Sustainability

Sustainability Map

Students are working on developing ArcGis Story maps offer an in-depth guide to campus Sustainability. To date they’ve completed many campus-specific maps of Sustainability at PCC.

Students have also developed other maps to support resiliency assessment work at PCC. Using readily available environmental and social data, students have placed PCC in context to help the college understand its ability to adapt and response to climate change and climate emergencies.

Older style maps are also available.

See the sustainability features at: Cascade, Rock Creek, Southeast, Sylvania

Sylvania campus is defined by its topography. The pronounced slope - generally downhill to the west-southwest can create challenges for accessibility when accessing the site and moving between buildings. The large setback from the eastern main campus edge is dominated by surface parking terracing down to the campus core. There is a two tier concrete system of paths and corridors, allowing for circulation across the slope of the campus, from building to building. This allows building elevators to help address slope circulation issues and creates a pattern of corridors, courtyards and overlooks.

  • Cob Salmon Bench

    East of H Street

  • Watershed Mural

    Sylvania Campus, North Side of the PAC Building.

    Working with Green Initiative Funds, painter Ryan Pierce and a team of PCC art students collaborated over the summer of 2011 on a mural which directly addresses the surface runoff problem from the Sylvania infrastructure and its long-term effects on the Tualatin River watershed. Learn more (Art #578) »

  • Cob House

    Outside near CSB

  • Learning Garden

    Near track

  • Loll Wildwood Natural Area

    SW Coronado Street and SW 41st Avenue

    This 17.27 acre natural area park is embedded within the neighborhood providing habitat for a variety of plants and animals. Natural areas like this park absorb rain water and help prevent flooding and erosion. Learn more (Habitat #302) »

  • Pollinator Garden

    Southwest of parking lot 14

  • Kerr Property

    SW Stephenson Street and SW 37th Avenue

    This natural area park is embedded within the neighborhood providing habitat for a variety of plants and animals. Natural areas like this park absorb rain water and help prevent flooding and erosion. Learn more (Habitat #279) »

  • Bee Campus USA - Campus Wide

    Campus Wide

  • Vermiculture and Worm Villa

    Near Learning Garden

  • Maricara Natural Area Park

    SW Maricara Street and SW 30th Avenue

    In fall 2010, 1,500 feet of new natural-surface trails and 2,600 feet of improved trails were opened. Located in a residential neighborhood, the site includes a wetland, protected stream, important native plant species, and an older second-growth forest. Known as "The Jewel" of southwest Portland, this park has abundant wildflowers every spring. Learn more (Habitat #317) »

  • Holly Farm Park

    SW Capitol Highway and SW Dickinson Street

    For decades, the property was used as an experimental site for cultivating holly trees and was known as Holly Farm. When the owner left the property, the West Portland Park neighborhood advocated for converting it into a park. Beginning in early 2005, the Neighborhood Steering Committee, Portland Parks Foundation, Walker Macy, PP&R, and community members worked together to develop a master plan for the new park that opened in September 2007. Learn more (Habitat #283) »

  • Sylvania Natural Park Area (SNAP)

    SW 53rd Avenue and SW Capitol Highway

    Partnering with Portland Parks and Recreation, the PCC Sylvania Restoration Habitat Team began removing invasive English Ivy in December 2005 and has continued invasive species removal and native plantings with funding from the City of Portland's Community Watershed Stewardship Program. Upper Red Rock Creek runs through this 3.12 acres natural area park. Learn more (Habitat #399) »

  • Lesser Park Natural Area

    SW Haines Street and SW 59th Avenue

    Walk through this park to see a variety of plants and birds such as Brown Creepers and Spotted Towhees. PCC Sylvania classes help remove invasive species working with Portland Park & Recreation staff and use the park as their living laboratory for botany and bird studies and the Smithsonian Global Tree Banding Project. Learn more (Habitat #367) »

  • Wildflower Demonstration Garden

    Outside PAC

  • Rain Garden Near the Learning Center

    Sylvania Campus, West of Parking Lot 14.

    Rain gardens handle rainwater that flows from building rooftops and hard surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete. Currently, PCC Sylvania has two rain gardens and more are planned. Learn more (Plant #621) »

  • Wildflower Display Garden

    Sylvania Campus, East Side of the PAC Building.

    Using native plants in a garden has many benefits. Native plants, adapted to the local area, require less water, fertilizer, and maintenance than traditional garden plants. Learn more (Plant #595) »

  • Parking Forest (depaved)

    Parking lot 10

  • Pesticide and Fertilizer Reduction - Campus Wide

    Campus Wide

  • Stormwater Planter

    West of the HT building.

    Curb cuts allow water flowing from the road into a stormwater planter where plants metabolize some of the pollutants and absorb the water. Learn more (Plant #455) »

  • Native Wildflower Propagation Park Area

    Sylvania Campus, Between Parking Lots 11 & 13.

    The Propagation Area is used to cultivate native herbaceous plants, such that small seedlings or resulting seeds can be used in our restoration projects. Learn more (Plant #539) »

  • Vermiculture bins in the Worm Villa

    Sylvania Campus, West of Parking Lot 13.

    Earthworms are used to compost by adding pre-consumer cafeteria food wastes and Learning Garden debris. Learn more (Plant #569) »

  • Learning Garden

    Sylvania Campus, West of Parking Lots 13 & 14.

