Happy Earth Day 2016!
Master Recyclers are committed to protecting the earth year round. You are found everywhere doing your part to take care of the planet.
Just to name a few:
Design by freepik.com.
Leading green teams at businesses like Sussman Shank LLP, Orchard Hardware, Crate and Barrel, the Beaverton Library and Providence (and so many businesses in between).
Coaching hundreds of kids in a Lego robotics competition where they had to learn about problem about waste and identify a solution.
Teaching students at schools like Alameda Elementary, Cedar Ridge Middle School, Forest Grove High School and Mt Hood Community College.
Joining partner campaigns like Repair Fairs, Community Warehouse, The ReBuilding Center, Eat Smart, Waste Less Challenge, Resourceful PDX, Metro Healthy Homes, Portland Climate Action Now, and the Yes/No Recycling table.
Greening events like Festa Italiana, Forest Grove Farmer’s Market, brew fests and Cinco de Mayo
Presenting to book clubs, rotary clubs, communities of faith and even family gatherings.
Thank you for your efforts. Since July 2015, Master Recyclers have volunteered almost 2,300 hours and had more than 150,000 contacts in the community!
Two ways renew your commitment to our planet!
The calendar is full of opportunities to celebrate Earth Week. But here are two ways you can take your commitment through into the summer: Farmers markets and community collection and cleanup events are around the corner!
Farmers’ Markets
Enjoy mellow days, music and family conversations at your local farmer’s market. Consider staffing a booth once or for several dates at your favorite market as a way to stretch out your Earth Day commitment.
Spring is Cleanup Season!
Portland Community Collection Events are organized to offer a wide range of Portland residents, including seniors and people with disabilities, with proper disposal of household bulky waste and prioritize and promote both recycling and reuse. The events are a partnership between Neighborhood Coalitions, the City of Portland, and Metro in order to invest in and build community capacity, including advancing equity and waste reduction and reuse.
Master Recyclers also help at recycling collection events for those hard to recycle items like computers, shredded paper and non-curbside plastics throughout the region. You can act as a greeter, train other volunteers or help plan the event for your payback hours.
You are invited
Washington County and Beaverton Season Kick-off and Recycling Refresher
Park N Ride, 225 S First Ave, Room 103, Hillsboro
Thursday April 7, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Join Washington County and City of Beaverton staff to learn what’s happening in 2016 and brush up on your recycling knowledge. Washington County will provide pizza. Please bring a dish or beverage to share and your own eating and drinking ware. After a fun game of recycling jeopardy, learn about the three campaigns for this year and get some tabling practice with your fellow Master Recyclers.
Please RSVP so we can get a head count for pizza.
Washington County Volunteer Celebration
Thursday April 21, 5 – 7 p.m.
Tuality Health Education Center, 334 SE 8th Ave, Hillsboro
Join County staff, Master Recyclers and other volunteer groups to celebrate service to our community. There will be food and drinks, guest speakers, and door prizes. Contact Brian if you are willing to stand up and speak for two to three minutes about the most surprising thing you learned, funniest incident you encountered or what touched you the most about volunteering.
Appreciations
Thank you to March’s Certified Master Recyclers!
Stacy helping kids audit waste in their classroom.
Stacy Ludington is the first of Class 61! She taught about greener cleaners, the 3R's and waste audits in elementary schools. She also helped high school students understand the impacts of full life cycle of materials on our environment. She visited 12 different schools during this month as an AmeriCorps and Master Recycler volunteer, accumulating almost 50 hours. Stacy engaged over 400 kids in Portland Public Schools just during the month of February!
JAC demonstrating the upstream costs of consumption during a class workshop.
JAC Conlu (Class 60) joined as one of three Sustainability Captains at the IAAF World Indoor Sports Championship. This massive sustainability effort included recycling and composting for ten's of thousands of guests from around the world. It helped showcase to the world the importance our region places on sustainability. JAC trained and supervised diverse and enthusiastic volunteers from the community.
