Professor of Geological Science at Lewis & Clark. Follow the course of Oregon’s wild rivers as they journey through the lively geology of the high desert, and learn about how the geologic history of eastern Oregon – from landslides to lava flows – has interacted with and influenced beloved desert waterways like the Owyhee River.
This event will be hosted online, beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST. Registration is free and required. All registrants will be entered to win a giveaway prize package!

Mapping Sisters Future
2021-03-30 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The Comprehensive Plan update could result in expanding Sisters’ Urban Growth Boundary beyond current city limits. Central Oregon LandWatch is working with the community to advocate for limited expansion to protect surrounding waterways and wildlife while also promoting complete neighborhoods where people can live close to where they work, play, and shop.
COLW researched and created a series of maps that show local agricultural land, wildlife habitat, watersheds, riparian areas, and more. COLW wants to share these with you to help make informed recommendations for Sisters’ plan.
In this virtual event, you’ll take a look at the maps, get valuable insight into how land use policy will affect the Comprehensive Plan and decisions surrounding growth, and explore opportunities for public input to provide the City with your valuable insight.
This event is open to all. We want everyone to have a seat at the table, especially surrounding such a pivotal planning process. RSVP for this virtual event here.

Virtual Lecture: Reintroducing Fishers to Washington: An Example of Cultural Competence in Conservation Biology
2021-03-30 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Fishers, a medium sized carnivore and member of the weasel family, used to be a common species in Washington until fur trapping pushed them to local extinction. Dr. Tara Chestnut, ecologist at Mount Rainier National Park, will share her experiences reintroducing this species to its historical range through translocation efforts and close collaboration with Tribes and First Nations.

InFARMation Spring Series: Land and Capital
2021-03-30 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
FoFF’s next session will be on March 30th at 6:30pm to continue this conversation. Throughout the series you will hear about the inspiring hard work that farmers of color and organizations are doing to circumvent the barriers created by structural racism in the agricultural and financial system. FoFF will discuss the biggest threats to Oregon’s farmland, different types of capital available, the importance of having a farm business plan, the benefits of collective farming, and how you can support our BIPOC farming community.
March 30th speakers: Megan Horst – Portland State University, Adam Kohl – Outgrowing Hunger, Dan Miller – Steward
Save the Date, Sign up Coming Soon

Break Down: Explaining the U.S. Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021
2021-03-31 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Hey Oregonians! There is a big plastic-related bill in the federal legislation this year. Sign up for this webinar with Oregon Senator Merkley to learn all about why it’s important for us to Break Free from Plastic Pollution.
Join Plastic Pollution Coalition and co-host Break Free From Plastic for a conversation with Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Representative Alan Lowenthal of California, Co-Sponsors of the historic Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (BFFPPA) of 2021. Moderated by Judith Enck, former Obama Administration EPA Regional Administrator and Founder of Beyond Plastics, this conversation will explain how this proposed legislation builds on statewide laws across the United States, and outlines plastic reduction strategies to improve the health of people and our planet.

Successful Regional Trails Collaboratives Webinar
2021-03-31 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Why are regional collaboratives valuable, what can they accomplish, and what’s the recipe for success?
This webinar will draw on examples from three collaboratives in Oregon: The Deschutes Trails Coalition, Ochoco Trails, and the newer Rogue Siskiyou Trails Coalition.
Speakers:
Rika Ayotte, Executive Director, Discover Your Forest
Kim McCarrel, Vice President- Public Lands, Oregon Equestrian Trails; Deschutes Trails Coalition and Ochoco Trails Member
Kira Sandiford, Chair, Rogue Siskiyou Trails Coalition

#areYOUintheblastzone : 350.org Week of Action
2021-04-01 - 2021-04-09 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join 350Deschutes April 1 – 9, 2021 in a national week of action with the #BuildBackFossilFree coalition to escalate the demand for President Joe Biden to be a real Climate President by stopping all new fossil fuel projects.
What: #areYOUintheblastzone as part of national Build Back Fossil Free week of action. Post images of yourself at your favorite local parks, breweries, businesses, or even at your home to show how much of Bend is within the blast zone. Tag @350deschutes and use the hashtag #areyouintheblastzone
Why: Here in central Oregon, particularly in Bend, we are literally living, working, learning, and playing in a potential devastating train derailment, spill, fire or even explosion. We need to raise awareness that trains carrying fossil gases are putting us all at risk and urge our city council to pass a resolution opposing their unsafe transport through our community.

