educational course

This is a three-day training on January 26, 28 & 30. Training Schedule: Tuesday, January 26, 6-8:30 pm at the SOLVE office: stewardship, watershed basics, restoration strategies, and examples. Thursday, January 28, 6-8:30 pm at the SOLVE office: community involvement, working w/ volunteers, work-party management, and leadership techniques. Saturday, January 30, 10am - 3pm: FIELD DAY - Location To Be Determined: project examples, planting techniques, invasive plant removal techniques, and native plant identification. Stream Team Captains lead volunteers on stream restoration and enhancement projects throughout the Portland-metro area. SOLVE adopts restoration sites for three to five years working with volunteers, community groups, crews, agencies and other non-profit partners to improve the health and function of stream corridors and wetlands. Stream Team Captains provide leadership, organization and supervision to volunteers for Saturday morning events. Stream Team Captains also instruct volunteers in invasive plant removal techniques and proper planting techniques while working closely with SOLVE staff to fulfill stream restoration and enhancement goals. Upon completion of this training, Stream Team Captains commit to lead at least three Team Up volunteer events involving planting native species, invasive plant removal, native plant identification, mulching, and watering. Additional training in basic botany, bioengineering, advanced classes in native and invasive plant ID, as well as winter twig ID are also available to Stream Team Captains during the course of the year.

Register online here: http://solveoregon.org/get-involved/events/stream-team-captain-training

Discover how beautiful native plants can bring these allies to your yard, helping fight pests and improve garden productivity. Learn which natives might be right for your yard and how to plant and care for them without harmful garden chemicals. Learn effective ways to control pests without harming bees, find attractive plants to provide pollen, nectar and habitat in every month of the year and get tips for attracting pollinators of all sorts. Plus, find out where to get native plants in your area.

Many of the plants which we ignore on our walks in the woods actually played an important part in the everyday lives of North American indigenous people. And many people are surprised to learn what they considered as delicacies, such as grubs, baby birds and grasshoppers. Roger will also talk about how they used various trees for housing and weapons as well as the challenges of foraging for their livelihood. Among this seemingly primitive existence, indigenous people knew how to make aspirin, which they used for headaches and soothing aches and pains encountered at the "office."

Day 1 of a 2-Day Training Session. Why should you become a Volunteer Lead? "I became a Lead because I believe strongly in the importance of educating ourselves and the next generation about the need to care for our environment. Columbia Springs is a hidden gem right here in our own backyard and it is a pleasure sharing it with others!" says Ellen, a veteran Volunteer Lead at Columbia Springs. Volunteer Leads receive training, rewards, and access to exclusive events including talks with local experts about various environmental topics. Leads are required to attend both 2/3 and 2/4 training and contribute 20 hours of volunteer service to Columbia Springs.  Volunteer service can be helping at field trips, events, restoration work parties, and more. Registration required. Go to columbiasprings.org/events for more information and to register. Hors d'oeuvres and beverages provided at the training. 

Bald Eagle, Osprey and Great Blue Heron all nest and raise their young at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve. This class introduces you to the life-styles of each of these species and includes a walk of about two miles to view the birds at their nest sites.  Ages 12 -- Adult.
To register visit website (below) or call 503-681-5397. Program #: 49509    

For general program information contact Steve Engel.