9.24.2009

Upcoming events include Green and Solar Tour

Some great events coming up! Pringle Creek Community is “showing off” its newly remodeled community center, the net-zero-energy Painter’s Hall, by hosting five special events.

Monday, September 28, 2009, 7pm-8pm

The Salem Chapter of American Institute of Architects presents a talk by Eric Corey Freed, "Detroit, Dallas & Despotism: a 3D view of Sustainability." Freed is a green architect. He will take us through his creative world of sustainable design, including the decline of Detroit, MI; building a net energy sustainable block in Dallas, TX; the strange forces plotting against greening our country, and more. Part stand-up comedy and part Ph.D. lecture (web interview with Eric here). For more information, please visit http://www.socialzr.com/event/694429230 or contact kristi@studio3architecture.com Update: Here is a large pdf of the slides from the presentation.

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009, 8:30am-12:30pm

The Natural Step Network presents Training by Duke Castle, “The Natural Step for Sustainability.” This workshop will provide an understanding of the factors that have created our current unsustainable practices, an overview of how The Natural Step reverses that trend and insights on how to apply Natural Step principles. Mr. Castle has delivered hundreds of Natural Step presentations, including training Oregon state leaders as part of Governor Kitzhaber's sustainability executive order. He has studied how Swedish companies successfully applied Natural Step principles.

Cost: $95 ($70 for TNS members). To register, please contact April Knudsen at april.knudsen@thenaturalstep.org or 503-224-1140.

Wednesday, September 30th, 8:30am-1pm

Oregon Environmental Council presents a presentation by Steve Fancher and Ed MacMullan, “Making Low-Impact Development a Reality in Your Community.” Steve Fancher is implementing LID and sustainable stormwater management in Gresham, Oregon, where he is the City's Watersheds Division Manager. Ed MacMullan is an economist with ECONorthwest who authored the report, "The Economics of Low Impact Development: A Literature Review." Event includes panel discussion with local builders, designers and planners followed by optional tour from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm.

Cost: $35 for general public, $20 for HBA members. To register, visit http://www.oeconline.org/stormwater

Saturday, October 3rd, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Willamette Valley Green + Solar Home Tour begins and ends at Painter’s Hall (as it did in 2007 and 2008). Visit with homeowners, green builders, contractors and architects that have incorporated green and solar techniques & technologies into new and newly remodeled homes around Salem. Check out a 1,500sqft greenroof, a German Passive Haus certified home under construction, and a solar hot water system that provides hot water year round.

Buy your ticket the day of event. Cost is $15 per car -- carpooling is encouraged. Bicyclists free! For further info, contact santanaj@pringlecreek.com

Friday, October 30th, 2009, 8:30am-5pm

Oregon Environmental Council presents Training by Rob Emanuel and Derek Godwin, “Rain Gardens.” They are with OSU Extension Service and Oregon Sea Grant and authors of the forthcoming Oregon Rain Garden Manual.
The rain brings many benefits, but it can be a bane if it carries pollutants or excessively floods our local streams. Capturing, controlling and filtering some of this stormwater runoff in rain gardens helps beautify our landscapes and improves watershed health. The training helps gardeners learn to design, build and maintain rain gardens.It will include an indoor and outdoor component. Seating priority will be given to those willing to work with OSU as rain garden representatives and provide assistance to local communities in which they live.

Cost: $50. Scholarships are available, contact teresah@oeconline.org or call 503-222-1963 x112. To register, visit http://www.oeconline.org/stormwater