The Environmental Center

Bridging the Gap: Rural EV Charging Programs
2024-05-14 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | OR
In this webinar, our speakers will highlight strategies and programs aiming to address rural EV charging challenges.

From Community Secrets to Public Apology: Lessons from The High Road
2024-05-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Wille Hall, Coats Campus Center, Central Oregon Community College, Bend, 2600 Northwest College Way, Bend, OR, 97703, United States
During World War II, the names of 16 veterans were removed from a public honor roll in Oregon. All were Japanese Americans who served our country while their families were incarcerated on American soil. In 2022, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill to dedicate the Oregon Nisei Veterans WWII Memorial Highway in Hood River. Join us as Linda Tamura addresses her path to learning this “community secret,” Oregon’s fractured history, heroes unheralded, and lessons for moving forward.

Author Event: To The Gorge with Emily Halnon
2024-05-16 19:00 - 20:30 | OR
Dudley’s Bookshop is thrilled to host Emily Halnon in celebration of the release of her new book, ‘To the Gorge: Running, Grief, and Resilience & 460 Miles on the Pacific Crest Trail’ on Thursday, May 16th from 7 – 8:30pm.‘To the Gorge’ is a riveting narrative of love and loss, grief and joy, as one woman embarks on a quest for a record on the Pacific Crest Trail. When Emily lost her beloved mother to a rare cancer at just 66 years old, she wanted to do something monumental to honor the person her mother had been: adventurous, courageous, inspiring.Join us for a discussion, Q&A and more! The event is free and open to the public with an RSVP, and will be held at a venue in the Old Mill District so there is room for everyone! Attendees will be notified of the precise location prior to the event. Head to the link in our bio to claim your spot.
RSVP HERE!

Nature Kids: Flower Power!
2024-05-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Whychus Canyon Preserve, Sisters, OR, 97756, United States
Join the Deschutes Land Trust and Karen Walsh for Nature Kids! Get outside and explore the nature of Central Oregon on guided family nature walks just for kids ages 5-10. Kids and their families can explore, imagine, and grow through hands-on activities and experiences outside. During May, we’ll explore the world of flowers! Learn how a flower’s size, shape, color, and smell have the power to attract unique pollinators. Meet other families, learn more about the natural world around us, and have fun! Offered on the second Wednesday and last Saturday of the month April-October at Land Trust Preserves and in Bend. Perfect for kids ages 5-10 with a grown-up in tow. Registration is helpful, but not required. Registrants will receive important event details and directions leading up to the outing. Registration opens 1 month prior to the event.
REGISTER HERE!

COCC Salmon Bake
2024-05-18 11:00 - 15:00 | COCC, 2600 NW Collge Way, Bend, OR, 97701, United States

APIC Harmony
2024-05-18 17:00 - 20:00 | Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Asian & Pacific Islanders Talent Showcase.
APIC Harmony is an initiative by the Asian and Pacific Islander Collective (APIC) to contribute to the cultural vibrancy of Deschutes County. Collaborative exhibitions featuring arts and performances will be featured.
MC’d by Matikas Grace with special guest Nan-mix (Maria Smith)!

Garden Clean Up at Franklin’s Corner Pollinator Garden
2024-05-21 09:00 - 10:00, 2024-05-28 09:00 - 10:00 | Franklin’s Corner Pollinator Garden, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
May 21 and May 28
9:00-10:00 AM
No registration. Just show up.
NE 9th and NE Franklin, Bend
Bring weeding tools, shovel, bucket, gloves, hat, sunscreen, water.
Franklin’s Corner pollinator garden is co-located with the community vegetable garden. The pollinator garden demonstrates waterwise landscaping with native pollinator plants. It’s maintained entirely by volunteers.

Happy Hour in the Garden
2024-05-21 16:00 - 18:00, 2024-06-04 16:00 - 18:00 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
Join us in our Kansas Avenue Learning Garden for our ongoing volunteer work party series. In 2022, volunteers contributed over 200 hours to help keep our learning garden maintained over the growing season. We couldn’t do it without you!
This event is open to all ages and gardening abilities! No experience or tools required. Beer and non-alcoholic beverages are provided for all who volunteer. Each event includes seasonal ongoing tasks as well as special projects as needed throughout the growing season. Volunteers are welcome to pop in for an hour or stay the whole time. No need to RSVP or commit ahead of time. (Pro tip – put the following dates in your phone calendar now – then when it pops up you can decide if it works out for you or not!)
In 2024, Happy Hour in the Garden will once again run twice a month from March through October on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 4-6pm. This schedule throughout the extent of the growing season offers meaningful volunteer experiences for all who come, and deeper care for the garden when it needs it.