    Various academic classes and the Environmental Center have worked together to create the Learning Garden, which provides a place where students apply what they are learning in class to real life applications. Learn more (Plant #603) »

  • Traditional Dye Plants in the Learning Center

    Sylvania Campus, West of Parking Lot 14

    Within the Learning Garden, madder is being cultivated from which dyes will be extracted and used for coloring items such as silk flags and recycled paper. Weld and indigo are other dye plants planned for next year. Learn more (Plant #641) »

  • Wind Turbine

    Sylvania Campus, West of Parking Lot 5

    The wind turbine can be lowered so that students in the Electronic Engineering Technology program's renewable energy systems option certificate can practice working on its electronics. Learn more (Power #585) »

  • HT Fuel Cell Observation Site

    Sylvania Campus, Southwest Side of the HT Building

    The twin fuel cells provide power to Sylvania's Health Technology Building and heat the building's swimming pool. Learn more (Power #525) »

  • Wind Turbine

    Southeast of ASB

    Renewable Energy

  • Exterior Lighting Upgrade

    Exterior Lighting Upgrade - Parking Lot 5

  • Cobb Salmon in the Learning Garden

    Sylvania Campus, West of Parking Lot 14.

    As part of the Village Building Convergence Project 2010, PCC Sylvania and Master Builder Bernard Masterson built the Cobb Salmon Bench in the Learning Garden. Learn more (Structure #633) »

  • Worm Villa

    Sylvania Campus, West of Parking Lot 13.

    Along with an extensive water catchment system, volunteers used different building techniques, including straw clay, cob, and cord wood construction, to create a beautiful, sustainable structure that houses the vermiculture bins. Learn more (Structure #513) »

  • Straw Bale House

    Sylvania Campus, South of the CSB Building.

    This Straw Bale House was built to explore the feasibility of using straw bale construction in the wet climates of the Pacific Northwest. Learn more (Structure #548) »

  • Solar Roof on Straw Bale House

    Sylvania Campus, Directly North of the Straw Bale House.

    Two systems of photovoltaic panels were added to the Straw Bale House for automated data collection of wall moisture readings and lighting. Learn more (Structure #561) »

  • Monkey Puzzle Tree

    north of the daily permit dispenser, east of parking lot 9

    Jessie's tree

  • Lesser Park Living Laboratory Collaboration

    Located in Lesser City Park

  • Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba)

    southeast of CSB, north of footpath to Mountain Park

    Allison's Tree

  • Oliver's Tree

    east of the CSB building, but west of Parking Lot 5

    oliver

  • Jon's Western Red Cedar

    south of the CT building, but north of the PAC

    jb

  • Grayson's Maple tree

    west of the cafeteria in the CC building, east of the sitting rock

    GBP

  • Natalie's Magnolia

    southeast of the SS building

  • Eniko's Pacific Dogwood

    northeast side of parking lot 11

    EB

  • Madeline's Tree

    At the main college entrance, about 15 yards east of the crosswalk.

    MP

  • Andrew's Tree

    South of the HT Building, just west of the restrooms, in the HT/CC courtyard

    AC

  • Shade's Apple Tree

    South of parking lot 10, north of parking lot 9

    SB

  • Sophia's Tree

    North of CT building, southeast of biology greenhouse

  • Tree Campus USA - Campus Wide

    Campus Wide

  • Lily's tree

    Tree is between the HT and CT buildings and actually two trees are within the fenced in play area.

  • Kelly's Tree

    South east corner of the HT building stairwell

    KH

  • Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)

    In courtyard south of CT and north of the PAC

    rj

  • Kristin's tree

    west of parking lot 1, east side of practice field

    ka

  • Holly's Tree

    south of the southwest corner of the CT building

    hc

  • Shalina's Tree

    west of the HT building (the entrance that leads to the locker rooms)

    sm

  • Derek's Tree

    southeast of the CSB building, southwest of the entrance to the facilities boneyard

    dh

  • Rochelle's tree

    within parking lot 10

    rl

  • Giant Sequoia

    east of the csb

    rg

  • Tri-Colored Beech

    south of the CT building and north of the PAC, across from watershed mural

    jd

  • Barbara's Tree

    southeast side of the SS building

    bb

  • Courtney's Birch

    southeast side of the library

  • Kathy's Cherry Tree

    North of the NE corner of the CC building

  • Caleb's tree

    southeast corner of the PAC, above the staircase in the rocks

  • Angel's tree

    at top of the big staircase below G street

  • Taylor's Pacific Madrone

    above the new drainage thing

  • Luke's tree

    west of northwest corner of the SS building

    lh

  • Rachel's tree

    In PAC courtyard, south of the CT building, west of the PAC.

  • Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)

    east of the staircase between the PAC and library

    Kristine Hopkins

  • Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)

    west of the heating plant building

    Val's tree

  • Petra's Tree

    west of the CC Building

  • Lauren's tree

    west side of the library

  • Rain Garden Near Parking Lot 5

    Sylvania Campus, East Side of the South Entrance to Parking Lot 5.

    Rain Gardens are a practical way of handling rainwater that runs off of building rooftops and hard surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete. Currently, PCC Sylvania has two rain gardens and more are planned. One garden is on the north end of campus near the soccer field's north goalpost that is intended to catch water coming off the roof covering the Salmon Cobb Bench in the Learning Garden. The other is on the south end of campus where the sideway that passes the bus stops intersects with G Street, and is intended to catch water from the surrounding area. Learn more (Water #612) »

  • Parking Forest

    West side parking lot 10

    Lot 10 was de-paved with out losing any parking space to catch storm run off. Learn more (Water #815) »

  • Demonstration Rain Garden

    South of F Street

  • Storm Water Infrastructure

    In Parking Lot 9

  • Storm Water Infrastructure

    North of E Street

  • Storm Water Infrastructure

    North of F Street

  • Storm Water Infrastructure

    Located on southwest side of Parking Lot 5

  • Storm Water Infrastructure

    On northwest side of Parking Lot 1

  • Rain Garden

    Southwest of HT Building

  • Rain Garden

    West of parking lot 14

The graphic information from the map on this page is also represented in narrative in the list.