educational course

Love to snowshoe? Interested in the animals that live on Mt Hood? Join the Wolverine Tracking Project and develop animal tracking skills while helping us survey for rare carnivores, such as wolverine, on Mt Hood. Season cost is $50; family friendly. Four sets of training dates are available. The third training session is on November 15. 

For more information and to register, visit www.cascadiawild.org. Or contact us at info@cascadiawild.org or 503-235-9533.

Spend your days off from school having fun in nature. These educational camps are filled with hiking adventures, creative crafts, games and friends. Bring a lunch, water bottle and two snacks. Dress for the weather. Suitable for ages 7 - 11 years. Advanced registration required; call 503/629-6350.   An assessment fee will be charged for out-of-district patrons.

Whether it's a calm breeze on a warm day or a crazy, cold blizzard, we can't avoid the weather. So, if you can't beat it, join it. We'll track the weather at the Nature Park and then do some science experiments to try to make our own weather conditions.

Sustainable Building: Deconstruction & Materials Reuse

Instructor: David Heslam, Earth Advantage Institute (Portland, OR)

>>* $500 in assistance funding available for this 2-day workshop and others!

>>In the Pacific Northwest, construction waste accounts for about a quarter of waste stream volume. Residential deconstruction and reuse is a practical and sustainable alternative to demolition. Approximately 85 percent of a building's major components that typically end up in landfills during demolition can be diverted for reuse; and the overall cost of deconstruction is often comparable to, if not lower than standard demolition costs, after tax benefits are factored in. This two-day training will help you build the business case for deconstruction and reuse and will provide an overview of important elements to consider, including: hazard identification, safety, planning & logistics, and deconstruction and reuse best practices.

>>Learning Objectives

• Analyze the economic, environmental and societal case for adopting residential deconstruction and reuse practices
• Differentiate the benefits of reuse versus recycling
• Identify common deconstruction hazards, including asbestos, lead, mold and oil tanks; and best mitigation practices
• Explain the importance of planning in terms of inventorying, budgeting, developing contracts, creating a site and materials management plan, and managing permits
• Identify all the costs associated with deconstruction to produce accurate bids

>>Credits/Accreditation-AIA: 14 LU/HSW/SD learning units-CCB: 14 lective hours-OR Real Estate Agency: 14 elective hours>>Date & Time: November 6-7, 2012 | 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. >>Cost: Register at no cost to you!* Regular Admission: $295>>Location: Earth Advantage Institute | 808 SW 3rd Ave. Suite 800 | Portland, OR 97204

>>To apply or register visit: http://www.earthadvantage.org/sbdmr/>>For more information contact Ryan Harper at rharper@earthadvantage.org or 503.968.7160 x25.

>>*This project is funded by the Workforce Investment Council of Clackamas County through an Oregon State Energy Sector Partnership grant awarded by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. The funds are limited to Oregon residents or Vancouver, WA residents who do business in Oregon.

This program for parents and children ages 3 to 5 introduces little ones to the wonders of nature through hands-on exploration. Join us for a short story, engaging activities, and a nature walk through Whitaker Ponds Nature Park. Themes include; birds, mammals, worms, and pond life. Encourage your child’s natural curiosity for nature with this delightful parent-child program! Remember to wear weather appropriate clothing.

Learn how to get the most out of your veggie garden by planning for a year's worth of successive plantings. This workshop is designed for beginning gardeners and covers timing, plant charts, seed and plant selection, spacing and mapping. Each participant will go home with the know-how and materials to create a customized planting calendar and map.

Please pre-register for this workhop. You can sign up here!

Presenter Information: Rodney Bender has been the Garden Programs Manager for Growing Gardens for the past eight years. He has a degree in Sustainable Agriculture with an emphasis on urban gardening and garden education. Rodney believes everyone has the ability to grow their own food and loves teaching people to find their green thumb. He has been teaching workshops for City of Portland Fix it Fairs, Muddy Boot Organic Festival, Oregon Food Bank, Home Forward, Neighborhood House, Neighborhood Associations and Habitat for Humanity for the past eight years.