Earth Day Spokane

Ideas, Investigation, Innovation…For a  Better World

The vision for the Spokane Youth Environmental Conference (SYEC) is to promote the environmental sciences by encouraging students to conduct scientific investigations. While providing them a venue to showcase their environmental research project. The conference is a one day event for students in Spokane County , grades 7-12. Students experience a day of hands-on environmental education. They learn form each other about local and global environmental issues and actions that can be taken to help address these issues.

2010 theme: Ideas, Investigation, Innovation…For a Better World

2010 keynote speakers: www.voyagesofrediscovery.com

Conference organizers consist of scientists, communicators and educators. For the past 12 years, they have been working on ways to improve students’ presentation skills and their exploration into science.

The Conference is designed to:

• Encourage students to do real scientific investigations.
• Provide students a forum to share their projects with their peers.
• Through oral presentations and visual poster exhibits, students learn from each other about environmental issues and about concrete actions they can take to address these issues.
• Enable students, through their active participation, to demonstrate their mastery of the Science and Language EALRs.
• Work towards meeting the Grade Level Expectations for math, reading and science.
• Complete culminating projects for seniors if applicable.

In addition, the conference organizers can also be used as resources to connect with environmental organizations that can help assist with mentors, data, resources or community service hours the students may need to complete their projects.

For more info, visit Syec.org.

The Dishman Hills Natural Area Association is one of INLT’s conservation partners. Lend a hand to spruce up the Natural Area for the summer. For details, visit InlandNorthwestLandTrust.org.

Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge and Spokane Audubon Society will host a community work party on Saturday, May 15, 2010. This is part of an on going community effort to restore native riparian habitat to benefit birds and other wildlife species. We have more than 40 native saplings to plant, and protective fencing to erect at the project site to protect the trees from deer, elk, and moose browsing. Everyone is welcome!

Attention Groups: Please call in advance to register. It helps us in our planning if we know how many are coming. The Refuge will also host a “potluck” lunch. Discovery School will be providing hamburgers. Please feel free to bring your favorite dish.

Phone:(509) 235-4723, ask for Sandy

When: May 15, 2010.

Planting Time: 9 am to 12 p.m.

Lunch: Potluck 12 p.m.

Where: Turnbull NWR Headquarters, 5 miles south of Cheney on Cheney-Plaza Road: turn left on Smith Road and drive 2 miles on gravel road to headquarters.

Clothing: Long-sleeved shirt, work pants, sturdy boots or shoes, gloves.

Equipment: (If you can) shovels and pliers.

Saturday, March 6th
9:00a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Peter’s & Sons Flowers & Gifts
512 E Pacific, Spokane

Join us for leftovers! Explore our eclectic collection of gently used items for growing. cooking, baking and serving good food! Free entry! Raffle! Coffee! Refreshments! Free hourly door prizes! Benefits Slow Food Spokane River’s work toward a food system that is good, clean and fair.

**We’re looking for donations of gently used items for growing, preparing and serving food.
We welcome both residential and commercial kitchen items, countertop appliances are great if they’re in working order, no major appliances please.

Donation Drop-Off location:
Peter’s & Sons Flowers & Gifts
512 E Pacific Ave. (Just East of Sherman)
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturdays
For more information, email sf.spokaneriver@gmail.com or call Kristi at (509) 209-2851.

The proceeds from this sale benefit local Slow Food projects. Last year,part of the proceeds from this sale provided a scholarship to Quillisascut’s Slow Food Youth Workshop.**

Sunday, March 7, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Location: Wolff Auditorium in the Jepson Center, Gonzaga University
Street: 1100 block of North Astor
City/Town: Spokane, WA

Jim Stoltz, known far and wide as Walkin’ Jim, is one of the USA’s most unique folk singers and backcountry travelers. Jim brings his multimedia show “Forever Wild” to Spokane on Sunday, March 7, a concert consisting of live music, stories, poetry, and stunning nature photography, all of which capture the uniqueness of the wild country Jim has explored for the past 30 years.

Each year, when not touring, Jim spends months at a time soaking up the solitude of our nation’s spectacular wilderness areas on his long
distance walks through the wild country of North America–nearly 27,000 miles.

Jim has been presented with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Outstanding Achievement Award for his sharing of nature and wilderness across America. Visit his website at www.walkinjim.com

You’ll also hear a little about the campaign for wilderness in the Colville National Forest, and have a chance to learn more about local organizations such as The Lands Council, Conservation Northwest, and others.

Bring the whole family and join us for this one-of-a-kind concert and inspiring journey! Admission is free.

Sponsored in part by the local Sierra Club.

