Beneath the Surface: Navigating Oregon's New Groundwater Rules and Their Impact in Central Oregon
2024-12-16 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Understanding the largest change in Oregon’s water policy in decades. What changed? Why did it change? And what does it mean for the future of water in Central Oregon? Register here!

Year-End Review and Outlook for Transportation Electrification
2024-12-17 10:00 - 11:00 | OR
This webinar will provide a recap of the key achievements, challenges and milestones from 2024. Highlights will include the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant Program, policy and program development successes and valuable lessons learned. In the second half of the webinar, Forth will reflect on the impact of the 2024 election and look ahead to the upcoming year. Forth will share key insights into the emerging trends and developments in our industry.

OLCV's Virtual Town Hall on the Environment with Senator Ron Wyden
2024-12-19 11:30 - 13:00 | OR
Senator Ron Wyden has been a champion of OLCV’s conservation and environmental values in D.C., voicing their support for strong safeguards for our air, water, forests, wildlife, and communities. During OLCV’s Town Hall on the Environment with Senator Wyden, we’ll celebrate his leadership and learn about the latest news on a broad range of environmental issues, including benefits for Oregon powered by climate investments of the IRA, conservation efforts in progress, and threats to public lands in our state.

Green Energy Series #23 : Passive House Basics
2025-01-04 10:00 - 11:00 | OR
The free, monthly Green Energy Series takes a closer look at topics related to energy, solar + storage, and green technology. January will focus on Passive House design to make more efficient houses.

Community Craft Swap and Share
2025-01-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Brooks Room, Deschutes Public Library, 507 NW Wall St., Bend, OR, 97703, United States
Share your unused craft supplies, and find something new

It’s winter: a time to get cozy, stay inside, and be crafty. If you’re creative and curious, you may have craft supplies from many forgotten hobbies hiding under a bed or in a closet. Clear them out and bring them to the library! The thing that you’re done with and over, might be the exact thing someone else wants to try out. Chat with other crafters, and maybe learn something new.
We will have crafters-in-residence who can answer questions about crafting, getting started, or problem solving. Topics may include hand-stitching, English paper piecing, sewing and more.
We encourage you to bring clean, usable supplies. Please no broken tools or unusable items. This will be more of a share than a strict swap: individuals may donate their items, then select that which they feel is equitable in return.
This is an all ages program, everyone is welcome.
Questions? Contact josieh@deschuteslibrary.org

EV Charging at Home
2025-01-15 12:00 - 12:30 | OR
Learn everything you need to know about charging your EV at home to maximize savings and convenience.

Home Energy Assessment: Empower Your Home
2025-01-15 14:00 - 15:00 | Becky Johnson Community Center, 412 SW 8th St, Redmond, OR 97756, Redmond, OR, 97756, United States
Do you qualify for upgrades to lower home energy costs?

This event will be recorded. A link will be available here later.
Join The Environmental Center (TEC) for a hands-on session on improving comfort and reducing energy costs for your home! TECs mission is to weave sustainability into the everyday lives of Central Oregon residents, and we’re committed to helping underserved communities access resources for a healthier, greener future.
The Environmental Center and Energy Trust of Oregon are collaborating to provide energy-saving solutions to communities that have often been overlooked, including low- to moderate-income households, people of color, Indigenous communities, individuals with disabilities, and rural residents. Through our free energy assessments, you’ll be connected to incentives and resources that make home upgrades like insulation, efficient heating, hybrid water heaters, and new windows more affordable, comfortable, and accessible.
In addition to sharing resources for TEC’s free program, resources for standard incentives beyond the program will be shared, so there’s something for everyone trying to have more sustainable, low-cost upgrades for your home. Find out more about the Home Energy Assessment program at https://envirocenter.org/programs/the-energy-challenge/hea/
Event Highlights:

Learn how the Home Energy Assessment program works and whether you qualify for assistance.
Get guidance on signing up and accessing free or low-cost energy upgrades.
Connect with Environmental Center staff ready to answer your questions about sustainability upgrades.

