• Mass of Praying Mantis eggs
    Herbs,  Home Garden,  Nature

    Make a Change

    An untidy garden can benefit birds and insects It’s that time of year when plants are turning brown as they complete their time with us after providing tasty food, medicine, and beauty throughout the summer months. Final harvests are being completed and thoughts turn to all the garden and yard clean-up we need to do, including herb beds. Often, we are eager to put the pruners and rake to work while we can still get out without getting completely soaked by the rain here in the Pacific Northwest. After all, preparing tidy herb beds and garden spaces for spring is what we’re supposed to do in the fall, right?  Last…

  • Buyerarchy of needs like Maslows
    Reduce,  Refuse,  Think Piece,  Zero Waste

    Just Enough

    “…..we – you and I, and our government – must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow. ”  — – Dwight D. Eisenhow  One beneficial consequence that comes from things getting uncomfortable is that it forces change. That is true whether you get a cramp from sleeping in a funny position, or when the recycling market collapsed after China no longer accepted the world’s discarded plastics. As uncomfortable and distressing as it is not to be able to recycle as we did before, we are now forced to acknowledge all that stuff we bring into our homes.…

  • Abandoned Gas Pumps
    Fossil Fuels,  Publisher's Page,  Solar,  Think Piece

    Changing Direction

    “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.”  — Thomas Paine, from the introduction to Common Sense.  For more than 200, years we have accepted the burning of fossil fuels as the way to power our rapidly changing modern world. For more than 100 years, we have accepted the gasoline-powered car for personal mobility. For more 70 years, we have accepted crop hybridization, chemical fertilizers and herbicides as the means to feed our exploding population. For more than 60,…

  • Crafty Wonderland logo
    EVENT

    The Crafty Wonderland Holiday Art + Craft Market!

    Saturday, Dec 14th + Sunday, Dec 15th  from 11am – 6pm  The Oregon Convention Center – Exhibit Hall D  777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd. Portland, OR  Featuring art and handmade goods from over 250 amazing vendors!!  OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – FREE ADMISSION:  SPECIAL PRE-SHOW TICKETED SHOPPING EVENT:  Friday, Dec 13th from 5pm – 9pm

  • Garden Home Sustainability Fair
    COMMUNITY,  EVENT,  Repair

    Garden Home Sustainability & Repair Fair

    Friday, October 4, 2019 5:00 pm 7:30 pm  Garden Home Recreation Center Gymnasium  7475 SW Oleson Rd, Portland  Embrace Green Living  Learn about sustainable topics from gardening to recycling to water conservation & much more all from local experts.  Repair Fair is Back  Repair your hopusehold items and small appliances. Limit two items per person.  Free Admission – All Ages Welcome  For more info: Heather Waisanen, 503-245-9932, heatherw@co.wccls.org 

  • tools
    COMMUNITY,  Community Projects,  EVENT,  Repair

    Repair Cafes

    Repair Cafes are free community events where participants can bring broken or damaged common household items and have them fixed for free by skilled volunteers! Volunteers fix bicycles, small appliances, small electronics, jewelry, sharpen tools/knives, and do sewing repairs.  Portland Area Repair Cafes  Sat, September 21, 10am – 1pm  Robinwood Station Community Center  3706 Cedar Oak Dr, West Linn, OR  Fri, October 4, 5:00pm – 7:30pm Garden Home Recreation Center 7475 SW Oleson Rd, Portland, OR  Sat, October 28, 10am – 12:30pm  Multnomah County Library – Gresham  385 NW Miller Ave, Gresham, OR  Vancouver Area Repair Cafes Sat. September 14, 12pm- 2pm Clark County Habitat for Humanity Store   10811 SE 2nd St,…

  • Sand Cranes
    COMMUNITY,  Education,  EVENT,  Nature

    20th Anniversary BirdFest & BlueGrass Celebration

    Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge & Downtown Ridgefield WA  October 4 & 5, 2019  Workshops, hikes and walks all catered to teach you how to use the Refuge. You can learn how to listen for bird species, identify plants, about the geology of the area, the peoples who came before us and still tend to the land, how to take photos of it all, paint the landscape, and much more.  Sandhill Crane Tours Bluegrass Pickers Festival Audubon Wild Birds of Prey Naturalist Led Hikes Cultural Activities Big Canoe Tours Birders Marketplace Local Food and Business Booths 20th Anniversary Celebration on Oct. 4th at Ilani BirdFest events in town include- shopping, food, and…