Chaco For Life Tour at Crux
2024-05-22 12:00 - 18:00, 2024-05-23 12:00 - 18:00, 2024-05-24 12:00 - 18:00, 2024-05-25 12:00 - 18:00 | Crux Fermentation Project, 50 SW Division Street, Bend, OR, 97702, United States
REPAIR
CUSTOMIZE
CHILL

Come celebrate 35 years of Chaco with us on the Chaco For Life Tour! Visit our mobile factory to get your trusty Chacos repaired*, create your own custom sandals (adult sizes only), grab some swag, or just kick it with us.
*Each first repair is FREE; any additional sandals will be repaired at 50% off.
May 22-25 at Crux Fermentation Project

May Green Drinks
2024-05-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Kobold Brewing The Lair, 1043 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97703, United States
Join the staff of The Environmental Center and host Kobold Brewing for a social gathering on Thursday, May 23rd for May Green Drinks.
Have a cold one, on us– join us at Kobold Brewing for Green Drinks! Over appetizers and beverages, you’ll have the opportunity to network with fellow sustainability enthusiasts and hear about Kobold’s commitment to sustainability in their business. Curious about The Environmental Center? Staff will be there to answer your questions about our mission to embed sustainability into daily life here in Central Oregon.
This is a great opportunity to pick up a Rethink Waste Guide for your home or business and learn about energy savings through our new Home Energy Assessment Program.

DREAM BOLDLY: The Grand AdvenChair at The Belfry
2024-05-23 17:30 - 19:30 | The Belfry, 302 E Main Avenue, Sisters, 97759, United States
Local Bend adventurer Geoff Babb, a survivor of two strokes, takes years to perfect an all-terrain human-powered wheelchair, culminating in a rigorous 4-day expedition down and back out of the Grand Canyon, with a ripple effect on others from its creation—access to nature previously out of reach. Sometimes one bold dream can change the world for many.
Currently in review by film festivals across the country and in Cannes, France, DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair will leave you inspired by human resilience, moved by first-hand accounts of an amazing adventure, and believing in the power of dreams to make the world a better place.
DOORS OPEN AT 5:00 PM
Run time: 48 minutes, followed by a Q&A with the AdvenChair visionary, Geoff Babb, other members of the Grand AdvenChair, and Director Marcia Volk.
The Belfry will be hosting their bar. After the show and Q&A, you can hang out with Geoff and the gang until 7:30 pm.
GET TICKETS HERE!

DREAM BOLDLY: The Grand AdvenChair at Open Space
2024-05-28 17:30 - 19:30 | Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Local Bend adventurer Geoff Babb, a survivor of two strokes, takes years to perfect an all-terrain human-powered wheelchair, culminating in a rigorous 4-day expedition down and back out of the Grand Canyon, with a ripple effect on others from its creation—access to nature previously out of reach. Sometimes one bold dream can change the world for many.
Currently in review by film festivals across the country and in Cannes, France, DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair will leave you inspired by human resilience, moved by first-hand accounts of an amazing adventure, and believing in the power of dreams to make the world a better place.
DOORS OPEN AT 5:00 PM
Run time: 48 minutes, followed by a Q&A with the AdvenChair visionary, Geoff Babb, other members of the Grand AdvenChair, and Director Marcia Volk.
Open Space Event Studios will be hosting their bar. After the show and Q&A, you can hang out with Geoff and the gang until 7:30 pm.

“Shark Heart” in Real Life – The Science of Studying Sharks
2024-05-28 18:00 - 19:00 | Downtown Bend Library, 601 NW Wall St., Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Learn about sharks and current research with Dr. Alexandra McInturf.
Sharks play a critical role in maintaining vibrant ecosystems in Oregon and around the world. Yet, considered “dangerous” by popular media and threatened by human activity worldwide, these organisms have faced global population declines. Dr. Alexandra McInturf has been studying shark species worldwide for the last decade, including those among the most vulnerable. As an animal behaviorist, she researches some of the most understudied components of these organisms, including their social behavior. In this presentation, she will introduce some of the key characteristics of sharks (what makes a shark, a shark), talk about shark diversity, and finally discuss some of the projects she and other researchers are undertaking on different species (including white sharks) in the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University.

"Shark Heart" in Real Life - The Science of Studying Sharks-Sisters Library
2024-05-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Deschutes Public Library – Sisters, 110 N Cedar St, Sisters, OR, 97759, United States

Free Home Energy Assessment Program Community Launch
2024-05-30 13:00 - 14:00 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
RSVP HERE!
Do you work with a Community Organization in Central Oregon? Are you a local elected official in Central Oregon? Come learn about how your constituents can benefit from The Environmental Center’s brand new Free Home Energy Assessment Program.
We are teaming up with Energy Trust of Oregon to provide free home energy assessments to communities who have been historically underserved by Energy Trust Programs. The energy assessments will evaluate the energy efficiency of the participants’ home and then connect them with increased financial incentives and support to complete home energy upgrades to improve the comfort and affordability.
Julie Williams, the founder of Seeds for the Sol, a community organization in Corvallis, will be joining us to lead a discussion about their successful Home Energy Program and how The Environmental Center can achieve success here in Central Oregon.
If you’re interested in connecting your clients/members with the program, come to our Community Partner Launch event to learn more.

