The Environmental Center

Volunteers Needed: Bend Open Streets
2016-05-15 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Are you passionate about creating a healthy, vibrant, livable community? We’re taking our feet to the street and we need volunteers to help us educate residents about Bend Open Streets. We’ll meet at the Commute Options office, then travel together to the participating neighborhood to talk with residents and provide information about the event. Expect a 2-3 hour commitment on an upcoming Sunday afternoon. A “thank you” after party is included! Interested? Contact Brian by email or call 541-977-8367.
Bend Open Streets temporarily closes streets to automobile traffic, so that people may use them for walking, bicycling, dancing, playing and socializing. Mark your calendars: September 18, 2016, Noon-4pm. FREE!

Volunteer Management Through a Human Resources Lens
2016-05-17 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Volunteer Management Through a Human Resources Lens: Expectations and policies, training and coaching, engagement and retention.
This event is provided by NOVA
Presentation by Shannon Campbell, Volunteer Manager, High Desert Museum
Location: Bend Park and Recreation District Community Room.

Happy Hour in the Garden
2016-05-17, 2016-05-24, 2016-05-31, 2016-06-07 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
This year, Happy Hour in the Garden will run from March through October. Instead of weekly, this volunteer event will be on the *1st & 3rd Tuesdays*, kicking off Tuesday, March 1st. Stop by anytime between 4-6 on the following dates to help out in the garden and enjoy a bubbly beverage. Family friendly, no experience or tools necessary.
Contact Denise Rowcroft, Garden Program Manager, if you have any questions about getting involved.

March 1 & 15 (March & April beer sponsored by Worthy Garden Club)
April 5 & 19
May 3 & 17 (May & June beer sponsored by Boneyard Beer)
June 7 & 21

Due to summer trips, please note that summer dates (July & August) are the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of the month!

*July 12 & 26* (July & August beer sponsored by Deschutes Brewery)
*August 9 & 23* (Note, this is the 2nd & 4th Tuesday, rescheduled due to planned time off)
September 6 & 20 (Sept & Oct beer sponsored by 10 Barrel Brewing Co)
October 4 & 18

Wednesday Birders
2016-05-18 07:00 - 12:00, 2016-05-25 07:00 - 12:00, 2016-06-01 07:00 - 12:00, 2016-06-08 07:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Nancy P’s, 1054 Milwaukee, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Meet up with others in our intrepid group for local birding. We meet at Nancy P’s Bakery on Newport Avenue just east of Newport Market in Bend. From there we depart on weekly half day or full day trips to venues in our area. Meet-up times are usually 7AM in the Spring and Summer and 8AM in Fall and Winter. Trip plans are posted on COBOL each week prior to the trip.
Transportation is via carpool depending on who can drive and individual schedules. Dress for the weather; be prepared with food, sunscreen, etc; and bring a pair of binoculars; spotting scopes are helpful on many trips.
Feb 10 early start, all day to Willamette Valley refuge
Feb 17, Shevlin trails, River trails Bend
Feb 24, Cold Springs, Suttle Lake, Santiam Pass
March 2, Skyliner area
March 9, Wastewater ponds, Hatfield, Redmond, etc
March 16, Sunriver and south where open water can be found
March 23, Lower Bridge, includes knapweed digging
March 30, Fort Rock, all day
April 6, Calliope Crossing, Green Ridge
April 13, Desert east of Bend, EARLY start
April 20, Cline Falls SP, Twin Bridges, Tumalo State Park,
April 27, Shevlin Park ***Change****
May 4 Shorebirds, wastewater ponds Bend, Redmond, Prineville
May 11 River trails Bend and Tumalo for migrants
May 18, GI Ranch, east of Bend. Birding all day, bring lunch, scopes.
May 25, shorebirds, location TBD
June1, Malheur, all day
June 8 Glaze Meadow, Black Butte Swamp, Calliope Crossing
June 15, woodpeckers, varied locations
June 22 Cabin Lake, Fort Rock and Summer Lake, all day, bring lunch
June 29, Gilchrist, Crescent, Norther Waterthrush
July 6, Three Creeks, Park Meadow trail, other trails
July 13 Hatfield, walk 3 miles
July 20 Calliope Crossing, Jack Lake
July 27,Green Ridge springs
August 3 High Lakes, shorebirds, waterfowl
August 10 Skyliner and Tumalo Falls morning and again evening
August 17, a.m. Millican Valley, return in evening, over night optional at Pine Mountain
August 24 Calliope Crossing, Black Butte Swamp
August 31, shorebirds
Sept 7 Wickiup, Crane Prairie, Vaux’s Swifts evening, Bend
Sept 14, Malheur all day
Sept 21 Green Ridge raptors, grouse, woodpeckers, all day birding
Sept 28, Fort Rock and Summer Lake, all day
Oct 5, high lakes, Crane Prairie and Wickiup
Oct 12 Hatfield ponds, Alfalfa
Oct 19 coastal birding, 2 or 3 days, seawatching a.m., passerines and land PMs.
Oct 26 Mill Creek, Ochocos area

