The Environmental Center

Bend COTA Work Events
2019-02-14, 2019-02-21, 2019-02-28, 2019-03-07, 2019-03-14 | 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.

Backcountry Film Festival - Bend
2019-02-16 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join Discover Your Forest, the local non-profit partner of the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River National Grasslands for the 15th Annual Backcountry Film Festival. Produced by the Winter Wildlands Alliance, Backcountry Film Festival is a renowned production featuring professional and grassroots filmmakers from all corners of the globe. With screenings in more than 100 cities worldwide, the festival serves to unite communities in celebrating winter, sharing passion for adventure, and spreading awareness about the latest environmental conservation initiatives.
This year’s line up is highly anticipated, so be sure to purchase your tickets early. Tickets cost $15 and proceeds raised for Discover Your Forest go to Project SNOW (Studying Nature Outdoors in Winter), a program dedicated to providing free outdoor education experiences for over 2,000 kids in Central Oregon.
Three screenings:

February 16th, 6PM and 9:30PM at Volcanic Theatre Pub
February 17th, 7PM at Sisters Movie House

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Raffle prizes, auction items, and more will be up for grabs.

Backcountry Film Festival - Sisters
2019-02-17 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States

Hart Mountain Revealed
2019-02-18 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The 2019 Bend High Desert Speaker Series continues with a presentation from ONDA’s own Hart-Sheldon Coordinator, Jeremy Austin. From unique wildlife and stunning night skies to opportunities for recreation and solitude, Hart Mountain is a high desert treasure worth exploring. Learn about what makes Hart Mountain so spectacular, get tips for planning your next adventure and discover the vital conservation initiatives you can support to mitigate current threats and ensure that this region stays wild.
About the speaker:
A native Oregonian, Jeremy has followed his passion for biology by working on various projects with birds, trees and plants across the state. Beginning in 2012, Jeremy spent two summers with ONDA conducting aspen inventories at Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge and surveying for invasive plant species, after which he joined the team full-time to manage our work in the Greater Hart-Sheldon Region. When he is not out enjoying the natural world, Jeremy enjoys playing music with friends and family, backcountry skiing, hiking, and working in the yard.
Event notes:
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation begins at 7 p.m. The presentation will be held in Worthy Brewing’s Hop Mahal room, located in the far right corner of the main restaurant. You are welcome to have dinner and drinks in the restaurant prior to doors opening. This event is free and open to the public. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Registration opens one month prior to the event.

Know Less Waste
2019-02-20 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Learn more about why less matters.
Know Less Waste explores how the stuff we buy, use and get rid of everyday, is impacting our world. From furniture to food, our purchasing decisions and behaviors are where we have the most impact, both positively and negatively. We all know the 3 R’s: Reduce Reuse and Recycle, but while most people focus on the 3rd R, – Recycling – it’s Reduce that is the most important. Join staff from The Environmental Center’s Rethink Waste Project to learn more about why stuff matters, globally and here in Deschutes County, and leave with hands on tips to do something about it.
Denise Rowcroft and Ani Kasch are Sustainability Educators with The Environmental Center, a local non-profit organization working to embed sustainability into daily life in Central Oregon. Denise has managed their Rethink Waste Project and Learning Garden since 2011, and enjoys creatively repurposing leftover and found materials. Ani has been coordinating our LED light bulb installations since 2016 and this past spring kicked off our community Rethink Food Waste Challenge. She is an avid bike commuter and loves cooking meals only with things found in her kitchen.
Two other events in this series:

February 7 @ 6:00 pm – 6:55 pm – East Bend Library
February 8 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Sunriver Library

Sly as a Fox: Montane Red Foxes in Central Oregon
2019-02-20 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The Sierra Nevada Red Fox is one of our most imperiled mammals, and recent field studies reveal Central Oregon’s wild places are habitat for these highly intelligent critters, often, quite surprisingly, at lower elevations than expected. Learn about the fox’s denning and foraging habits gathered from fresh GPS collaring data, remote motion-triggered cameras, and thousands of hours of observation efforts, including by our speaker, ODFW Wildlife Technician and Bend resident Jamie Bowles.
Program is free! 6:30pm gathering/snacks, 6:50pm program.

A Plastic Ocean Movie
2019-02-21 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
A highly acclaimed film winner of multiple awards!
“Directors Choice: Sedona Film Festival 2017”
“Best Environmental Film Sedona International Film Festival
“2017 Best of Festival at Blue Ocean”
The film charts a voyage for a blue whale and what is seen along the way. This film may change the way you feel about single use plastics. It will take a wave of action, and Bend can start today. Come experience the majesty of the wonderful blue whale and learn what you can do to help them. Suitable for the entire family
RSVP appreciated. Please share with friends.
Kombucha and snack provided for $5 suggested donation.