Vision Roadshow: Drake-to-Juniper Event
2024-06-01 09:00 - 11:00 | The Commons Cafe and Taproom, 875 NW BROOKS ST., Bend, OR, 97703, United States
Since the release of the five-year Vision Action Plan, Envision Bend has been working with vision lead partners to align efforts, spark action, and track collective progress. In the coming months, Envision Bend will be hosting a Summer Vision Roadshow at various coffee shops and breweries around town for the community to learn more about various strategies. The first event on June 1st focuses on the ‘Drake to Juniper Pedestrian Corridor’ vision strategy.
Meet outside the Commons Cafe at 9:00am for a 2.25-mile group bike ride in partnership with Bend Bikes to Juniper Park via the Midtown Crossings at Franklin and Greenwood. We will reconvene at 10am on the patio of the Commons Cafe to hear from the City transportation planning staff and Bend Bikes with updates on improvements to our Midtown Crossings, the Hawthorne Bridge, and the community’s shared vision to connect Drake Park to Juniper Park as outlined in the Vision Action Plan.
Stay tuned for additional Vision-themed events throughout the summer, such as ‘Railroad Safety and Redevelopment’ on June 27th at Bevel Brewing; a strategy that was created from public input to move the railroad and address safety concerns. There will also be events focused on ‘Expanding Access to Childcare’ in July, ‘Outdoors for Everyone’ in August, and ‘City of Belonging’ in September.
To register, visit envisionbend.org and sign up for the Envision Bend newsletter to stay up-to-date. Join Envision Bend on June 1st to learn more about the Vision Action Plan, meet someone new, and bring your questions to ask organizations that are taking the Lead on these vision strategies.
Envision Bend is a nonpartisan, community nonprofit organization. Its mission is to bring diverse stakeholders together to educate, engage, and empower all members of the Bend community to have a voice in our community’s future. In 2021, as the successor organization to Bend 2030, it reorganized and rebranded itself as Envision Bend. For more, please visit envisionbend.org or facebook.com/EnvisionBend.

Volunteer at Native Plant Giveaways
2024-06-01 09:00 - 12:00 | OR
June 1, 9:00-12:00 PM at Caldera High School (60925 SE 15th St, Bend)
June 8, 9:00-1:00 PM at Hollinshead Park (1235 NE Jones Rd, Bend)
Volunteer to hand out plants or staff the info table by completing this form. We will give away plants to 560 households this year thanks to the City of Bend, Wintercreek Nursery and Worthy Environmental. That means we need a lot of help!
Please note that there was a separate registration for plants and both dates are sold out.

SheJumps x USFS | WILD SKILLS | Junior Wildland Firefighter Day Camp | OR
2024-06-01 09:30 - 15:30 | OR
Join SheJumps & USFS Junior Wildland Firefighter for a day camp at Scout Lake Campground on Saturday, June 1st in Sisters, Oregon!

Bend Pride
2024-06-01 11:00 - 17:00 | Drake Park, 777 NW Riverside Blvd, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join in the ongoing fight for equality and celebrate love, diversity, and resilience at Central Oregon’s largest annual 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride event! Hosting a booth at Summer Pride festival, in Drake Park, not only offers an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your organization, business, or cause to a wide and targeted audience but also symbolizes your commitment to advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ rights. With thousands of passionate attendees from diverse backgrounds, your presence will amplify the collective voice advocating for justice and inclusion. Whether you’re promoting your products, services, or advocacy initiatives, Pride provides a vital platform to connect with the community, forge alliances, and drive positive change. This is your chance to stand on the front lines of progress – sign up to host a booth today and be a part of the movement for a brighter, more equitable future

Eggshell Garden Starts at The Environmental Center's Happy Hour in the Garden
2024-06-04 16:00 - 18:00 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
Make cute garden starts in eggshells and explore a garden!
Stop by the Environmental Center’s Happy Hour in the Garden to plant some eggshell starts, and feel free to volunteer in the Environmental Center’s learning garden afterwards (optional). This is a family friendly event – no experience or tools necessary. Beer and bubbly will be provided!
In 1989, The Environmental Center was born to inspire locals to live lighter on the planet. Their work began with a handful of people and a building in the center of Bend. Today, they’ve grown to become a regional leader in environmental education, engagement, and action. Their team works alongside people of all ages, local businesses, and elected officials to create and advocate for meaningful, lasting change.
Through unique programs and partnerships, the Environmental Center engages as many people as possible in their mission: To embed sustainability into daily life in Central Oregon.