Act on Climate Now at Pints and Politics
2016-05-19 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join OLCV and fellow community members as the Central Oregon Conservation Network launches its newest priority for a healthy Central Oregon. The Pass a Bend Climate Action Ordinance campaign addresses the most pressing issue we face today – climate change. Come learn about the proposed ordinance being reviewed by the Bend City Council, ask questions, and find out how you can help shape our community’s future.

Seedling Transplanting
2016-05-20 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Seating is limited, pre-registration required: Eventbrite.com or by calling (541) 548-6088
Want to learn more about gardening? Please join OSU Master Gardeners and OSU Staff at many of our offerings. All speakers share research based gardening information specific to Central Oregon.
For a full schedule of “Gardening, Get Good At It!” please visit the website.

Upstream: A salute to streams, students & stewardship
2016-05-20 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council will be hosting their annual fundraiser, UPSTREAM, on Friday May 20th, 2016 in the historic Barn venue in Sisters, Oregon. UPSTREAM is a community event, focused on sharing the work of students, and celebrating watershed education. The event is a fundraiser for The Upstream Project, the education program of the Watershed Council which seeks to educate, engage and activate the next generation of watershed stewards.
This inspirational celebration is the sixth annual UPSTREAM event. The evening will include a silent auction featuring local artists and businesses, a locally sourced dinner catered by The Root Cellar, and creative presentations by Watershed Council staff, Board members, and Upstream Project students. The event supports student stewardship projects and place-based education opportunities for Central Oregon youth. Bend Broadband is this year’s premier event sponsor.
Tickets are on sale for $60 per person and tables for six guests are $350.

Community Pride Day
2016-05-21 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Put a spring in your step by joining a local outdoor project! Weeding, painting, power washing sidewalks, buildings, garbage clean up, bark dust, flower planting and road cleanup. Register to volunteer!
Directions: Highway 20 from Albany Main Street in Lebanon turn east on Oak Street, one block down to Park and Oak is Ralston Park. Highway 20 from Sweet Home when you come to the Y, Main turns to Park and is a one way. At the next light is Park and Oak Street.

Seed Starting and Successful Central Oregon Veggie Varieties
2016-05-21 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Register through Bend Parks & Recreation District — (541) 389-7275
Want to learn more about gardening? Please join OSU Master Gardeners and OSU Staff at many of our offerings. All speakers share research based gardening information specific to Central Oregon.
For a full schedule of “Gardening, Get Good At It!” please visit the website.

Growing Vegetables in Central Oregon (Spanish)
2016-05-21, 2016-05-28 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Want to learn more about gardening? Please join OSU Master Gardeners and OSU Staff at many of our offerings. All speakers share research based gardening information specific to Central Oregon.
For a full schedule of “Gardening, Get Good At It!” please visit the website.

Green Drinks With Swinerton
2016-05-26 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join us for the next Green Drinks – a fun event with a mix of business & community!
This month’s Green Drinks will be hosted by Swinerton Renewable Energy.
Headquartered in San Francisco, the Swinerton Family of Companies provides commercial construction and construction management services throughout the Western United States. Swinerton Renewable Energy (SRE) provides a full array of solar photovoltaic (PV) services, including; engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, as well as operations and maintenance (SOLV®) services. They have installed over 1GWdc of PV jobs to date, and will hit the 2GWdc mark by the end of 2016.
Swinerton is 100% employee owned and appreciates the importance of giving back to the community – and they’re excited to share more with you at our event! Hope to see you there – don’t forget to bring your own cup to enjoy a drink.
Swinerton is located on the second floor of the building.