Questions? Contact laurelw@deschuteslibrary.org

PPC Webinar | Microplastics Within Us: Are We Becoming Plastic People?
2025-01-15 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Microplastics have been found in our food and drinks; in Earth’s air, soils, and oceans; and inside of our bodies.
Join Plastic Pollution Coalition for a special webinar featuring scientific, advocacy, and media experts on January 15, 2025, to learn about how microplastics and plastic chemicals may impact the future of humanity, and what we as a society can do about the growing danger of microplastics—including protecting yourself and your loved ones. Sign up.

January 2025 Green Drinks Film Screening
2025-01-16 17:00 - 19:00 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
The Environmental Center is thrilled to be kicking off the 2025 Green Drinks series with the screening of Footprints on Katmai. For this event, we will be showing a thought-provoking film that focuses on Ocean plastic and marine debris in Alaska. We will wrap up with a Q&A with Current and former staff and High School students who will share their own experiences on their ocean plastic cleanup expeditions in Alaska.

Thursday, January 16, 5-7pm.
The Environmental Center: 16 NW Kansas Ave.
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Free event, but limited seating, so RSVP today.
Accessibility: The Environmental Center has two gender-neutral restrooms and one accessible/family restroom inside its facility. It also has one accessible parking space behind its facility. For those needing ramp access, there is a ramp behind its facility.
This film will be captioned in English.
Please let us know in advance if there is something our team can do or provide to support you in participating in our event.

Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership (EVAL)
2025-01-21 08:00 - 09:00 | OR
Are you an employer interested in bringing EV charging to your organization?
Join the Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership (EVAL) Information Session to learn about Forth’s workplace charging certification program. The program provides recognition and technical assistance to organizations supporting the adoption of clean transportation. FORTH will provide an overview of the EVAL certification program, share resources and allocate time for a Q&A session.

Professional Development for K–12 educators
2025-01-21 16:00 - 18:00 | OR
Professional Development
This virtual workshop is for K–12 educators across multiple content areas. Confluence Professional Development’s purpose is to educate teachers in the pedagogy of Indigenous curriculum and lessons. It is to prepare adults, teachers, and educators with a more perceptive understanding of Native American lifeways, history, cultural traditions, and ecology that define our Native identity.
Over the two-day virtual workshop, the cohort will learn directly from Indigenous workshop facilitators/speakers and have the opportunity to think through Indigenous education concepts together using materials from Confluence Media Library, our publications, Columbia River Sites, and our work from Camp Confluence and Confluence in the Classroom. We will also show the parallels of our work at Confluence with Oregon’s Tribal History/Shared History and Washington’s Since Time Immemorial curriculums.
This cohort will meet on Zoom on Jan. 21 and Jan. 28 at 4–6pm. Our theme this month is:
Voices of the River Volume 1: Stories to Be Told – Ancestors Always Present
Register HERE

Roundabout Books Community Read
2025-01-21 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-01-28 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-02-04 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-02-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Roundabout Books, 900 Northwest Mount Washington Drive #110, Bend, OR, 97703, United States
JOIN Roundabout Books for a community read and workshop around CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
Goal: Your personalized civic engagement plan for 2025 made easy!
Not sure where or how to start to get involved? You’ll discuss Democracy in Retrograde together and will workshop a variety of exercises across four weeks to determine where your passion lies, what kind of engagement fits your style, and how to put your plan into action!
Tuesday, January 21, 6pm
Tuesday, January 28, 6pm
Tuesday, February 4, 6pm
Tuesday, February 11, 6pm

How To Go Solar + Storage
2025-01-22 17:30 - 18:30 | OR
Are you ready to take the first step in going solar?
In this free workshop, we will answer your questions about how solar energy and battery systems work, share information about incentives available, and help you take the first step to add solar to your home or business.
This workshop is free and open to everyone!

