Investigating the Causes & Consequences Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world It represents an important step toward reducing dependence on nonrenewable sources of power. However, widespread deployment of industrial wind turbines has unprecedented adverse effects on certain species of bats that roost in trees and migrate. Bats are beneficial consumers of agricultural insect pests, and migratory species of bats provide free pest-suppression services across ecosystems and international borders. Although the underlying causes of bat fatalities at wind turbines remain unknown, potential clues can be found in the patterns of fatalities. TSH scientists, in collaboration with other U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science centers as well as…
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Global Earth Repair Summit
October 21 – 24, 2022 An Invitation to participate in a global, local event Come together in person, as communities, as local restoration pods to plant trees and do restoration work. Meet Restorationists from far and wide: to network, share information, and do action planning for global, scaled-up efforts. Be part of a growing, global movement to re-green Earth! For more info: www.globalearthrepairfoundation.org Contact Michael Pilarski: friendsofthetrees@yahoo.com
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Pendleton Opens New Store in Salem
1313 Mill Street SE Suite 110, Salem, OR Hours 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday Pendleton Woolen Mills has a new store inside the Willamette Heritage Center (WHC) in Salem, Oregon. The store offers woolen blankets, apparel, accessories, and gifts, along with fabric cuts and exclusive mill materials for crafting with wool. This location is a ‘coming home’ for Pendleton Woolen Mill’s descendants of Thomas Lister Kay, where his namesake mill was founded 133 years earlier. Founded in 1863 and located in Portland, Oregon, Pendleton weaves iconic designs in two of America’s remaining woolen mills in Pendleton, Oregon, and Washougal, Washington. With six generations of family ownership, Pendleton…
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Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides Offers Consultation Services
Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) recently released a new consultation service to help community members manage weeds and pests without pesticides. Schedule a one-on-one meeting with their staff to learn how to deal with gardening pests without relying on chemicals that can harm people and the environment. Many common pesticide products impact beneficial bug species and contribute to water pollution. NCAP can help you find safe solutions. This service is offered at a sliding scale, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For more info: www.pesticide.org/consultation
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Ecosystem Restoration Course
June 7-17, 2022 Atlan Community, 37 Nestor Peak Road White Salmon, WA Taught by Michael “Skeeter” Pilarski, Marisha Auerbach, and Special Guest Teachers A hands-on, in-person course, blending ecosystem restoration, permaculture, regenerative agriculture, and ethno-ecology. Will take last-minute sign-ups Work trade and partial scholarships are available! Healthy ecosystems provide clean air, clean water, ecological services, habitat, and food for wildlife as well as yields to support humanity. As we face increased natural disasters, a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and social instability, now is the time to enhance our abilities to come together to practice ecosystem restoration. This course is for land-stewards, land managers, landscapers, and anyone concerned about ecosystem health as…
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Knock-Knock
My family has a history of heart attacks. I believed someday I would have one. In spite of all I read about the areas a woman experienced pain before an attack, I was not sure I would recognize the symptoms. One piece of information was missing. It would be my brain creating the pain signals to get help. When I figured that out, I understood and got help. My story is told in two ways because people hear information in different ways. Learn to hear body’s Knock-knocks. Knock- Knock, Hear Me, Knock- Knock In our brain is a governor who controls our system, breathing, heart, and nerves. It has a…
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Magicians in the Air
Hummingbirds and How You Can Support Them Who of us have not marveled at the tiny hummingbirds who inhabit, or at least visit, our gardens? Weighing less than a nickel, they can travel at 33 miles per hour, beat their wings from 720 to 5400 times a minute when hovering, and eat their weight (or more) in food every day. John James Audubon recorded human feeding of hummingbirds in his book “Birds of America 1840-1844” and by 1950, commercial bird feeders were available. Thousands of feeders are sold each year worldwide. But, are we really doing them any favors by placing sugar water in safe, cool areas? It is true…
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Bugs in the Garden
Bugs, butterflies, and beetles – in our gardens and on our plants. Sometimes we are happy to see them, and often we are not. In either case, insects are necessary for our plants and consequently for us to survive. Some of them flit about pollinating, while others spend time eating and decomposing garden debris. Even the ones we dislike can be food for other beneficial insects, birds, and garden reptiles. Unfortunately, insects are generally in trouble, with almost 40% of insect species at risk of becoming extinct. So what can we do to help save and protect the insect ecosystem? One of the first and easiest projects we can undertake…
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Mountain Rose Herbs Opens Two Aroma Bars
Mountain Rose Herbs announces the opening of two new Mountain Rose Aroma Bars designed to engage the senses through high-quality, ethically sourced essential oils and personal aromatherapy products. “The Aroma Bar is a celebration. We are reinvigorating retail in a post-COVID world,” said Mountain Rose Herbs owner and CEO Shawn Donnille. “As far as we know, a boutique aromatherapy marketplace like the Aroma Bar that carries all-natural, ethically sourced botanical oils doesn’t exist anywhere else in the United States.” Renowned as one of the nation’s largest organic bulk herbs distributors, Mountain Rose Herbs brings more than three decades of expertise in sourcing the finest quality organic, sustainable botanicals and oils.…
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Recycled Arts and Sustainable Living Festival
June 4th and 5th Yamhill County Fairgrounds 2070 NE Lafayette Avenue, McMinnville). Zero Waste McMinnville had to surrender to the pandemic by curtailing their impactful hands-on volunteer crusade to make McMinnville the first Zero Waste city in Oregon. However, they now feel that the pandemic is manageable for them to re-enter the community with their efforts. Therefore, they invite one and all to join them. They encourage you all to re-engage with Zero Waste McMinnville by joining their effort as a volunteer. They will need help raffling off two electric bikes and volunteers with Zero Waste Oregon and Edible Landscapes of Yamhill County. They also need volunteers to sit in…