This content was published: April 5, 2010. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Earth Week activities to take over PCC
Photos and story by James Hill
Portland Community College’s Rock Creek, Cascade and Sylvania campuses will come alive in the spirit of being green for Earth Week 2010 with multi-day celebrations of sustainability.
All events are free and open to the public.
A chart next to the Rock Creek Community Garden explains the campus' award-winning recycling system.
Rock Creek Campus (17705 N.W. Springville Road)
The campus, which has received statewide attention and awards for its vermi-composting, will host the Green Carpet Fashion Show, a student-led version of “Junk to Funk,” which is set to take place at 7 p.m., Friday, April 23, The Forum, Building 3.The event will feature clothing creations made entirely of recycled materials – from funky recycled clothing to outfits created from newspapers, trash bags, cans, plastic, duct tape and parachute material. This event is free and open to the public.
Earth Week will culminate in the annual PCC Earth Celebration on Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Community members are invited to help plant the Rock Creek Learning Garden for spring. The morning will feature earthen oven demonstrations and snacks, invasive plant removal and a wildflower walk at noon, as well as a tour of the Rock Creek loop system, known for its vermi-composting bin (red worms). There also will be a community vendor fair.
Cascade Campus (705 N. Killingsworth St.)
From 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 21, in the cafeteria of the Student Center, students from Lutgarda Cowan’s writing class will discuss their research projects that involved writing term papers on environmental issues. They will share their findings and discuss the process of researching environmental topics.
Cascade students have planned an Earth Day Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, April 22, outside on the campus quad. Organizations and local groups are coming out to share information about their work supporting conservation and the environment. There will be speakers about recycling, current environmental issues and movements within local industry. Local artisans and craftsmen will show off their wares.
Sylvania Campus (12000 S.W. 49th Ave.)
The Rock Creek Learning Garden will be a featured place during PCC's Earth Week.
The Sylvania Green Team and the students in the Environmental Center are hosting a weeklong celebration of April 19-23. The groups are hosting the Celebrate the Environment Festival in the Upper Mall, CC Building, which will feature carnival games that from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The games, which teach about aspects of the environment while entertaining, include water pong, habitat toss, the cap-and-trade shell game and fishing for garbage. In addition there will be food and displays.
Additionally, two PCC faculty, Diane Shingledecker and Dan Dougherty, will give a talk in the Teaching Learning Center (CC Building) from 1 to 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 28 discussing the toxins contained in computer and other electronic equipment. They will show how PCC participated in the proper disposal of electronics with its annual e-cycling drive.
Willow Creek Center (241 SW Edgeway Drive)
The facility will celebrate it’s opening with an Earth Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 24.
For additional details on a complete list of events at any campus, contact the corresponding campuses student government office.
Rock Creek Campus: (503) 614-7442.
Cascade Campus: (503) 978-5188.
Sylvania Campus: (503) 977-4361.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »