Agency: Hands On Greater Portland

Description:

Time and time again, Portland ranks among the top "green" cities in the country, and those of us who live here know this isn't just a factor of the Northwest's rainy reputation. The Greater Portland area is home to a vast array of nonprofit and governmental organizations working hard to implement sustainable values and promote environmental stewardship within our communities. From habitat restoration to reuse/recycling initiatives, clean water campaigns to garden installations, local organizations are doing their part to work for a sustainable future. So what can you do to be a part of the effort?

This Teamworks will focus on exploring the different ways local nonprofits are impacting the local environment in positive ways. We'll be breaking up asphalt in favor of greenspaces, prepping farmland, marking storm drains, learning about where our trash goes, and more, all while discussing what defines a healthy ecosystem and how we can contribute to the environmental health of our communities and our planet. If you've ever been curious to dig deeper into local environmental initiatives, now's your chance!

There will be some short reading assignments interspersed throughout the TeamWorks to deepen our understanding and discussion of the issues we'll be exploring. See below for full schedule of TeamWorks events!

TeamWorks teams consist of approximately 10-12 individuals, led by one or two Hands On volunteer leaders, who commit to volunteering for every project in the series, so please check your schedule before signing up! If you know you need to miss one, we may still be able to squeeze you in; just let us know in advance. Questions can be directed to eric@handsonportland.org or 503.200.3369.

Team Schedule!

Sat, June 26: Kickoff! Break up the Asphalt at Holy Redeemer Church
8:45am – 1:30pm
DePave, at Holy Redeemer Church, N. Portland
We’ll join the DePave team to remove 4,100 square feet of asphalt from 12 pockets across a massive 69,000 square foot paved playground. Holy Redeemer Church, with the support of the Columbia Slough Watershed Council, will plant native trees and shrubs in the pockets that will beautify and shade the school yard, and catch and infiltrate rainwater from the rest of the lot, thus diverting almost 92,000 gallons of stormwater annually from draining into the Columbia Slough and Columbia River. Once we finish breaking up the asphalt, we'll head over to nearby Peninsula park for a bag lunch (remember to bring one!) so we can get to know one another and discuss the awesome slate of projects we'll be doing throughout the teamworks.

Wednesday, June 30: Storm Drain Marking
6:30 - 8:30pm
Bureau of Environmental Services, 17th and Taylor at Colonel Summers City Park
With the guidance of a representative from the Bureau of Environmental Services, we’ll take to the streets to mark neighborhood storm drains with “No Dumping, Drains to River.” These markers help educate the public and aim to reduce the dumping of hazardous pollutants in drains that eventually discharge into our rivers and streams. We’ll also learn about other initiatives spearheaded by the Bureau of Environmental Services to reduce storm water run-off and contamination.

Tuesday, July 6th: Salvage Building Materials at the Rebuilding Center
6:00 – 8:00pm
The Rebuilding Center, 3625 N Mississippi Ave.
Reduce, recycle, reuse! We'll dive in to some hands on projects at the Rebuilding Center's non-profit store for used building materials and help reduce the flow of useable building materials into the waste stream. Closed toe shoes required, and bring a water bottle and work gloves if you have them. Wear warm clothes as the building is chilly. Some tasks may involve medium to heavy lifting.

Saturday, July 10: Ross Island paddle & restoration work party
8:30am (sharp!) – 1:30pm
Portland Parks and Rec, Meeting location TBD in SE Portland
Come help restore this beautiful urban greenspace. We will start with a paddle up the Willamette River from the Portland Boathouse to Ross Island (canoes provided by Willamette River Keepers). Once on the island, volunteers will help eradicate invasive species and remove litter from the island. Afterwards, we’ll convene for a longer discussion about the environmental issues we’ve explored so far.

Thursday, July 15: Zenger Farm Work Party
6:30 – 8:30pm
Zenger Farm, SE Portland
Come out and get your hands dirty at Zenger farm! Bring gloves and enthusiasm to this urban farm and protected wetland, smack dab in the middle the Lents neighborhood in outer SE.  Zenger is a non-profit, working urban farm promoting sustainable food practices, youth education, environmental stewardship, and community and economic development.

Sat, July 24: Tour of Metro’s Central Transfer Station
10:00am – 12:30pm
Metro Transfer Station, N.W. Portland
Ever wonder just where your trash and recycling actually goes? Or how toxic chemicals get properly “disposed”? We’ll find out just that as we take a tour of Metro’s central transfer station, where everything is brought, sorted, and ultimately “dealt with,” whether that means recycled into a new life or left to the landfill. We'll spend a bit of time at the end talking about what we've learned and how it relates to some of the other projects we've been out on thus far.

Tuesday, July 27^th: Spruce Up Mt. Tabor Park & TeamWorks Wrap-up
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Mt Tabor Park, SE Portland

We’ll spend the evening outside at Mt Tabor, an extinct volcano in SE Portland, and help maintain this unique park. The extensive spread of non-natives such as English ivy, Western clematis and Himalayan blackberry is threatening tree regeneration and the greater native plant diversity necessary for clean water and wildlife habitat. We'll be removing these invasive species, and possibly working on trails. Bring gloves, wear thick pants and sturdy shoes, and bring hand clippers if you have them!

Once we’ve finished with the work party, we’ll round up as a group to debrief all that we’ve done, what we’ve learned, and how we can continue to be active in promoting a more sustainable future for Portland, Oregon, and beyond. Bring some snacks to share!

Impact Areas: Environment, Citizen Action/Academy, Other

Interests: The interests recommended for this project are:
Community Enrichment, Environment, Education, Advocacy

Skills: The skills helpful for participation in this project are:
Working with People, Yard Work & Gardening, Facilitation/Conversation, Trail work & Planting