The 1st annual triathlon swap, April 17th, West Central Community Center, has been canceled. We apologize for any inconveniences.

Free Class!
Sign up now. Session Begins Tuesday, April 13th
Call 509-279-6251 to enroll now.

Community Colleges of Spokane’s Institute for Extended Learning is inviting everyone age 50 and over to explore the possibilities of making your career or business greener! This free class is the perfect opportunity for you to come learn how you can help save some green by helping to save the resources of our planet. Upon completion participants will have achieved a basic understanding of, the fundamental concepts of sustainability applicable to a broad range of professional, social and technical careers. We’ll look at the definitions of and job opportunities inherent in Climate Change, Peak Oil and Carbon Trading.

We’ll also introduce some of the tools used by players in the new green economy, including the Genuine Progress Indicator, (an alternative to Gross Domestic Product), the Global Reporting Index and its correspondence to local community sustainability indicators. And we’ll look at some green business tools like Triple Bottom Line accounting and the Natural Step program.

With this new knowledge in hand, participants will research and develop a career ladder appropriate to their Personal career goals and leave with a clearly detailed pathway for achieving success.

Possible career pathways for program participants may include enrollment in to specialized training programs including:

· degree and certificate

· credit programs,

· professional development programs,

· industry-specific online certification programs,

· new non-credit short-term certification programs related to energy.

A significant sampling of these growth opportunities will also be explored.

And finally, you’ll get some specialized counseling on the development of effective resumes, references and interview preparation relevant to a more green-targeted search for jobs or business opportunities.

The class meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings for two hours (6:00-8:00), and Saturdays for 6 hours (8:00 – 2:30 with half hour lunch break) for a total of four weeks, April 13, 2010 - May 15, 2010. That’s 10 hours a week, a total of 40 hours that could change your life.

This is the final session of this class. Check with Yvette Dunlap, 509-279-6248 for details.

If you know of someone 50 or over who would benefit from this class, please share this invitation!

Jim Wavada

Instructor

Greening Your Future

(509) 999-1864

Free Class!

Sign up now. Next Session Begins Tuesday, March 2nd

Call 509-279-6251 to enroll now.

Community Colleges of Spokane’s Institute for Extended Learning is inviting everyone age 50 and over to explore the possibilities of making your career or business greener! This free class is the perfect opportunity for you to come learn how you can help save some green by helping to save the resources of our planet. Upon completion participants will have achieved a basic understanding of, the fundamental concepts of sustainability applicable to a broad range of professional, social and technical careers. We’ll look at the definitions of and job opportunities inherent in Climate Change, Peak Oil and Carbon Trading.

We’ll also introduce some of the tools used by players in the new green economy, including the Genuine Progress Indicator, (an alternative to Gross Domestic Product), the Global Reporting Index and its correspondence to local community sustainability indicators. And we’ll look at some green business tools like Triple Bottom Line accounting and the Natural Step program.

With this new knowledge in hand, participants will research and develop a career ladder appropriate to their Personal career goals and leave with a clearly detailed pathway for achieving success.

Possible career pathways for program participants may include enrollment in to specialized training programs including:

· degree and certificate

· credit programs,

· professional development programs,

· industry-specific online certification programs,

· new non-credit short-term certification programs related to energy.

A significant sampling of these growth opportunities will also be explored.

And finally, you’ll get some specialized counseling on the development of effective resumes, references and interview preparation relevant to a more green-targeted search for jobs or business opportunities.

The class meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings for two hours (6:00-8:00), and Saturdays for 6 hours (8:00 – 2:30 with half hour lunch break) for a total of four weeks, March 2 – March 27, 2010. That’s 10 hours a week, a total of 40 hours that could change your life.

A final session of the class will convene in mid-April and run through mid-May. Check with Yvette Dunlap, 509-279-6248 for details.

If you know of someone 50 or over who would benefit from this class, please share this invitation!

Jim Wavada

Instructor

Greening Your Future

(509) 999-1864

The community building mezzanine conference room at 35 W. Main. Go into the community building, up the stairs and it’s around to your right. Directly above Kizuri. Hope to see you there! For more details please email Molly Callen at earthdayspokane@gmail.com.

Register now!

The Spokane River Forum is pleased to post this year’s conference agenda. Register now to participate.

Last year, over 250 people attended one or more days of the conference. We’re building on last year’s success with topics showcasing new initiatives, new research results, new studies, changes to federal, state and local policies, and new community development opportunities.

Click on the agenda to learn more about sessions and speakers. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn, share and network with others.

Spokane River Forum | 2206 S Sherman | Spokane, WA 99203 | www.spokaneriver.net