“Salmon’s Agreement” Film Screening and Discussion
2021-04-01 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Salmon have always kept their word. Year after year since time immemorial, these anadromous fish have returned to their home tributaries to spawn and give their lives for future generations.
Filmmaker Woodrow Hunt (Klamath/Modoc, Cherokee) of Tule Films brings us Indigenous stories and perspectives from the Columbia River that illuminate our relationship with a fish that remains a cultural lifeblood to Native people. This documentary short is a collaboration of Tule Films, Confluence, NW Documentary Freshwaters Illustrated, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The screening of “Salmon’s Agreement” will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and Tamastslikt Cultural Institute Executive Director Bobbie Conner of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Past-to-Future: Vanishing Glaciers in the Deschutes Basin
2021-04-01 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
From fish to farms, from flora to fire hazard, glaciers are crucial to our well-being. And yet…
Oregon’s glaciers are the natural water reservoirs of the high Cascade water towers. Glacier meltwater sustains rivers during the late summer and fall for flora, fauna and irrigation. The glacier melt chills streams for salmon and trout, with the attendant effect of cooling surrounding forests that reduces fire risk and intensity. In short, glaciers are an integral part of Central Oregon ecosystems and economies.
And yet, we do not know how many glaciers remain today in the basin, let alone how many existed a century ago. In this talk, Dr. Anders Carlson will present on the Oregon Glacier Institute’s findings from the first census of glaciers in Oregon since the 1950s. You will hear how these glacier changes are related to regional climate change, concluding the discussion on what the future holds for the remaining glaciers in the Deschutes Basin.
Where: Zoom, coz Covid. Here’s THE LINK

Our Economy—One Year After Shutdown
2021-04-06 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join the Bend Chamber and their expert panelists as they discuss how our economy has shifted and changed roughly one year since our first COVID-19 shutdown.
Panelists:

Curtis Dubay: Senior Economist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Damon Runberg: Regional Economist for the Oregon Employment Department

Putting Fire Knowledge into Action: Advocating for Forests and Fire Policy
2021-04-06 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States

José Andrés – Creativity in the Kitchen and Feeding the World
2021-04-06 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Chef and humanitarian Andrés will offer a unique perspective on the intersections between social and environmental issues in our food system. Local restaurateur Jesse Cool will join him in conversation at our final Wallace Stegner Lecture for 2021.

Bend YP Expert Webinar: Time Management and Self Motivation to Avoid Burnout
2021-04-08 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Young Professionals are working from home, working from the office part-time, or working from the office full-time. Some have kids that are in school, or not in school. Work lives and personal lives have melded together and need help to keep it all organized!
Learn from Laura Boehme, Ph.D, Chief Information/Human Resources Officer at COCC and project management expert about how to manage time, energy, and how to actually implement the time management things we have heard a thousand times. Let’s learn together how to organize our time and avoid the burnout of always playing catch-up.

You're Invited! Bike Bill 50th Birthday Party
2021-04-08 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join for a virtual event to celebrate 50 years of walking, biking, and rolling in Oregon. Includes a special visit from Senator Floyd Prozanski and Special Guests, Safe Routes karaoke, and bike swag giveaways. Learn how you can cement the Bike Bill’s vision by passing Senate Bill 395.
Learn more about SB 395 here: https://www.thestreettrust.org/SB395