Mountainfilm on Tour
2019-02-22, 2019-02-23 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
A fundraiser for The Environmental Center
Mountainfilm on Tour brings a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed documentary films curated from the Mountainfilm festival held every Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, Colorado.
We’re hosting two nights of films that will inspire you to create a better world, with different playlists each evening. MORE INFO about this event can be found here.
Tickets are on sale! Purchase tickets online or at the Tower Theatre box office.

Tickets for Friday, February 22
Tickets for Saturday, February 23

$22/night in advance | $25 at door | $40 in advance for both nights
Doors 6 p.m. and films 7 p.m. This event will sell out!

InFARMation (and Beer!)
2019-02-27 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Jackson’s Corner – East, 1500 NE Cushings Dr. #100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Land, Soil, Water, and Farmers: The Future of Sustainable Agriculture in Central Oregon
What does it mean to be farming in the midst of climate change? Can agriculture be a part of the solution? What is the community’s role in building a sustainable food system in Oregon? InFARMation (& Beer!) tackles these questions and more! Join Friends of Family Farmers (FoFF) and Jackson’s Corner for a fun and informative night of panelists and experts in sustainable agriculture as they address land access, soil health, agritourism, and more. FoFF will also be presenting on ways that you can be involved in our work on behalf of family farmers and how you can help shape your local food systems.
Panelists for the first series event “Land, Soil, Water, and Farmers inFARMation” includes:

Linda Anspach, owner and rancher at DD Ranch in Terrebonne
Carys Wilkins, owner and farmer at Mahonia Gardens in Sisters
Clare Sullivan, agronomist and Small Farms and Community Food Systems at OSU Extension

InFARMation is an educational and community building event series created by FoFF that has taken place in locations throughout Oregon since 2009. These events connect eaters and farmers around the most important issues impacting healthy local food systems and socially responsible agriculture in Oregon. The events are always free to attend.

[CANCELLED] Nature Night: Recreation for Everyone
2019-02-27 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
This event has been canceled due to snow and will be rescheduled.
Photo: Tyler Roemer
As the second in its winter Nature Nights series, the Land Trust is offering a free presentation on the impacts of outdoor recreation.
Recent surveys show that over half of all Americans participate in some form of outdoor recreation. However, despite public lands being for everyone, the demographics of outdoor recreationists do not often reflect the diversity that we see in our country. Join Dr. Ashley D’Antonio as we discuss who is recreating on our public lands, who is missing from these outdoor spaces, and what science can, and can’t, tell us about issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in outdoor recreation. The talk will highlight some of the great work being done in the Pacific Northwest, and around the United States, to promote inclusivity and diversity in the outdoors and suggest ways that you can get involved.
This presentation is free, but you must get your ticket online.

Power Hour: Demystifying the Cost of Building a Zero Energy Home
2019-02-28 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Please RSVP in advance – space is limited.
Join the Environmental Center and Earth Advantage for our February Power Hour!
Building a home that produces as much energy as it needs is no longer a dream or distant goal. We often see hyper-efficiency in custom luxury homes, but there are builders today (in our own community) that can build market rate zero energy homes.
Whether you’re a curious homeowner or building professional, join us on February 28th for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion around big picture concepts and specific, prioritized building techniques for a zero energy project – and the dollars-and-cents of such an undertaking.
Come learn about the many benefits of building zero energy from day one of design, and how this approach will make your home more comfortable, quieter, and healthier for decades to come.
Speakers:

Bruce Sullivan, owner of Base zero, has been helping people improve energy efficiency for more than 30 years. He has a passion to make sustainable building the norm for new construction.
Dave and Tina Cady started Performance Homes to make a difference in home building. Their passion stems from previous jobs as home performance contractors, which led them to refine their own construction process. In 2018, they earned Earth Advantage’s “Home Builder of the Year” as well as “Lowest EPS Score” awards.

Agenda:

Networking: 5:00 to 5:30 pm
Presentation + Q&A: 5:30 to 6:30
Networking and mingling with speakers: 6:30 to 7:00

Thank you sponsors: Worthy Brewing and Energy Trust of Oregon.

Clean Energy Jobs Testimony PREP
2019-03-01 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
To help you prepare for Saturday’s hearing on Clean Energy Jobs, here is an opportunity to learn about what to expect at the hearing and get help drafting your compelling testimony. We’ll be available to answer questions and help you prepare from 4:00-6:00pm and we’ll give a brief presentation at both 4:30pm and 5:30pm. Drop in when you can!

