Week of Earth Day!

Wednesday is Earth Day!! Get involved to help the planet and our future. Environmental Club is hosting a fair in the Park Blocks next to Smith. Come out and visit us between 11 and 3.

The next meeting is Monday, April 27 at 5:00 pm in SMSU 229.

PSU's Learning Gardens forum went really well! We had several panelists with educational gardening experience, ranging from Portland Community College's Learning Gardens, Southeast Learning Gardens Laboratory, and Tryon Life Community. A few administrators and students were present and all asked great questions of the panelists.

Focus the Nation townhall went really well also! Hoffman Hall was packed with people from all over Portland. I met a bunch of students from University of Portland, a high school teacher, and listened to Earl Blumenaeur!

Earth Day Fair
The Environmental Club is hosting an Earth Day Fair on Wednesday, April 22 from 11 to 3. We have invited a ton of sustainability groups to table with us in the Park Blocks. Come by and visit us!!

We have 4 tables that are Environmental Club related.

* Take Back the Tap
* Planting your own vegetable starters & Learning Gardens
* Letters to your legislator (with Sierra Student Coalition)
* Environmental Club main table & "To reduce my footprint, I will..." poster

PSU Senior Capstone - Nicaragua, Community, Sustainability
Be part of the solution! Join the next group of PSU students to travel in Nicaragua to make a difference with rural farming communities. In this two quarter Capstone, you will work with local and international NGOs to help design and implement a project that focuses on food security, watershed restoration, renewable and appropriate energy, and community development. Students will learn sustainable energy alternatives (ex. photovoltaics, micro-hydro, & wind).

This Capstone has two phases:
1) At PSU, students will address small-scale deployment of sustainable energy to support community health and economic development. You will have an opportunity to write a grant or fundraise for continuing the project; and
2) In Nicaragua, students will tour rural, community based renewable and appropriate energy projects and talk with men, women, and children about the local successes and challenges.

This Capstone is for the Fall 2009/Winter 2010 quarters. During winter break, students will travel to Nicaragua for 10-12 days and work directly with villagers on a variety of renewable and appropriate energy oriented service projects.

Dates: Fall and Winter Quarters. Travel Planned for Dec. 9 – Dec 18 (subject to change)

Want to see what we have done?
Go to: http://nicaragua-pdx.pbwiki.com/

If you are interested please contact:
John Rueter
Professor of Environmental Sciences and Management
rueterj@pdx.edu 503 725 3194

Cycling Club events
Coming up there are some fun cycling club rides you can go on and ride your bike. You can find specific information about these rides on the cycling club calendar
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=dmlraW5nLmN5Y2xpbmdAZ21haWwuY29t

Here's the FUNdamentals:
LHTuesday: Meet in front of SB2 at noon, ride for a while. good training for the STP or any long ride you want to do this summer. Last week we rode up to skyline and then back down Germantown road, over st johns, and stopped at voodoo donut. It was fun. This week will be different, but hopefully still fun. Also, we might be making a movie about the cycling club so I'm going to wear my jersey, you should too! Bring water, snacks, tools, and some cash. Be prepared for flats, mechanicals, rain, wind, and fatty tasty sugar treats.

Hump Day Hustle (Wednesday):
Meet in front of SB2 at 6:30-ish. ride leaves at 7. This will be more urban, so bring your lights and lock. we'll ride up a hill or two, but not hammer on them. This is NOT a training ride, but is intended to be fun, and a little challenging, and social. We'll try to wrap it up around nine, depending on how folks are feeling.

BIKE POLO:
It's polo, but on bikes, so no horsies. Sorry. However, it is on campus, at the tennis courts just south (uphill!) of Shattuck hall, and will be wicked awesome. Starts at 6PM, but show up as soon as you can. Goes until everyone is tired or it is too dark to play, though the calendar says 8.

As always, there will be a Saturday ride. check the calendar!

Also: If you have ideas for awesome rides you want to lead, or you know of a neat place we should go, or something else, please come on a ride and tell us about it, or email, or call.

City of Portland: Overlook clean-up starts at new Pittman Addition HydroPark
10 am - 12 pm, Sat April 25
Pittman Addition HydroPark

Help out with the annual Overlook neighborhood clean-up!

Bring leather gloves, and heavy boots or shoes. Community members will meet at the newly developing Pittman Addition HydroPark at the north end of the Concord Street pedestrian overpass (just west of Interstate and N Going). Volunteers will help remove some non-native plants at the new park site and then move on to other nearby sites and finish up with litter pick-up along Going Street down to N Greeley Avenue.

The clean-up is being sponsored by the Overlook Neighborhood Association, Portland Water Bureau, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and Metro.
http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?mode=calendar&cal=DisplayEvent&event_id=40562&c=30155

YouTube's Live Green channel
Tips and Ideas for Eco-living... and a bunch of videos!
http://www.youtube.com/ytlivegreen


Drop your homework and go outside!