e2 May 12, 2005 - May 22, 2005
Hello, and Welcome to The Dirt!
Why bother with cold rain in the middle of May? Soft rain catching on fir needles. Hard rain tearing through green. Rain in the garden, pooled up in the center of a lupine leaf. Rain creatures - kids in yellow rubber rain suits, my kids naked in the mud. Wood ducks and mallards paddling around Oaks Bottom followed by lines of silly little ducklings. Slugs in the lettuce. My lettuce sawed off at the root, covered in slug slime. What will the slugs eat now?
The best fun you can have in rainy May Portland is to stand in the middle to the street, and watch where the rain goes. Watch it run off of the houses, down the driveway. Watch it pour into the gutters and braid through the debris that collects along the sidewalk. Stand on a manhole cover and listen to the buried watershed rushing through the sewer pipes. It is still there. Don't forget.
Cheyenne,
and The Rest of Us
at Spreading Roots, Spring Forth
PS. Dear Folks,
This week's issue perfectly showcases all the many wonderful ways that you can go out, learn about and make a positive difference. From learning about migratory songbirds, speaking out for nature in our neighborhoods, collecting your own rainwater, discovering the earth charter or attending a unique play about breast cancer, where else could you learn about all of it but in The Dirt!?
ANIMAL TRACKS
This class offers one the ability to learn track ID, understanding gaits and patterns, interpreting behavior, and weaving our observations into an understanding of the landscape and its inhabitants. We will camp two nights at Eel Creek Campground in the Oregon Dunes -- possibly the best tracking spot on the west coast with deer, porcupine, coyote, beaver, river otter, raccoon, marten, bobcat, American bear, rabbit, squirrels, and birds inhabiting the coastal forest/dune systems. We will study track stories that we search out and find in the field. We will make plaster casts to take home, and share our own stories around the campfire. Wet feet and dirty knees guaranteed!
NATURAL STYLE: A SUSTAINABLE LIVING FESTIVAL
A collaborative,
diverse sustainable living festival, Natural Style Living Festival promises to inspire
and be fun for the entire community! Look forward to learning more about
integrating sustainability into your everyday life, no matter what practices
you already embrace, without sacrificing your modern day lifestyle.
The show will
feature:
- 110+ Exhibits
showcasing healthy and sustainable products and services
- Music and entertainment
- Speakers and demonstrations
- Children's
activities and entertainment
- Organic
Food, Beer, and Wine Sampling
- and more...
Topic areas include:
- Green home & garden
- Organic food & beverages
- Eco-Fashion & Style
- Natural Health
- Fair Trade
- Resource Conservation
- Community
- and more...
Visit
www.naturalstylefestival.com for more information and to download a $2 coupon off admission.
THE VILLAGE BUILDING CONVERGENCE (VBC5)
VBC5 promises to be Portland's biggest community/natural
building event yet. Seventeen neighborhood-based traffic calming,
ecological art and garden installation projects
will provide ample cob-building and permaculture experience for
students of all ages. In addition to the neighborhood sites, there will
be daily workshops and evening programs
featuring visionary speakers and builders including
Joseph Kennedy, The Art of Natural Building;
Randy Schmidt on Pattern Language & The Nature of Order;
Toby Hemenway, Gaia's Garden;
Stuart Cowan, Ecological Design;
Kiko Denzer, Build your own Earth Oven;
Nance Klehm, Chicago permaculturalist; Lydia Doleman,
Sukita Crimmell and many more.
* = This event is co-sponsored by Portland Office of Sustainable Development, KBOO Community Radio, Sunnyside Environmental School, Southeast Uplift, Portland Office of Transportation.
WILDERNESS FIRST AID
Fast paced and hands-on, this two-day course covers a wide range of wilderness medicine topics for people who travel in the outdoors. Whether spending time in the backcountry is your passion or your profession, you should never have to ask, "What do I do now?" WMI's curriculum is unique and includes many advanced topics such as dislocation reduction, focused spinal assessment and epinephrine administration. In just two days, you'll have the knowledge, skills and ability to make sound decisions in emergency situations. WMI's certificate is valid for two years and is pre-approved by such organizations as the American Camping Association, the United States Forest Service, and other governmental agencies. This course does not include CPR, though this may be offered separately Friday night at the Belt Building. Participants can camp at Lake Selmac Campground or call SFI for other lodging options.
ZUMWALT PRAIRIE PRESERVE WEEKEND RESTORATION IN EASTERN OREGON
Volunteers Needed at Zumwalt Prairie Preserve!!
The Nature Conservancy invites anyone interested in assisting conservation efforts on Zumwalt Prairie Preserve, located on the breaks of the Imnaha River in Northeast Oregon, to attend a volunteer work party Saturday and Sunday,
Saturday-Sunday, May 21-22. Zumwalt Prairie Preserve is a key part of the largest remaining native bunchgrass prairie in North America, harboring 12,000 acres of abundant prairie habitat, 15,000 acres of canyonlands and 12 miles of creeks with spawning habitat for endangered Snake River steelhead and inland redband trout. Zumwalt is also home to one of the largest concentrations of nesting raptors in North America. Volunteers will be collecting native seeds, removing invasive species, and repairing historic structures and fences. *Participants need to bring appropriate clothing for any weather event and lunch and water for Saturday’s work. For those who wish to stay the night, Saturday night dinner and Sunday breakfast will be provided. You will need to bring a tent and sleeping bag.* Registration is required. For more information or to register, please contact Ray Guse at (541) 786-2524 or Molly Dougherty at (503) 230-1221.