In Celebration of our Earth

There have been lots of activities going on during this April Earth Month…..and lots still to come. We are blessed to have a vibrant community with many opportunities to show our love for the planet. From the first annual Lake Oswego Sustainability Resource Fair to the Preservation Society’s showing of The Greenest House to burying some undies to measure soil health to restarting community Repair Fairs - there are activities and events for everyone. This month is also an opportunity to celebrate trees. Our City Council proclaimed April Arbor Month and April 29th is official Arbor Day. Read on to explore how you want to get involved.

Get Certified Through EcoHome LO

EcoHome LO is a new residential sustainability certification program administered by the City of Lake Oswego. The program is free to join and open to all who live in Lake Oswego, including renters. To attain EcoHome certification, participants select and complete items from a checklist of eco-friendly actions, ranging from installing LED bulbs to volunteering with community organizations. Upon certification, participants receive a free EcoHome lawn sign or window decal to recognize their progress.

Whatever your living situation, availability level, and degree of experience with sustainability, the program provides a broad range of tools and resources to help you grow. If your household is interested in adopting more sustainable practices at home and in your daily life that can help you save money, protect the environment, and support a thriving community in LO, visit www.ci.oswego.or.us/ecohomelo/ to learn more.

Join OLWC in the 2nd Annual Soil Your Undies Challenge

Find out how your soil is doing

Get your hands dirty and put your soil to the test by taking the 2nd Annual OLWC Soil Your Undies challenge. All you have to do is bury a brand-new pair of 100% cotton underwear under at least 6 inches of soil, wait 60 days, and then dig them back up! The more your undies break down while buried in the soil, the more active the biological community in your soil is!.

Click here for the full calendar of events.

Take an EcoChallenge!!

It isn’t too late to sign up for Earth Month EcoChallenge.  It is a great way to get ideas for earth friendly action and turn those one-time actions into habits. Click here to learn more: earthmonth.ecochallenge.org.

Earth Day 

When:     Friday, April 22, 2022

Celebrate Earth Day. Start a garden and bury some undies. Or find other ways to get involved by visiting www.earthday.org. 

Drive Electric Earth Day

When:    Saturday, April 23, 2022
Time:     10:00am - 2:00pm
Where:   South Metro Area Transit (SMART) Central at Wilsonville Station, 9699 SW Barber St, Wilsonville, OR 97070, USA (map)

One way to celebrate Earth Day is by taking a test drive in an EV at the Drive Electric Earth Day event in Wilsonville.

For more information and to register for this event, click here: Drive Electric Earth Day • Wilsonville, OR • Apr 23, 2022

Attend the first annual Lake Oswego Sustainability Resource Fair

When:    Sunday, April 24, 2022
Time:     11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Where:   Lakeridge Middle School, 4700 Jean Rd, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035 (map)

At this free event, participants of all ages can learn about the work organizations across our community are doing to advance sustainability, connect with community members who are interested in sustainability, and learn how to help protect the environment, save money, and give back to our community.

The event will feature more than 20 exhibitors offering: 

• Information on opportunities to volunteer and participate in educational programs
• Arts and crafts for kids
• Exhibits from Lake Oswego and Lakeridge Green Teams
• Self-guided tour of the new Lakeridge Middle School and its sustainable design features
• A tree seedling giveaway
• PGE electric tool exchange (advanced registration required - http://portlandgeneral.com/apriltoolexchange) 
• Learn about Repair and Recycling, Luscher Farms, Preservation Society, Backyard Habitat, and Respond to Racism.
• And more!

Earth Day Service with Randy and Edith Woodley

Sunday, April 24, will be a special Earth Day service at LOUCC. Our guest preacher will be Dr. Randy Woodley, author of Becoming Rooted. Many local churches have used Lenten devotionals based on this book. Randy and his wife Edith will stay after the service for a question-answer period. Their website highlights the many activities sponsored by the Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice: https://www.eloheh.org/

The LOUCC website (loucc.org) will have the login information appropriate for streaming the service and Q&A session (either YouTube or Zoom). The service will be recorded and available online.

The Greenest Building - the movie

When:    Thursday, April 28, 2022
Time:      6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Where:   Lake Theater & Cafe, 106 N State St, Lake Oswego, OR 97034 (map)

Join the Lake Oswego Preservation Society on April 28th as we celebrate the week of Earth Day and the start of Preservation Month with a free screening of the groundbreaking documentary The Greenest Building. Eleven years after its initial release we are still discussing the viability of demolition and its impact on the environment, housing affordability, and cultural consequences. 

Check out the flyer for more information. 

Please RSVP at LakeOswegoPreservationSociety.org

Arbor Day

Go hug a tree. Plant the seedling you picked up at the LO Sustainability Resource Fair. Or take a self-guided tour of Lake Oswego's magnificent heritage trees.

Lake Oswego Repair Fair

Repair Fairs are back - in person!!  

This first post-pandemic repair event in Lake Oswego will be a ‘soft’ start, focusing on small appliances only (no clothes or jewelry).

This is a free event.  

Getting your stuff fixed is a great way to be sustainable and save money. Repairing both reduces demand for virgin materials and energy resources and is direct action against unsustainable fast consumerism – a big win for the planet. You reduce emissions, waste, and the hit to your wallet. 

Events coming up in May....

Interfaith Sustainability Panel

When:     Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Time:       7:00pm - 8:30pm
Where:    New Thought Center for Spiritual Living, 1040 C Ave, Lake Oswego, OR 97034 (map)
Panelists:  Spiritual leaders from New Thought Center for Spiritual Living, Lake Oswego United Church of Christ, Baha’i, Buddhist and more.

How do core religious tenets relate to sustainability? Hear religious leaders speak to the intersection of sustainability, the stewardship of the earth and their faith traditions.

Electrify LO: How Lake Oswego Can Address the Climate Crisis

When:     Thursday, May 19, 2022
Time:       6:00pm - 7:00pm
Where:    Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97034 (map)
Presenters:  Linda Ganzini, LOSN board member, and Matt Tidwell, member of the climate action team at LOSN.

Many of you are alarmed about the climate crisis and trying to figure out what you can do to help slow global warming. One of the most impactful changes you can make is to electrify both how you get around and the sources of energy in your home. Electrification moves us away from fossil fuels that are the primary source of the climate emergency toward “clean”, renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydropower. “Electrify LO” is a campaign through the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network (LOSN) to help residents of Lake Oswego with their electrification goals.