Category Archives: Environment

King Tree Planting Needs Volunteers

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Sixty-five new trees will get planted in King neighborhood this coming Saturday. Together with volunteers win Boise, Eliot and Humboldt neighborhoods, over 175 trees will make our part of town even greener. You can get involved–we are looking for pickup truck drivers (with their own trucks) as well as help with the planting. A pot of soup or two would also be a great help to feed the volunteers after the planting. If you wish to volunteer please come to the Friends of Trees office at 3117 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd on Saturday, February 13th, 2010 at 9 am.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact King Neighborhood Coordinator Irek Wielgosz at (503) 793-2114 or panirek@yahoo.com

Sustainable Food Courses

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City of Portland’s Urban Growth Bounty 2010 offers sustainable food courses

Last year more than 700 local residents learned how to transform their yards into “urban farms,” preserve their harvest and keep chickens and bees. The overwhelming response has led to a tripling of course offerings for the 2010. The expanded roster includes classes such as cheesemaking, cooking, advanced chicken and beekeeping, innovative gardening and healthful food on a budget classes. On-line registration is available at http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/ugb.

“Portland residents know that growing and preserving their own food is great for our personal, environmental and community health,” says Portland Mayor Sam Adams. “The Urban Growth Bounty classes are a great value. There’s always more to learn about how to grow, preserve and eat sustainably on a budget.”

Presented by the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, new partners and well-known experts are on board for the 2010 series, including Oregon Tilth, Naomi Montacre, Monique Dupre, Ivy Manning and the creative hands at Salt Fire and Time and Abby’s Kitchen. Classes for all skill levels are offered from February through November and held at locations all over the city.

For detailed Urban Growth Bounty 2010 information and registration details, visit http://www.portlandonline.com/osd/ugb or e-mail: food@ci.portland.or.us.

Plant Trees for Clean Rivers

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Trees are vital, long-term, low-cost components of Portland’s green stormwater infrastructure. Trees absorb rain and prevent erosion to protect watershed health. Every tree planted in Portland is a step toward a cleaner Willamette River, so plant trees!

To encourage Portlanders to plant trees, Environmental Services offers two cost-reducing opportunities:

Plant a tree on your residential property and get a rebate on your utility bill with our Treebate program.
Plant street and yard trees with Friends of Trees* at discounted rates (*in participating neighborhoods).

Trees in the City

Portland’s trees are the soul of a city known for its progressive land-use planning and extensive green infrastructure. In addition to improving watershed health, trees clean the air, shade our neighborhoods, and soften the city’s sharp edges. They create beautiful, restorative spaces, and provide wildlife habitat. Street trees can improve property values and slow traffic, making streets safer for pedestrians, bike riders and motorists. They are a living legacy for future generations.

While all trees provide important environmental and aesthetic benefits for Portlanders, native trees make an additional contribution to local ecology and our natural heritage. Native species are well suited to our climate, and planting native trees helps create habitat connections throughout the city.

Get the full details at the website: http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=50795

Solarize Northeast is Coming

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Would you like to save money, save energy, and help save the planet? An exciting new initiative can help you and your Northeast Portland neighbors do all that and make your home more comfortable at the same time.

Solarize Northeast is a volunteer-driven community effort of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN) to bring solar electric technology and the benefits of weatherization to Northeast Portland homes. Modeled on a project developed by Southeast Uplift, interested neighbors will join forces to enjoy significant savings through the bulk purchase of solar electric (photovoltaic) panels. One or more contractors selected through a competitive proposal process will perform site assessments and install panels on participating homes this spring.

The project will also offer to help residents find resources to make their homes more energy efficient, increasing comfort and reducing utility costs. Residents may choose to participate in the solar option or the weatherization option or both.

In addition, a series of workshops will be offered covering the basics of going solar, tax credits and other financial incentives, the details of connecting to the power grid, how to finance the purchase of solar panels, and the basics of weatherization. There is no fee associated with the Solarize Northeast project, and all the workshops are free.

You can sign up for the program at the Solarize Northeast website, http://solarize.necoalition.org. There you can also learn more about the project and view the workshop schedule. You must sign up by April 15, 2010 in order to participate. Questions can be directed to the program manager, Kelly Rodgers, solarize@necoalition.org, 503-823-9134

Columbia River Crossing Forum

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CRCOn Saturday, November 21st NECN will be hosting a Columbia River Crossing Impact Forum. We hope that each neighborhood can send at least 1 or 2 representatives, however all are welcome! We will hear from three students of the Sustainability Clinic at Willamette University College of Law about their research into the impacts the Columbia River Crossing project will have on the east side of Portland and the region as a whole. They will share research on health and environmental impacts as well as the laws that govern the project and how the process for the project moves forward.

During the forum we will also hear from Jeri Williams from the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (and former Executive Director of the Environmental Justice Action Group), on her involvement and advocacy on the various stages of this bridge expansion project. She can provide personal insights into how to get involved and what has worked and what has not.

Finally, we will have short, small group discussions to gain feedback from all of you on your concerns and suggestions for how we can all work to make sure that east side residents are best served by this project.

Here are the specifics:

What: NE Community Forum: Columbia River Crossing
When: Saturday, November 21st 10am – 12:30pm; 9:45am Coffee and Continental Breakfast
Where: Redeemer Lutheran Church, 5431 NE 20th Ave.
RSVP: By November 19th to Regina Williams at 503-823-4575 or admin@necoalition.org.

A flyer with the information is also attached. Please spread this information to your neighbors! The forum is open to all!

CRC forum final draft