Nicole Vanoni (Class 59) shared her enthusiasm for waste prevention at the Clackamas County Fair talking to folks about toxics free cleaning and Yard and Garden shows to promote The ReBuilding Center.
Annelise chatting with a biker about food waste with the new Portland CAN table at Sunday Parkways.
Annelise Kelly (Class 59) has been writing about salvage, deconstruction and reuse for The ReBuilding Center monthly newsletter and staffed their booth at a number of trade shows.
Jennifer Levy (Class 58) is actively involved in her North Portland neighborhood in St Johns. So, of course, her volunteer hours were spent organizing a recycling roundup and a neighborhood cleanup with seed swaps, a reuse area and recycling galore. Her neighborhood is cleaner for it and the materials are going to a new higher purpose!
Volunteer Opportunities
Ongoing opportunities:
People’s Co-op Farmer’s Market Recovery Plan - Help this buzzing Farmer’s Market plan and implement a recovery plan.
Children's Book Bank Ambassador Board - Use your leadership skills to help kids succeed!
Jade Night Market (August 20 and August 27) - Sign up now to help with recycling plans at this exciting night market event.
April's Master Recycler Volunteer Calendar is packed with Earth events!
Visit the May calendar for early May events too!
Conservation News
10TH ANNUAL CHAIR AFFAIR
Montgomery Park, 2701 NW Vaughn St #210, Portland
Saturday April 9, 6 p.m.
Tickets are sold out! but they have additional seats available in the next two weeks. To reserve your place on the waitlist, email Anna Kurnizki with the number of tickets desired. Each year, generous, talented artists create/transform chairs, tables and other ordinary household items into artful furnishings, children’s art, or tablescapes that are featured at the main event. The evening includes a unique silent auction, catered dinner, live auction, and entertainment. Visit Community Warehouse online to learn more.
Association of Oregon Recyclers Spring Forum: Oregon's Bottle Bill, Past, Present and Future
Reed Opera House, 189 Liberty St NE, Salem
Thursday April 14, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
This four-hour presentation will remind us of how the bill works now (and lots of us need that!) and inform the audience of the upcoming changes. Whether you are new to the state or have been around a while like I have, this forum is a great opportunity.
Visit AOR online to learn more or register.
Earth Day Evening of Music and Song
First Unitarian Church, Eliot Chapel, 1211 SW Main St, Portland
Friday April 22, 7:30 - 9 p.m.
Celebrate Earth Day with an evening of music and song. Instrumental and vocal groups will include the Sky in the Road, David Roth, Madrona Viola Duo, and Satori Men’s Chorus. Everyone is welcome. Donations accepted for rental of space. RSVPs appreciated: Center for Earth Leadership, 503-244-0026.
SUSTAINABLE OREGON 2016
DoubleTree by Hilton, 1000 NE Multnomah St, Portland
June 8-10th
Sustainable Oregon is a three-day interactive learning experience featuring cutting-edge educational sessions and workshops, local and national experts and speakers, facility tours, valuable networking opportunities, and an awards program celebrating the achievements of Oregon’s recycling, reuse, and waste reduction businesses and leaders.
Sustainable Oregon provides stakeholders in Oregon’s recycling and waste prevention community with the knowledge and resources to address current challenges in the industry, implement and improve recycling programs, advocate for policies and initiatives that advance recycling and waste prevention, and support the development of a generation of professionals for whom sustainability is a core tenant of their work and life philosophy.
Job Opportunities
Two positions: Metro Recycling Information Center Program Assistants
Are you a people person who enjoys problem solving and knows how to provide exceptional customer service? If so, you might be the perfect fit for Metro's Recycling Information Center team. Learn more at the Master Recycler Jobs Board. Closes April 13.
SCRAP Reuse Supply Coordinator
If you are a go-getter with a passion for sustainability, can keep pace with multiple duties and responsibilities, prioritize customer service and have an innate sense for what needs to be done, this job’s for you! Learn more at the Master Recycler Jobs Board. Open until filled.
Contributions to this month's newsletter include J Lauren Norris, Alicia Polacok and Wing Grabowski.