Oregon Active Transportation Summit
2024-06-05 - 2024-06-07 | Leftbank Annex, North Weidler Street, Portland, OR, 97227, United States
This year’s Oregon Active Transportation Summit, Move Oregon Forward, will ground our community of advocates, organizers, professionals, and decision-makers in the shared belief that a better future is possible. Register today and join us June 5-7 at the Leftbank Annex in Portland, OR.
Who Should Attend?
Each year, hundreds of professionals and advocates from Oregon and SW Washington convene to discuss cutting edge transportation issues. Attendees include: state legislators; policy makers; local and national figures in the biking, walking, and active transportation movement; directors of transportation departments and community-based organizations; engineers and planners; land managers; business owners; health professionals; and community advocates. We hope you will join this wide array of leaders to share lessons and learn. Active transportation advocates and practitioners bring energy and passion for change to this event, and the result is a powerful conference that advances our shared goals.
What to Expect
We’re planning a myriad of presentations, workshops, and field trips to bring attendees together to problem-solve and build community in real time. Expect a full schedule of fun and interesting activities!

Greenwashing 2.0: Debunking Recycling Myths
2024-06-05 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
People often ask what really happens to their plastic recycling. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter where your discarded plastic is collected, whether at the end of your driveway, at your local recycling center, or in a municipal recycling bin: Most plastic items collected as recycling are not actually “recycled.” Many people are now realizing that plastic is not designed to be recycled—it’s a false solution sold to us by corporations and governments. What’s more, “plastic recycling” drives continued production and pollution of plastics and fossil fuels, and their related injustices.

Free Home Energy Assessment Community Info Session
2024-06-05 17:30 - 18:30 | The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR, 97703
RSVP HERE!
Find out if you qualify for discounts that may cover the full cost of energy efficiency home upgrades! Homeowners and renters are welcome.
Please join us on June 5th, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm to learn about The Environmental Center’s brand new Free Home Energy Assessment Program! This new program could help you access free or low cost energy upgrades. Home upgrades like insulation, efficient heating systems, hybrid water heaters, and new windows, can increase the comfort of your home and save you money on your energy bills. This information session is a great opportunity to see if you qualify*, ask questions, chat with our program manager, and sign up to participate.
Qualification criteria:
You identify as a person of color, a person living with disabilities, a rural resident, or a person with low to moderate income
AND
You are a homeowner or renter in a single-family home, manufactured home, or multifamily residence that is an attached side-by-side unit
AND
You live in Oregon and heat your home with electricity or natural gas provided by Pacific Power or Cascade Natural Gas.

Line 3 Documentary: Stop New Gas Infrastructure in Central Oregon
2024-06-05 18:00 - 20:15 | OR
Join 350 Deschutes – We’re organizing to Stop the GTN Pipeline Gas Expansion. RSVP Now!
Speakers:
Riccardo Waites: Executive, Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly will discuss the effects of gas expansion on vulnerable communities. Will your neighborhood be affected?
Nora Harren, 350 Deschutes, will discuss the health and environmental impacts of the compressor stations in SunRiver, and elsewhere. How can you protect yourself and your family?
Watch the award winning documentary: “LN3: Seven Teachings of the Ashinaabe Resistance,” a powerful documentary that delves into the resilience and teachings of the Ashinaabe people in the face of pipeline development in their region.
Following the screening, we will engage in a panel discussion focusing on the impacts of the GTN Xpress pipeline project on Central Oregon communities and the environment. Our panelists will explore the environmental, social, and economic implications of the project and discuss Steps we can take to stop the pipeline in our backyard.
This is more than just an event—it’s a call to action. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this vital conversation!
RSVP Now: https://actionnetwork.org/events/line-3-documentary-stop-new-gas-infrastructure-in-central-oregon
$5 donation per family appreciated, but not required.

Discover Fish Migration and Conservation Efforts: A Guided Tour of Pelton Round Butte
2024-06-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Round Butte Overlook Park, From Madras: Jct. of Belmont Lane & Hwy. 97, travel west on Belmont Lane for 6.8 miles to Mountain View Drive, turn south onto Mountain View Drive for 1.7 miles to access road and sign to Round Butte Overlook Park. Turn west onto signed access road for 0.8 mile to Round Butte Overlook Park., OR, United States
Come tour the Pelton Round Butte Fish Passage and Hatchery Facilities On this tour you’ll get to see juvenile steelhead making their way downstream to the ocean, and adult Chinook that have recently returned to the hatchery. Come learn about collaborative efforts to reintroduce anadromous fish to the upper basin and restore the habitat that their survival depends upon.
Tour Leaders:
– Bobby Brunoe, CEO & Secretary/Treasurer of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the DRC Board Chair
– Megan Hill, Hydro Environmental Manager, Portland General Electric
Space is limited to 50 tickets
GET TICKETS