Backcountry Film Festival - Bend, Oregon
2025-01-24 15:00 - 21:00 | Volcanic Theater & Pub, 70 SW Century Drive, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join for the 20th annual Backcountry Film Festival presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance and Discover Your Forest! The Backcountry Film Festival celebrates the power and spirit of humans in winter with a diverse, thought-provoking and artistic lineup of films.
ALL funds from this event go directly towards helping Discover Your Forest maintain free, outstanding hands-on conservation education for thousands of Central Oregon’s youth, and will help them grow their reach to underserved communities by purchasing adaptive equipment and support to ensure that all people, regardless of their ability or identity can experience the thrill of the outdoors.
This year there will be 2 Bend showings at the Volcanic Theatre Pub on Friday, January 24th:
-3pm, doors at 2:30pm
-7pm, doors at 6:30pm
Both shows will run 2 hours with a half hour intermission.
There are some awesome raffle prizes from local partners to give away during the event. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

Backcountry Film Festival - Sisters, Oregon
2025-01-26 18:30 - 21:00 | Sisters Movie House, 720 S Desperado Ct, Sisters, OR, 99759, United States
Join for the 20th annual Backcountry Film Festival presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance and Discover Your Forest! The Backcountry Film Festival celebrates the power and spirit of humans in winter with a diverse, thought-provoking and artistic lineup of films.
ALL funds from this event go directly towards helping Discover Your Forest maintain free, outstanding hands-on conservation education for thousands of Central Oregon’s youth, and will help them grow their reach to underserved communities by purchasing adaptive equipment and support to ensure that all people, regardless of their ability or identity can experience the thrill of the outdoors. Click here to learn more about our youth education programs.

Repair Café at The Gear Fix
2025-01-27 17:30 - 19:30 | The Gear Fix, 550 Industrial Way, Suite 183, Bend, OR, 97702, United States
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Belonging, Justice, and Our Shared Humanity
2025-01-27 18:30 - 20:30 | Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The Chandler Lecture Series and COCC’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion are pleased to announce the keynote speaker for our 2025 Season of Nonviolence programming.

Monday, January 27, 6:30 p.m.
Tower Theatre, Bend
We all strive for a world where everyone feels like they belong. Rather than focus on what separates us, Rev. Naomi Tutu will encourage us to focus on our shared humanity. She believes it’s important for everyone to recognize how our actions, or lack thereof, impact those around us. She will talk about how our differences are opportunities, and how the foundation for a just society is where we accept others and recognize the potential for greatness in each of us. This will foster a brighter future where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
FREE and OPEN to the public
Register for in-person event
Register for access to the recorded event
For more information

Professional Development for K–12 educators.
2025-01-28 16:00 - 18:00 | OR

Snowshoeing Central Oregon: How to Snowshoe, What to Bring & Where to Go
2025-01-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Worthy Brewing, 495 Northeast Bellevue Drive, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Even though many of our favorite hiking trails are covered in snow, winter is still a great time to get out and enjoy Oregon’s wildlands. It just takes a bit of extra planning and some different gear. Whether you are an experienced snowshoer or thinking about trying it out for the first time, Oregon Wild has you covered!
Join Oregon Wild staff in Bend on Wednesday, January 29 to learn about how and where to snowshoe in Central Oregon. Wilderness Program Manager Erik Fernandez presents suggestions regarding everything from safety to gear to picking the most scenic trails. This presentation also covers some “Snowshoeing 101” for those new to the activity and some tips on locations that apply to all ability levels.

Wolves in Central Oregon
2025-01-29 19:00 - 20:30 | Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Wolves are one of North America’s most iconic animals, occupying a unique and complex role in the natural world. Join Deschutes Land Trust and wildlife biologist Aaron Bott to take a closer look at wolves and how they interact with the landscape of Central Oregon. In the last few decades, Oregon has experienced the gradual recolonization of wolves, representing a notable shift in natural systems. These top predators are deeply connected to the lands they inhabit and the other animals that sustain them, exerting influences that are both small and far-reaching. Aaron will explore wolf biology and ecology, focusing on their natural history, adaptations, and roles and behaviors in the natural world within the context of Oregon’s recovering wolf population. This presentation is free, but you must get your ticket online.

