Donate to the Portland Fruit Tree Project
In 2009 over 14,798 lbs of fruit was collected and given to those in need, saving it from falling and going to waste on the sidewalks. The Portland Fruit Tree Project is an amazing idea that both helps fight hunger and waste, while increasing urban sustainability in a very green way. The PFTP collects fruit from trees in the city that would otherwise go to waste, all fruit is either in a public space or has been donated by the property owner. No more walking down the street to find perfectly good plums rotting and squishing underfoot from where they fell, now the little old lady with too many plums can have volunteers collect them from the trees in her yard and then then take them to the food bank. Fresh fruit and vegetables are critical to a healthy diet, yet often are unavailable at a reasonable cost which prevents lower income families from enjoying fresh food. With the Portland Fruit Tree Project, all of the food is used and used by those who need it most.
Now through December 31st, 2009 the Portland Fruit Tree Project has a generous anonymous donor that will do a 50% match on whatever donations are collected. That means that your donation now can make 50% more of an impact to the hungry of the Portland area. You can also Gift a donation. The donation goes to the project and they send a holiday gift card to the person who you gifted it for thanking them for the donation in their name. Give the gift of local healthy food to the hungry and urban sustainability for us all to share.
To donate to this amazing project write a check to or donate online:
The Portland Fruit Tree Project
1912 NE Killingsworth St
Portland, OR 97211
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Portlands Bike Plan to 2030
From October 5th to November 8th drop by the Portland Bureau of Transportation to give your two cents on the bike plan for 2030. Portland started its bike plan in 1996 and has gone through several revisions. The plan paves the way for changes to the city to make it more walkable, bikable, and downright more livable. Mayor Sam Adams (@MayorSamAdams on Twitter) strongly believes in the bike community and the contribution that they make to green minded and healthy Portland. Because of his support and the forward thinking ways of the city, the original bike plan took the 30 miles of bike lanes and changed it into 300 miles of city bike lanes. The new plan will be completed at the end of this year and be used from now until the next revision as the master plan for the city’s direction. More bike lanes are planned, as well as the new buffered roads that provide room for the MAX light rail as well as bikers, pedestrians, and cars (both parked and moving). Click here to see more on the 2030 Bike Plan for Portland and make sure to bring your thoughts and concerns up to the city during the community review time.
While I am writing a pro-bike article, I should take this time to put in a quick personal and unrelated gripe to kindly request that Portland bikers please pay attention to your right of way. It might just ruin my afternoon if you run the stop sign just in time to pop in front of my car and get smeared all over the pavement. Your bad. Stop for the stop signs.)
… Read the full story »Green Sprouts Organic Baby Fest Sept. 26
Calling all parents (and parents-to-be)! Get informed and entertained at Green Sprouts Baby Fest, set for Saturday, September 26 at Peninsula Park. This gathering features over 90 non-profits and green businesses vetted by the ubiquitous Re-Direct Guide. Find a pre-natal yoga instructor, a midwife, and a daycare co-op in one fell swoop. Get the scoop on non-toxic nurseries, organic clothing, safe toys, and more. In addition to exhibitors, Green Sprouts also offers a variety of seminars and interactive events for the whole family, including sing-a-longs, a kids clothes/books/toys swap, and even a baby sling fashion show! Follow Green Sprouts on Twitter for the latest.
Attendees are encouraged to take public transit as the MAX Yellow Line drops you off just blocks away at North Rosa Parks Way. Organizers aim for the event to be zero-waste, so leave the organic handi-snacks at home, folks.
$3 suggested donation to benefit Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative.
Location: Peninsula Park
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Filed Under: Eco Ideas, Education, Green Home, Portland, Sustainable | Tagged:
Lents Linear Garden
Prepping for the street fair on September 12 and the opening of the MAX green line, the Lents neighborhood in Portland has been busy changing their strip of grass along the road (the “parking strip”) into a long, beautiful linear garden that may go as long as 30-45 blocks in time. The garden is going to be cut up into planned sections each representing a different collection of northwest native plants that should thrive. The up and coming Lents neighborhood has already gained a lot of community attention and involvement from those that would love to see their neighborhood reduce its litter and increase the value and livability through a unique botanical garden. The idea is not only eco friendly, but has the full support of the neighborhood association and has thrilled the city council. Though not complete, take a look at the progress they have made when you check out the September 12 Lents street fair. See more pictures and information at Neighborhood Notes.