Clean Energy Jobs Hearing
2019-03-02 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction is holding a series of public hearings on Clean Energy Jobs all throughout the state. On March 2nd, they’re stopping in Bend. This is your perfect opportunity to tell them why you support the Clean Energy Jobs bill.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP here!
This event will be held at Central Oregon Community College, Cascade Hall, Room 246-248.
Even if you don’t plan to speak during the hearing, it’s important to show up! We must demonstrate to our Legislators that there is support for Clean Energy Jobs in Central Oregon.
The Clean Energy Jobs Bill (HB 2020) would cap carbon emissions for large industrial polluters, set a price on each ton of carbon pollution, require large polluters to pay to pollute, and then invest that money into building Oregon’s renewable energy economy. Passing this bill is the most important next step Oregon can take to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. And we have the best opportunity to pass it this year.
For those who do want to testify… There will be an informational prep event on Friday, March 1st, where you can ask questions and get help preparing your testimony.

Sacred Activism: Being a More Peaceful, Powerful Social Change Agent
2019-03-02 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
In this interactive workshop we address key environmental and cultural problems we are currently facing in a way that will help you transform fear and despair into inspiration and a sense of empowerment. We will explore gratitude, anger, grief, and hope and move into a deeper understanding of how to create a more sustainable, just, and peaceful world where all beings can thrive.
We will learn how to raise awareness and take action on important issues in ways that are respectful, healing and unifying. Our intention is to cultivate more spiritual activists and more active spiritual practitioners!
Insights and methods will include:

Personal strategies and tools for staying informed and hopeful at the same time (for instance, positive media outlets and restoration journalism)
Definitions and samples of Sacred Activism in action.
Ways to discuss critical issues and terms to unite, inspire and rise above political divides.
Evidence that the evolution toward a healthier life sustaining society is already underway and promote tangible actions we can take to be stewards of creation.

POSTPONED: Clean Energy Jobs Bill Educational Forum
2019-03-03 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
** This event has been postponed! Please attend the Clean Energy Jobs Hearing on March 2nd!! **
Come learn about Clean Energy Jobs –a landmark bill now pending in our State legislature that would put a limit and price on climate pollution from the largest polluters in our state, secure greenhouse gas reductions, and require reinvestment in communities across Oregon to create clean energy jobs and a thriving economy, especially in communities that need it most. Free and open to all.

Conversation Project: How Do We Create Equitable Spaces Within Our Public Lands?
2019-03-04 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Gabe Sheoships of the Cayuse and Walla Walla Nations will lead a community discussion about what a relationship with nature means and how we can provide inclusive and equitable spaces within our public lands and natural areas. How we can begin to work toward healing relationships with our land? Come to share your own perspectives and hear others.

Movie Night With KPOV
2019-03-04 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join KPOV at Volcanic Theatre Pub on Monday, February 25th for a screening of the award winning, musically focused film “American Folk”.

The film tells the story of Joni and Elliott as they, in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy, make an unexpected journey across the US taking in the kindness of all of the ‘folk’ that make America what it is. Featuring acting and music by real-life singer/songwriters Amber Rubarth and Joe Purdy.

Doors open at 7:00pm, Showtime is 7:30pm. General admission tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Movie Night with KPOV is a fundraiser for KPOV!

A Journey of the Sea and Soul
2019-03-11 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
An evening of adventure and personal insight as speaker, Susan Conrad, shares her passion for kayaking and stories from her journey of a lifetime. Featuring music by Pitchfork Revolution!
This is a fundraiser for Coalition for the Deschutes. Tickets are available here.
Doors open at 5:30. Food and beverages available in Father Luke’s room. Presentation begins at 6:30 followed by a raffle. Susan is an EXPED representative and is bringing some great items to raffle off!
Susan Conrad is a water-loving, adventure-seeking, word-slinging, public speaking kinda gal. In spring 2010, Susan Conrad launched a journey of the sea and soul. That journey took her north to Alaska where she paddled the 1,200 mile ribbon of water known as the Inside Passage, and inward as she discovered the depths of her own strength and courage.
Susan covered marathon distances for weeks on end in her 18-foot sea kayak. She forged friendships with quirky people in the strangest of places, and she pretended not to be intimidated by 700-pound grizzly bears and 40-ton whales.

Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop
2019-03-15 09:30 - 12:00 | Rainshadow Organics Farm, Terrebonne, OR, 97760, United States
Interested in learning proper pruning techniques for fruit trees in Central Oregon? Join Heidi Noordijk, OSU Small Farms Coordinator to learn principles and hands-on techniques. Workshop will be held at Rainshadow Organics – their orchard has primarily young apple trees, but also cherry, pear, peach and plum. Heidi has over 20 years experience working with orchards and vegetable farms, and is an apple fanatic!
Please bring loppers and/or hand pruners, gloves, and sturdy footwear.
Rough Agenda
9:30 – 9:45 Welcome and introductions
9:45 – 10:00 Tree anatomy and physiology (including resource allocation and thinning)
10:00 – 10:20 Pruning equipment, sanitation, basics of pruning (when to prune, where to cut and why)
10:20 – 11:40 hands-on pruning demonstrations and group pruning
11:40 – noon Wrap-up discussion
Noon(ish) – option to stay for farm-to-table lunch served directly from Rainshadow Organics. Lunch is extra $15 per person, and must be organized directly with Sarahlee ahead of time.
Please register online by March 12th. (Can pay by card or check). Space will be limited so register early!

Worthy Garden Club Plant Swap
2019-03-19 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Bring annuals, perennials, herbs, houseplants, bulbs, seeds, or even decorative pots to exchange with your Central Oregon gardening community. The more you bring, the more you’ll take home!
Tickets: $10 if you have items to trade; $15 if you don’t. Kids 12 & under receive a $3 discount.
Tickets include one can of Worthy beer (or non-alcoholic beverage), 10% off your meal that evening, AT LEAST two plants to bring home, and a raffle ticket to win our door prize. Additional raffle tickets will be available for purchase during the event.
Buy your ticket at Worthy Brewing pub. CASH OR CHECK ONLY.
All proceeds will be donated to one of our favorite local non-profits, the Central Oregon Seed Exchange, a valuable Deschutes County resource for purchasing, trading, exchanging, sharing, and saving seed.

The Human Element, a James Balog film
2019-03-20 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
We are a force of Nature. As we change the Elements, the Elements change us. Now, humanity itself has its own elemental power—we have created the Anthropocene. Through the 4 elements of Nature—earth, air, fire, water—the film explores the lives of everyday Americans on the front lines of Climate Change, stories which inspire us to reevaluate our relationship with the natural world. Learn more about the film here.
Free and open to the public.

Nature Nights: Living in the Human Age
2019-03-20 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join the Deschutes Land Trust and National Geographic picture editor, Dennis Dimick, for a fast-moving, visual journey exploring the expanding footprint of humans in Central Oregon and beyond.
The Human Age, or Anthropocene, is a new geologic era proposed by scientists to describe our modern world that is dominated by humans and their changes to our planet. Join Deschutes Land Trust and retired National Geographic picture editor and the environment editor, Dennis Dimick, for a fast-moving, visual journey that explores and explains the modern human era, the Anthropocene. As a native Oregonian, Dimick will present a vivid journey through our modern world of 7.5 billion people that considers our expanding footprint, rising prosperity, and resulting environmental challenges that call for our attention and response. Explore ways to appreciate our place in nature and contemplate how we can contribute towards a positive future for ourselves and the planet.
***This event is free, but registration is required.

Absolutely Incredible Kid Day
2019-03-21 16:00 - 18:00 | The Pavillion, 1001 SW Bradbury Dr., Bend, OR, 97702, United States
How often do we stop to tell the kids and teens in our lives how incredible they are? This is why Camp Fire founded Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® in 1997—to activate millions of adults across the U.S. to write/tell a young person in their life what makes them incredible.
Join Camp Fire Central Oregon on Thursday, March 21st to celebrate the incredible kids in our lives with an afternoon of FREE ice skating at The Pavilion in Bend!
Free ice skating for all kids up to 18 years old*. Fun for the whole family – raffles, contests and tasty treats! Wear your Camp Fire t-shirt for a free raffle ticket.
*Must be accompanied by an adult and arrive by 5:30pm. Limit first 200 kids in the door.

Green Drinks at Wren & Wild
2019-03-21 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Please sign up in advance! Space is limited.
RSVP in Advance

Join us for March Green Drinks at Wren & Wild, a clean beauty retail store that just found their sweet spot in the heart of downtown Bend.
The team behind Wren & Wild is dedicated to providing products that are non-toxic, cruelty-free, and sustainable – making it easy to choose brands that are safe and healthy for you and the world around you. You can find many products at Wren & Wild that are created right here in Central Oregon!
My passion for natural beauty and nourishment from the inside/out has inspired me to create a clean beauty boutique where you can experience your true beauty. Wren and Wild is my love for all beautiful beings to be wild and free. — Mandy Butera, Owner/founder
Join us on March 21st to experience this special place for yourself! Oh, and for anyone who has wondered, “Are there actually GREEN drinks at this event?” — we can now say yes, there will be! Wild Folk Flower Apothecary will be creating some amazing green cocktails, plus Wren & Wild will be serving up green matcha bites from Moon Juice.
*Please note this event is the third Thursday of the month, which strays from our usual ‘second Thursday’ routine.