Green Energy Series #24: Electrical Panel Upgrades
2025-02-01 10:00 - 11:00 | OR
The free, monthly Green Energy Series takes a closer look at topics related to energy, solar + storage, and green technology.

Register Here!

A Year in the Life: Oregon’s Desert Owls
2025-02-04 18:00 - 19:00 | OR
Join Oregon Natural Desert Association as they kick off their 2025 High Desert Speaker Series with an absorbing evening all about high desert owls. Paul Bannick, acclaimed author and wildlife photographer, will take you through four seasons in the lives of these owls to give you a better appreciation of what they need to survive and thrive in each season. With stunning, intimate images, Paul will bring the stories of these adorable yet fierce predators to life and reveal their unique roles in the high desert ecosystem from its driest lands to its ponderosa pine woodlands.

SheJumps x AdventurUs Women x Between Evergreens | Speaker Series | OR
2025-02-05 18:00 - 19:30 | Embark, 2843 NW Lolo Dr., Bend, OR, 97703, United States
Wednesday, February 5th, 2025 – “Women in Wildfire” – Join the women of the US Forest Service & BLM Wildland Fire Management Service to learn what it’s like to be a woman in wildland firefighting. From working on fire lines, parachuting into dangerous terrain, handling heavy equipment, battling fires, educating the public, and developing curriculum to teach kids about forest management & fire prevention, these incredible women have seen it all. Learn more about ways you can help manage and care for our forests, and how we can all work to get more women into the traditionally male-dominated wildland firefighting career path.

Turtle Wisdom: Personal, Political, Playful
2025-02-19 17:30 - 19:00 | COCC, 2600 NW Collge Way, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Artist Talk by Betty LaDuke

Wednesday, February 19, 5:30 p.m., West Wing Reading Room, Barber Library, COCC Bend Campus
For more than 60 years, LaDuke has traveled the globe as an artist and activist. In 2021, she began an artistic journey with her Turtle Wisdom pieces. Turtles became her symbolic storytellers, offering observations on current events. Each colorful, wood Turtle tells a story and has been created to invite conversation rather than provide answers.
LaDuke’s Turtle Wisdom exhibit will be on display at COCC’s Barber Library Rotunda from January 6 to March 25.
Barber Library is hosting an artist reception at 4:30 p.m. the same day in the Rotunda.
ASL interpretation will be provided.
FREE and OPEN to the public. Please register here to reserve a seat.

Raising the Deschutes: Challenges and Solutions for Our Rivers
2025-02-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Worthy Brewing, 495 Northeast Bellevue Drive, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The rivers of the Deschutes Basin are vital, supporting fish and wildlife, agriculture, and recreation. However, challenges like low streamflows and water quality issues threaten their health.
Join the Deschutes River Conservancy to explore what makes the basin special, the challenges it faces, and the collaborative efforts to restore streamflows, improve water quality, and ensure a sustainable water future for generations to come.
Doors open at 5:30. Program starts at 6 pm.

February 20, 2025
Worthy Brewing
Free

Registration: https://www.deschutesriver.org/event/raising-the-deschutes-challenges-and-solutions-for-our-rivers

Tiny Titans: Insects of the High Desert
2025-02-20 19:00 - 20:00 | OR
Get ready for an exciting exploration into the crucial role insects play in Oregon’s high desert. Oregon Natural Desert Association’s High Desert Speaker Series continues with Dr. Tara Cornelisse, invertebrate zoologist, as she provides insights into the fascinating butterflies, moths and beetles residing in eastern Oregon. Tara will examine the current state of insect populations, share facts and stories about key species in the high desert, and highlight why conserving the high desert is vital for the future of insect populations and the entire ecosystem.

Mountainfilm on Tour: Bend-Night One
2025-02-21 18:00 - 22:00 | Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend, OR, 97701, United States
We are excited to announce Mountainfilm on Tour – Bend, an annual fundraiser for The Environmental Center. For the 22nd year, this highly anticipated program showcases incredible documentary films, thoughtfully curated for our Central Oregon audience. This film event features stories of adventure, climate change, culture, and resilience from around the world.
