Bend Earth Month celebration planned
“SUSTAIN Central Oregon” is a month long a series of lectures, workshops, tours, and films to celebrate Earth Month during April.
The collaboration between the COCC Sustainability Committee and The Environmental Center aims to educate and empower the Central Oregon community to embed sustainability into daily life. Focusing on a different theme each week (agriculture, energy, water, global consumption and waste), citizens will learn how personal actions impact the future of our environment.
The month of events kicks off on Wednesday, March 30 th at COCC’s Wille Hall when OSU-Cascades geologist Daniele McKay offers a geologic perspective on climate change focusing on past changes in Earth’s history and what that might mean for human populations.
Agriculture & Food Week brings the Spring Food and Farm Fair and the chance to get to know our local Central Oregon farmers and ranchers and sign up for CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture – food direct from field to you). A lecture on vegetable seeds and the importance of biodiversity is followed by a garden planning workshop, healthy soils presentation, and a hands-on cookie baking demonstration with heirloom grains. The permaculture film “Inhabit” and a tour of a regional irrigation facility round out the week.
Energy & Transportation Week is jam-packed with options: learn about your personal carbon footprint, alternative transportation options, solar power, green building, home performance upgrades, and tour a tiny home! Two pop-up Lighting Fairs (Bend and Redmond) provide an opportunity to purchase all shapes of energy efficient LED lights bulbs at deeply discounted prices, and the related film is “Bikes vs. Cars.”
Water Week includes tours of the Bend and Redmond water treatment plants, and lectures on the WaterWise program, how Bend and Redmond use water, and COID’s Habitat Restoration Plan. This week culminates with the annual Earth Day Parade and Fair on Saturday, April 23 rd , and two days of environmentally-focused volunteer projects so residents can truly make a difference in hands-on ways!
The final week focuses on Global Consumption and Waste with lectures on consumption, waste, recycling, reuse, and composting. A landfill/recycling center tour, Repair Caf to get things fixed instead of throwing them away, and the film “Trashed” fill out this week.
So check out the complete schedule and description of events at: https://envirocenter.org/sustainco/ , and come learn more about how your actions impact our earth. We invite you to take up one new habit that is good for the planet and good for you!
For more info, please contact Owen Murphy at omurphy@cocc.edu or 541-383-7766.
