2010 Oregon Green Schools Summit
"Saving Little Pieces of Our Earth, One at a Time"

Place: Portland Lutheran School,
740 SE 182nd Avenue, Portland 97233
Friday March 5, 2010 8:15 am – 3:00 pm

Summit Report

Teams of representatives from Oregon Green Schools across the state were greeted by a beautiful, sunny day on March 5th as they arrived at the 14th annual Oregon Green Schools Summit at Portland Lutheran School in Gresham. The Summit theme, “Saving Little Pieces of Our Earth…One at a Time,” stressed that one person at a time, doing one thing at a time, making one difference at a time really adds up. As event organizer Jan Rankin told the crowd of nearly 400 during the opening ceremony, “Taking many little steps can get you a very long way.”

Students, teachers, custodians, parent volunteers, school administrators, Green School coordinators and special guests spent the fun-filled and educational day participating in school displays, networking, performing arts and hands-on activities.

Elementary and middle school students attended four separate educational sessions during which times a wide variety of hands-on workshops were offered. These workshops focused on topics such as watershed management, energy conservation, recycling, waste reduction, creative reuse, sustainable agriculture, air and water quality, vermicomposting, and schoolyard gardens. The Green School Showcase, which featured student presentations from Kelly Creek Elementary, Hammond Elementary, Pleasant Valley Elementary, Hollydale Elementary, Cesar Chavez Elementary and International School of Beaverton, was extremely popular.

Sessions specifically designed for high school students examined sustainable food systems and considered implications of ecological footprints on a local, national and global level. Following these, the high school representatives were treated to a field trip to Gresham’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and adjacent natural stormwater filtration site as well as a stop at Centennial Learning Center. At CLC, they toured the school gardens, and students presented about their on-site food classes and daily preparation of school lunches which often incorporate produce from their garden.

Adults Had Learning Opportunities

And let’s not forget the adults! Adults were free to attend any workshops of their choice, but those designed with the adults in mind (OGS 101 – Stepping Up Your Program, and the Adult Roundtable) were packed to capacity with teachers, custodians, administrators and others involved with their schools’ environmental efforts.

Waste Free In Action

In the morning, all were treated to a waste-free breakfast. Food was provided in bulk, leftovers were collected for composting, coffee was served in ceramic cups, and milk cartons and juice bottles were gathered for recycling. To continue to produce as little waste as possible throughout the day, all school participants brought a waste-free lunch and observed a “Pack it in, Pack it out” policy whereby they took home any garbage that they had brought with them. As a result of these combined efforts, only one small bag of compostable garbage was created during the entire event!

The Summit finale was provided by the Mad Science troop who treated the crowd to an active, engaging performance of “What Do You Know About H2O?” It was a wonderful closure to a beautiful day.

THANK YOU to all of our sponsors who made this day possible and to our Summit volunteers, workshop presenters and OGS supporting partners (listed on the front page).

And thanks to all the haulers who sponsored schools to attend:

Allied Waste of Marion County
Allied Waste of Newberg
Allied Waste of Salem
Allied Waste of Wilsonville
Aloha Garbage Co.
Arrow Sanitary
B & B Leasing
B&J Garbage Company
Cornelius Disposal
D & O Garbage Service
Gresham Sanitary Service
Hoodview Disposal & Recycling
MVS & Recycling
North Marion Recycling & Disposal
Pacific Sanitation
Recology Ashland Sanitary
Roseburg Disposal Company
Royal Refuse
Sanipac
South Umpqua Disposal
Suburban Garbage
United Disposal Service
Valley Recycling & Disposal, Inc.
Waste Management

And a personal shout-out to the student volunteers and staff at Portland Lutheran School who showed us what hospitality is all about.

Jan Rankin

BREAK-OUT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

Session 1 (9:25-10:15); Session 2 (10:25-11:15); Session 3 (12:00-12:50); Session 4 (1:00-1:50)

WATER AROUND THE WORLD (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
Come learn about where fresh drinking water is found around the world. Compare water conditions here in the Pacific Northwest to sources around the world. This presentation includes hands-on games and a video. Presenter: Jody Burlin, Portland Water Bureau

EAT YOUR PLAYGROUND?! (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
Turn a piece of your schoolyard or backyard into a place to grow food! Look at what other schools have done to transform playgrounds into gardens, make your own garden, taste new fruits & vegetables, plant and take home seeds! Presenters: Nell Tessman & Caitlin Blethen, Growing Gardens

GREEN SCHOOL SHOWCASE (Sessions 3, 4)
Get inspiration, ideas, and insights into waste reduction and resource conservation from your peers! Come hear and see students share the unique ways they are contributing to a sustainable future through their Green School projects. Facilitator: Eileen Stapp, Clackamas County Office of Sustainability

CREATIVE RE-USE ART LESSONS (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
Support a traditional art curriculum with creative reuse! Not enough time or money to teach art? Reduce your excuses! Art can be low cost (3 cents per student) and relate to other curriculum topics, as well as divert items from your school and community's waste stream. Learn more and try a project yourself! Presenter: Keri Piehl, SCRAP

SOAK UP THE RAIN! (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
Saving streams never looked so cool! We need your help to prevent polluted water from draining into our creeks and wetlands. Learn how some schools and houses are fighting water pollution a little piece at a time with fun bowl-shaped gardens that attract wildlife, too! Take home ideas to share about how you can do cool pollution eliminating projects at your home or school. Presenter: Jamie Stamberger & Keri Handaly, City of Gresham

SAVING LITTLE PIECES OF OUR EARTH (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
So why should you care about the waste that you (and everyone else) produce every day of every year and why is it so important to reduce, reuse and recycle? Let's explore five commonly recycled materials and think about how we can live well without taking more than our planet has to offer. Presenter: Cheryl Wilhelm, Far West Fibers

A WEIGH OUT OF WASTE (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
Well, what could be more irresistible than digging through the garbage? Become a guru of garbage at this hands-on (gloves provided, we promise!) session! You'll learn tips on how to do a waste audit and how to share your results with your fellow students and teachers. Waste audits are required of all Oregon Green Schools because they help you figure out what to prioritize as you improve your school's recycling/composting programs. You'll also receive a snazzy, new waste audit form and learn how to use it to communicate your findings to your school, principal and parents. But wait...that's not all! You'll also get a brand-spankin'-new energy audit form so you can calculate how much energy your building is wasting and how much money energy conservation measures could save your school! Presenter: Bailey Payne, Marion County Environmental Services

PAPER-MAKING (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
Learn how to make paper from paper! We will learn how paper is made in paper plants from trees then learn how we can save trees by making our own beautiful recycled paper. Fun for all! Presenter: Beth Myers-Shenai, Marion County Environmental Services

I’VE GOT WORMS! (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
Reduce waste and make 1000 new friends by learning how to build and maintain your own composting worm bin! Worms can turn your food waste into rich compost you can use to grow plants and vegetables! Fight global warming with global worming! Presenters: Gregg Hayward, Waste Connections; Erin Rowland, Clark County Solid Waste

SAVING ENERGY, EVERY DAY! (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
PGE energy experts will show you ways to save energy at home and in school and reduce your environmental impact. Topics will include: Basic Electricity; Typical Energy Usage; Heating & Cooling; Air Leaks; Water Usage; Appliances; Lighting…and much more! Presenters: Chris Walker & Roch Naleway, Portland General Electric

WALK & BIKE CHALLENGE (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
For the month of May, all across Oregon, students will be participating in Walk + Bike Challenge Month. These students will challenge their families, schoolmates and other schools to choose active transportation as the way they get to and/or from school each day. There are many benefits to walking and biking to school; it helps children be physically active, reduces automobile trips, and creates a sense of community. Walk + Bike Challenge Month is a fun, friendly competition that encourages healthy habits. Is your school up to the challenge? Presenters: LeeAnne Fergason, Jordan Bailey & Joel Holly, Bicycle Transportation Alliance