Old Mill Bird Walk
2016-05-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Old Mill District, 475 SW Powerhouse Dr , Bend, OR, 97702, United States
Old Mill Bird Walks occur every other Friday, beginning April 1st through May 27th.
Time: 10:00 AM – 12 noon
Location: Meet at The Old Mill Ticket Kiosk. Binoculars are available for check-out.
What: A leisurely walk around the Old Mill property adjacent to the Deschutes River.
Who is invited: Walks are appropriate for all ages and interested parties, from novices to experienced avian experts.

Growing Vegetables in Containers and Gardening with Children
2016-05-28 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States

Wolves and Predators Ecology in Oregon
2016-05-31 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Ecologist George Wuerthner will be giving a free public lecture/powerpoint at the Bend downtown library on Tuesday, May 31 beginning 6:30 PM on wolf and predator ecology. The focus will be on wolf restoration in Oregon but will touch on predator ecology in general with its implications for cougars, bears, and coyotes as well. Wuerthner has published 38 books and numerous articles, many dealing with aspects of predator ecology including a review of the potential for wolf restoration in Oregon.
He was involved with wolf restoration in Montana, including Yellowstone NP. He will discuss new insights into predator ecology that has implications for management, as well as what we have learned from wolf restoration in other areas like the Rockies that is germane to Oregon’s wolf recovery efforts.
The program is sponsored by Western Watersheds Project and Predator Defense.

Bend Livability Conference
2016-06-02 - 2016-06-05 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
It’s the question on all our minds: How do we protect the livability of our community in the face of such dramatic growth and change? The answer is clear—it’s up to us to define our future together by learning about the challenges facing Bend, understanding how to shape the outcomes and engaging to implement innovative and effective solutions for our community.
These are the goals of the Bend Livability Project, an initiative of Bend 2030 sponsored by the Bend Tech Ecosystem, the National Association of Realtors, Central Oregon Association of Realtors, the City of Bend, and many more community partners which aims to educate, empower and engage our community to make Bend one of the most livable cities in America through innovation.
Partly a celebration of our city and partly a massive townhall meeting, the Bend Livability Project taking place June 2-5 is driving diverse populations in Bend—including millenials, adult professionals, youth and seniors—to learn about and shape Bend’s future through three days of films, parties, public art projects, lectures, panels, workshops, walking tours and events. Bendites of all ages and backgrounds are invited to make a personal commitment to ensuring the future livability of Bend and to plug their energy directly into projects that will transform their hopes for our future into reality.
Every event throughout the Project—from a BendFilm event at the Tower Theatre to the Future Fair at Art Walk to the 15 workshop sessions of the Bend Livability Conference—will be infused with the spirit of innovation and forward thinking as the path to solving our community’s greatest challenges such as neighborhood livability, housing and transportation.
To reserve tickets and passes, see sponsors and partners, volunteer or learn more about the Project, visit bendlivability.org.

Terroir Seeds and Gardening From Seed
2016-06-02 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Locavore Food School Presents: Terroir Seeds and Gardening From Seed
by Stephen Scott of Terroir Seeds
Discover how to successfully grow your garden from seed in Central Oregon, starting with choosing the right seed for our climate and growing season (such as spring vs. fall seed choices).
Learn exactly how to determine your growing season length, realistic last frost date, and other tips. From there you can hone in on what varieties will work best for you, eliminating guessing and the trial-and-error approach.
Find out what heirloom seeds really are and why they make sense for the home garden. Brush up on seed germination tips (such as how seed orientation improves germination), as well as the three major needs seeds have for sprouting and how to troubleshoot when things go wrong. Leave understanding what seed quality is, why it is important for you, and how it affects your garden, along with tips on choosing the best quality seed for saving.
Stephen Scott is an heirloom seedsman, soil building advocate, locavore, amateur chef, artist, and co-owner with his wife, Cindy, of Terroir Seeds. He has been involved with heirloom seeds, environmental education, habitat restoration, soil health, and building local food pathways for more than 20 years in central Arizona. He’s an author, speaker, and educator on seed, soil, food, and health, and how they relate to and strengthen each other.
Spring Alaska Olson of Central Oregon Seed Exchange will join Stephen and talk about the local seed scene here in Central Oregon!
$5 Locavore Members/$8 Non-Members
REGISTER NOW!

