Who? Government, nonprofit, business, and faith-based organization leadership and volunteers; interested community residents; and national service participants in conversation with representatives of the Oregon Volunteers Commission for Voluntary Action and Service What? An Open Discussion About Volunteering and Engagement as Community Building Strategies in Oregon Why? • To hear from Oregon community members about what…

Every other month, The Environmental Center and our Green Spot business partners host Green Drinks – a networking event with a mix of business and community members. This month, we’ll be talking all about B Corporations. B Corps are companies using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems around the world. Oregon and California…

Make your energy savings grow. Sign up to attend the free Be wattsmart workshop in your area. The workshop will put you on the path to greater energy efficiency and lower electric bills by teaching you how to: Evaluate your household energy use Recognize the most cost-efficient energy improvements for your home Save energy and…

Share the Central Oregon Local Food Love! August is Local Food Month in Oregon.  There are lots of ways that you can get involved (and win)! Join the celebration and share photographs, recipes, products and restaurants featuring regional foods with your friends and family on social media. Snap images of local food from Vendors, Restaurants,…

Friday July 31, 2015 to Friday August 7, 2015 is War on Weeds WOW Week. Coordinated volunteer effort to pull noxious weeds in Sunriver and surrounding neighborhoods. (Bring water, sunscreen, and gloves for pulling.) NEW FOR 2015: WOW has been changed to a week-long event. Pull noxious weeds anytime during the week then join fellow…

Come get your hands dirty and your feet wet as we clean up our river! Stream Stewardship Day is a day to engage partners, river users, and community members in hands-on stewardship activities to enhance the health of the Deschutes River.  Volunteers of all ages are invited to join in and learn about water quality,…

Dates: August 10, 11, 26 plus two evenings TBD in October and March Grade Level: 3-8 Location: Multiple locations on Deschutes National Forest Join the Children’s Forest for a fun 3-day training exploring local public lands to build natural history knowledge that can be applied to leading outdoor activities with students. Learn from natural resource…

Discover what it takes to grow food, harness solar power, fix bikes, conduct an energy audit, get around by alternative transportation and be an outdoor guide! Together with the Environmental Center, Commute Options will teach you how to bike safely around town while learning about sustainable living right here in our community. We will explore…

The International Federation of Fly Fishers will hold its annual Fly Fishing Fair in Bend and will be celebrating “All Things Fly Fishing” August 13th–15th 2015. This event will be the largest gathering of fly fishers from all across the United States and the around the world. The show is open to the public so…

Pine Mountain Sports is committed to using more renewable energy and we’re throwing a party on the lawn to celebrate our freshly installed solar panels! Stop by Pine Mountain Sports between 11A and 4P on Wed Aug 12 and meet some of our favorite renewable energy partners. Our radio friends from 92.9FM will be broadcasting from Rays (On) The Roof…

It’s easy to think that deer and elk in Central Oregon are doing just fine when you see them munching your garden or crossing your street. However, their numbers have declined sharply in recent years, and their migration patterns have been altered. What’s causing this? What can you do to help local wildlife survive? What:…

Join KEEN Footwear and the Owyhee Coalition for two parties with a purpose! KEEN's Live Monumental Campaign is coming to Oregon to raise awareness for preserving public lands and to have fun while doing it. Join us in Bend on Thursday, August 13th. KEEN's 28-foot, bright yellow RV will pull up, and an event featuring beverages,…

Join Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to collect macroinvertebrates – the aquatic life stage of bugs like mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies – in Whychus Creek. Volunteers visit rimrock, meadow, and floodplain reaches of Whychus to collect samples that contribute to our understanding of how habitat restoration is changing stream conditions for…

Volunteers Needed: Stream Sampling Day Creekside City Park, Sisters, OR Join Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to collect macroinvertebrates – the aquatic life stage of bugs like mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies – in Whychus Creek. Volunteers  learn sampling protocols and visit rimrock, meadow and floodplain reaches of Whychus to collect…

Information from OSU Master Gardeners™ about vegetables to grow at the end of the summer to increase your harvest.

Dates: August 18-19 Grade Level: 9-12 Location: Skyliners Lodge with field trips additional locations Join the Children’s Forest and spend two days learning about land use issues in Central Oregon, engaging in stewardship activities, and connecting with natural resource experts and fellow educators at Skyliners Lodge.  This workshop is designed to empower high school teachers…

Please join Central Oregon Bitterbrush Broads and Central Oregon Landwatch for this informative presentation:  Is your beefsteak destroying the planet? Linkages between land use, climate change and wetland ecosystems will be discussed by Boone Kauffman, Professor, Ecosystems & Habitat Ecology, OSU. When: Tuesday, August 18th 7pm-8:30pm Where: The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Ave, Bend, OR RSVP: Click Here

Scheduled 9 times a year, 3rd Thursdays of month. Social gathering time is from 6:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Programs begin at 7:00 p.m. and usually last until 8:30 p.m. March 19: “Bird Friendly Native Landscaping."   Birders Karen Theodore and Rick Martinson of WinterCreek Restoration will share identify native plants, and share tips about landscaping,…

Join OLCV, Bend Bikes and fellow community members who care about protecting Oregon’s natural legacy for Pints and Politics. Bend Bikes is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) grassroots organization working to promote bicycling and improve bicycling conditions in Bend. Bend Bikes works in partnership with citizens, businesses, community groups, government agencies, and elected officials to enhance bicycling…

Information from OSU Master Gardeners™ on Fall planting of garlic, onions, shallots, and leeks for harvest in June or July.

Take the Cog Wild mountain bike Bend trailhead shuttle and raise funds for Deschutes Land Trust! Reserve your seat in the Cog Wild van ahead of time to shuttle from town to Wanoga or Swampy Sno-Park on August 26th. Shuttles will leave Cog Wild at 5:30pm, so arrive early to let the driver know your…

Join us for a FARM TO TABLE DINNER fundraiser at Broken Top Bottle Shop! 5 courses paired with spirits from Oregon Spirit Distillers! ~greens & vodka~ ~pork & rum~ ~fowl & gin~ ~beef & whiskey~ ~sweets & absinthe~ featuring food & spirit from HDFFA Members & Farmers: Savory Spice Shop Bend, The Next Season Farm, Rainshadow Organics,Juniper Jungle…

Plan to join us Saturday, August 29th from 10 am -2 pm at the 10th annual Hollinshead Community Garden Open House. There will be free classes taught by OSU certified Master Gardeners starting at 10:15. Tomato tasting, artists in the garden and other fun activities will be offered. If you've wanted to tour the 90…

Join 20+ local vendors to celebrate and taste Central Oregon products.  There will be fun kids activities, grilling, and music that transform the parking lot into a street fair. If you’re as excited as we are to celebrate, we would love to see you there!

For 15 years, Evelyn Hess and her husband lived in a tent a trailer, without electricity or running water, on 20 acres of wild land in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range. When they decided to build a “real” house at long last, they knew it would have to respect the lessons of simple…