IT’S NOT COOL TO IDLE AT SCHOOL (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4)
A single car dropping off and picking up kids at school can put three pounds of pollution into the air each month! That’s because when cars and buses idle, their emissions increase dramatically, and these emissions include chemicals that have a negative affect on human health and the environment. Learn why emissions are harmful, and how you can help reduce air pollution at your school. Remember, it’s not cool to idle at school. Presenter: Ashley Hollenbeck, Oregon Environmental Council

PEDAL POWER (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4) How much energy does it take to light a light bulb? How is electricity produced and where does it come from? These questions will be answered while students ride a bicycle that generates electricity when pedaled! Presenter: Holly Wolfe, David Douglas School District

ADULT SESSIONS:

Session 1 (9:25-10:15); Session 2 (10:25-11:15)

OGS 101 – STEPPING UP YOUR PROGRAM (Session 1)
Looking to spruce up an existing program? Want to take your school to the next certification level? Need some new ideas or help with an existing barrier? Join us for some basic Saving Little Pieces of Our Earth (guidance)... One (step) at a Time. Facilitator: Sue Shade, Beaverton School District

ADULT ROUNDTABLE (Session 2)
Planting the Resource Conservation seed in our youth will bear fruit for the future of Our Earth. Teachers, advisors and other non-student adults, please join us to learn of other school's successes, re-energize, and brainstorm relevant topics of your choice! Facilitator: Sue Shade, Beaverton School District

HIGH SCHOOL BREAK-OUT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

Session 1 (9:25-10:15); Session 2 (10:25-11:15); Session 3 (1:45-2:45)

LIVING BUILDINGS & EDIBLE LANDSCAPES (Sessions 1, 2) Room AC-1
Through exciting, hands-on activities you will explore the world of sustainable food systems. Discover how people in urban areas throughout Oregon and around the world are raising everything from chickens to tomatoes in their backyards to the very tops of skyscrapers. In addition you will investigate techniques in sustainable agriculture and the benefits that raising and eating local foods can make for Plant Earth. Presenter: Jon Mayer & Maureen Hosty, OSU Extension Service

ECO-FOOTPRINT: WORLD VIEW (Sessions 1, 2) Room AC-2
How does the ecological footprint of the U.S. compare to other nations? We'll model how a common natural resource is extracted worldwide, discuss how natural resources are used around the globe, what it means to become "sustainable" and ideas that make a difference. Presenter: Sara Kirby, Metro

GREEN TEEN SHOWCASE & ROUNDTABLE (Session 3) Commons
Get inspiration, ideas, and insights into waste reduction and resource conservation from other “green” teens and share the unique ways your school is contributing to a sustainable future. We’ll hear about the great things going on at Centennial Learning Center. Then we’ll take the stories, ideas and information you’ve heard today and turn ideas and information into a plan for action. Facilitator: Sara Kirby, Metro

WATER TREATMENT FIELD TRIP (11:45 – 1:45)
Clean water is the most valuable resource on earth. We’ll visit two sites, each of which demonstrates a different method of how water is treated before being released into the Columbia Slough, which feeds into the Willamette River.

Columbia Slough Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility:
As rain hits buildings, parking lots, streets, and lawns, it collects pesticides, fertilizers, gasoline, oil, and heavy metals, and ultimately the run-off can carry and dump this chemical soup into our streams. There’s no man-made treatment to collect and remove these pollutants from stormwater – but that’s what this natural filtration site does! This restored parcel of land not only cleans our water but provides food and homes for an abundance of native wildlife.

Gresham’s Wastewater Treatment Plant:
Ever wonder where the water goes after you do the dishes, or flush the toilet? And what happens to all the “stuff” in the water? Find out when you tour Gresham’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. The 45-minute guided tour takes you through all the steps needed to remove “stuff” and treat the water to the degree that it is safe enough to send it into the Columbia Slough. In addition, learn how this plant is using alternative forms of energy to meet its goal of 100% sustainability – including the largest ground-mounted solar array in the Pacific Northwest!

Facilitators/Guides: Jean Harrison, City of Gresham; Paul Proctor, Veolia Water North America