The Muddy Boot Festival 2009: A Soulful Celebration of Sustainable Living
Holy cow, the Muddy Boot Festival is almost here! Now in its fourth year, this lively, three-day outdoor festival celebrates all manners of sustainable living in Portland, so get your tickets now and show your support for making our town greener and cleaner than ever before.
Highly recommended is Friday’s keynote address by environmental activist and prolific author Bill McKibben, whose work deals with how local communities can come together to combat global climate change. McKibben wants everyone to know about “the most important number in the world,” 350. As in 350 parts per million, the safe upper limit ofCO2 in the atmosphere as identified by scientists (see 350.org). The talk begins 7 pm on Friday, September 11. Tickets are $20/general and $15/students in advance; $25 at the door.
Muddy Boot continues through the weekend. Get fed on organic food and drink in the marketplace. Get informed via workshops and panel discussions with local sustainability advocates (the list of speakers reads like a who’s who of pdx green experts). Get down to live music by awesome local bands. Kids entertainment, too. Puppets! Recycled arts and crafts! Did I mention March Fourth Marching Band will be there Saturday night? Sounds like some good, wholesome fun for all.
Location: St. Philip Neri Church, 2408 SE 16th Avenue
Click here for the full schedule.
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The 20 on Hawthorne
SE 20th and Hawthorne is now host to “The 20 on Hawthorne” a 51 unit complex of LEED silver certified homes. The homes feature energy efficient lighting and heating, low VOC paints and surfacing, and Energy Star appliances. The complex also boasts Portlands first (and the nations largest) puzzle lift parking garage (See the video here). A large eco-roof with drought resistant indigenous plants tops the whole complex off reducing rainwater runoff and further insulating the building. See more on this complex at Seeing Green.
Filed Under: Green Home, LEED, News, Portland | Tagged:
Solarize Portland
Solarize Portland is a new take on San Francisco’s 1 Block off the Grid project that helps entire neighborhoods band together to buy solar parts, planning, and installing solar panels in bulk. The residents of Mt. Tabor are going to have the opportunity to attend several planning meetings where the Energy Trust of Oregon will give homeowners the opportunity to have their home estimated for a solar panel installation. The obligation free estimate and site survey and planning information will give the opportunity to see if a solar installation is possible for their budget. Though the homeowner has to cover the entire installation out of their own pocket, up to 80% of the money will be refunded using solar rebates from the local and federal government funds. See more at Neighborhood Notes.
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Rooftop Wind Turbines in Portland
Southwest Windpower has just installed 4 wind turbines to the new residential tower on 12st street in downtown Portland, Oregon. The 4 wind turbines will power a portion of the buildings electrical needs and will serve as an experiment for the viability of rooftop wind power. The Energy Trust of Oregon paid for the turbines atop the LEED Platinum certified tower where they will only provide about 1% of the total power for the building. See more (including a video) at Jetson Green.
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Hanes Embraces Hemp
Portland based Naturally Advanced Technologies has come up with a natural enzyme based process that makes hemp fiber as soft as cotton. That would launch hemp fiber into the mainstream as a competitive alternative to cotton as the softness is the only thing keeping this crop from being the biggest and most sustainable way to make fabrics for cheap with less environmental impact. Hemp can grow in harsher conditions, grows faster, longer, and produces far more (the whole plant can be used rather than just bits of fluff from the pods). All of this makes hemp a very cheap way to have organic fabrics for the masses. The only environmentally friendly alternative to mainstream cotton at this time is organic cotton. Although organic cotton does exist, it is over 60% more expensive than regular cotton and has nearly zero market presence because of that. If the Crailar hemp technology takes flight, then you can expect to see denim, paper towels, paper, and clothing fabric all to be made out of hemp in the future. Hanes has already taken notice, so the next time you pick up a pack of tightie whities they might just be made of hemp instead of cotton.
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City Garden Farms
City Garden Farms is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) here in Portland using a brilliant new idea for successful urban farming. CGF is distributed across many different physical yards in Portland, each donated by a CSA member who doesn’t mind a portion of their lawn being converted into a shared garden. City Garden Farms was put together by Dan Bravin and Martin Barret who found that by having many donated lawns they have a lot of space to grow food for the members, more than any single location they can find in the city. The United States used to produce 60% of its food from home gardens, not multinational food corporations that fly food in from thousands of miles away. By having more gardens and less lawns we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and unsustainable food practices. Prevent starvation, grow your own food.
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