(Photo | Courtesy of the Environmental Center)
Third Annual Multicultural Art Exhibition in the Garden
Join us in the garden from 4:30-6:30pm today — Wednesday, September 14 — for our third annual Multicultural Art Exhibition! Hosted in partnership with the City of Bend as part of Welcoming Week.
Six local artists of diverse backgrounds and talents will reflect on the theme of this year’s Welcoming Week: Where We Belong. Notably, visual artist Evan Namkung will be demonstrating a live graffiti painting that can be purchased upon completion.
Read our latest blog post below to learn more about the six artists and the work they will be presenting this year. We hope to see you there!
Youth Education: Welcome Back To School
Goodbye Summer Camps, hello EarthSmart (and more!)
- Meet our newest Youth Ed team member, Wesley Yoder, on our blog!
- The Green Leadership Coalition (pictured) is welcoming new high schoolers and planning upcoming meetings. Want to get involved? Email glc@envirocenter.org.
- Come to the Discover Nature Festival this Saturday, September 17 from 11am-3pm at Alpenglow Park and say hello.
Garden For Every School
M.A. Lynch Elementary School Garden Update
“The school year is in full swing at MA Lynch Elementary! We launched the school year with a school-wide simultaneous “Carrot Crunch” with farm-fresh rainbow carrots during the weekly fresh fruit or vegetable taste-test. Thanks to families’ garden care this summer, there are also plenty of vegetables growing in the garden for the students to taste. As students settle into the school year, I will soon be starting the after-school garden club, classroom and garden lessons, garden committee meetings, and virtual cooking nights.” ~ Adrienne Atkins, our wonderful FoodCorps service member.
Help us continue this work!
Building and growing school gardens like the one at M.A. Lynch has been made possible because of the support of donors like you!
Will you help us reach our goal of $15,000 for the Garden For Every School program?
Donate before Monday, September 19 to be entered to win two tickets to see Jack Johnson live at Hayden Homes Amphitheater on September 25th! Double your impact: funds up to $2,500 will be matched by the Johnson Ohana Foundation!
Rethink Waste Project
Get Involved! Community Conversations on Modernizing Local Recycling Systems
These upcoming Community Conversations aim to gather local perspectives and experiences on the latest statewide recycling policies, the Recycling Modernization Act (RMA). Community insights can then be shared with the RMA Rulemaking Advisory Committee (RAC), informing statewide recycling resources over the next few years!
We invite you to attend these meetings if you are someone who…
- interacts with local recycling and other waste resources
- works or volunteers with local recycling and waste recovery orgs
- wants to learn more about waste recovery and policy
What to expect:
The Community Conversations will be an hour-long listening session on topics that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) staff have identified for discussion in an upcoming RMA RAC meeting. The Environmental Center’s Rethink Waste Program Manager, Udara Abeysekera Bickett is a committee member on the RAC. Udara will briefly share information about the next round of RMA RAC meeting topics and facilitate a discussion to gather your perspectives and experiences related to these topics. Udara will compile insights from our community to share in the next RMA RAC meeting. Community members are also welcome to attend the RMA RAC meetings and provide input during the public comment period.
How to participate:
- Attend in person at The Environmental Center: September 22 5-6pm
- Click Here
- Attend virtually via Zoom: September 23 9-10am
- Click Here
- Schedule a conversation with Udara: September 22 between 9am and 2pm Click Here
Our Picks
Millenials: They’re Shaping Our Future, What Shaped Them? — Tuesday, September 13, 11:30am-1pm
Hear from a panel of Millennials in Central Oregon on the milestones that shaped their worldviews, the challenges they face that aren’t always obvious, and how to support them both personally and professionally. This will be an interactive panel with time for table talk and questions.
Author Event: Voices of Navajo Mothers and Daughters — Thursday, September 15, 6-7pm
Roundabout Books is pleased to present an event for Voices of Navajo Mothers and Daughters: Portraits of Beauty by Kathy Eckles Hooker and David Young-Wolff (a Central Oregon-based photographer).
Listen & Envision: Bend Vision Project Community Workshop — Friday, September 16, 9-10:30am
At the virtual ‘Listen & Envision’ workshop, Bend residents will discuss community values, challenges, and ways to make Bend a better place.
Discover Nature Festival — Saturday, September 17, 11am-3pm
Join The Children’s Forest of Central Oregon for this family friendly event at the new Alpenglow Park! All ages are welcome, with activities for everyone — outdoor recreation, nature education, art and community.
Register for The Environmental Center’s 21st Green Tour Events:
Kickoff Event: Visions for a Sustainable Central Oregon — Tuesday, September 20, 5-7pm
The ABCs of ADUs: Lunch and Learn ($10) — Wednesday, September 21, 11:45am-1:30pm
2022 Green Tour — Saturday, September 24, 10am-4pm