Kor Community Land Trust: Celebration of 1 Year
2016-06-03 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Last year at this time, Kor received notification of 501(c)(3) approval from the IRS! Come celebrate at BROKEN TOP BOTTLE SHOP for First Firkin Friday. Good Life Brewing has created a unique Firkin Keg. For those of you unfamiliar with a Firkin Keg, it is derived from the Middle Dutch word “vierdekijn,” which means “fourth,” or a fourth-of-a-full-size barrel. Firkin Kegs designed for cask conditioning and serving ales bar-side (no CO2 is needed). The results are said to be better aroma, better flavor, and a better mouth feel. I can not wait to try it!
Music by local musician Greg Botsford starting at 6:00pm
$4.00 pints from GoodLife. Raffle sponsored by Patagonia Bend.
All proceeds support Kôr – affordable housing with a conscience.

Outdoor School For All: Day of Action
2016-06-04 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Just a few weeks to go! The clock is ticking and there’s not much time remaining to collect all the signatures we need to get Outdoor School on the ballot this fall. We’ve collected about 65% of the signatures we need, and now we’re asking for your help to get us the rest of the way there.
The Challenge: Help gather as many signatures of support as possible by and on Saturday, June 4–our Day of Action–to help Save Outdoor School.
June 4 is the day when we’ll be hosting special Day of Action events in local communities throughout the state where you can come, drop off all the signatures you’ve collected and help gather more to get us to the 40,000 remaining signatures needed. Collect 10, 50 or 150 signatures–every single name that signs in support of Outdoor School makes a huge difference. Spread the word on social media, sign up to be a volunteer, attend the Day of Action event: there are so many ways you can participate.
Check out the details below to find out more about Day of Action events happening in your area. http://bit.ly/1Ue8GLQ
Bend Events:
SIGN UP!

Central Oregon Saturday Market
10am for signature gathering, rolling times
Across from the Downtown Library
Between Wall & Bond Streets
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 420-9015

Equality Fair
12-4pm
Troy Field
NW Bond and Louisiana Ave
Bend, OR

COMGA Plant Sale
2016-06-04 09:00 - 14:00 | Deschutes County Fair & Expo, 3800 SW Airport Way, Redmond, OR, 97756, United States
OSU Extension Service Demo Garden, on the fairgrounds. List of plants being offered: http://www.gocomga.com/Plants_for_Sale.pdf.
Want to learn more about gardening? Please join OSU Master Gardeners and OSU Staff at many of our offerings. All speakers share research based gardening information specific to Central Oregon.
For a full schedule of “Gardening, Get Good At It!” please visit the website.

DIYcave One Year Party
2016-06-05 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Stop by the DIYcave’s One Year Anniversary Party! See some cool demos of woodturning and welding, enjoy some music and see what they’re all about. Stop by and receive 20% off memberships and classes all day. Enjoy music, food and raffles for tier1, tier2, tier3 memberships and a free class.

Our Deschutes River: Where Does the Water Go, and Why?
2016-06-07 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
If there’s so much water in the Deschutes Basin (and there is), why is everyone talking about the lack of water in the river? Where’s the water going? Who are the players, and what’s with all the acronyms?
Water world can be confusing! If you would like to learn more, please join us for a presentation and discussion with Tod Heisler, Executive Director of the Deschutes River Conservancy.
Tod will give an overview of how water is managed in the Deschutes Basin and how flows in the Deschutes River can be restored.

Green Team Movie Night
2016-06-07 18:30 - 20:30 | First Presbyterian Church, 230 NE Ninth St., Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” presents the life of the marine biologist and nature author whose book “Silent Spring” sounded the alarm that launched the environmental movement.
Bill Moyers Journal, “Rachel Carson, Nature’s Guardian” intertwines excerpts of Kaiulani Lee’s one-woman play “A Sense of Wonder” about Carson’s life with interviews of the actress and historical footage of Carson’s life.
Free. Questions? Call Nancy Merrick: 541-815-6504.

Introduction to Vegetable Gardening
2016-06-09 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Bend-OSU Cascades Hall, room 117-118
Want to learn more about gardening? Please join OSU Master Gardeners and OSU Staff at many of our offerings. All speakers share research based gardening information specific to Central Oregon.
For a full schedule of “Gardening, Get Good At It!” please visit the website.
