Another reason to walk!

This morning I saw a young woman walking her dog with her little son (no school, President's Day) while I was biking into work along the Leslie Middle School walking/bike path. I stopped and said, "Hi, did you know, there is a really great place to walk just over there?" (pointing to Pringle Creek). She said, "Actually, that's one of my favorite places to walk!!" She was headed that way.

It reminded me of when Julia McFerron told the Statesman Journal that Pringle Creek was her "Favorite Salem Secret." 
It also reminded me of another reason why, I think, we are naturally drawn to going for walks -- not only because it makes us feel good, it's healthy, it helps us get centered, but it also improves brain function...

http://nyti.ms/i4eQJt

From the New York Times

February 7, 2011

Fitness: A Walk to Remember? Study Says Yes

By PAULA SPAN

In healthy adults, the hippocampus — a part of the brain important to the formation of memories — begins to atrophy around 55 or 60. Now psychologists are suggesting that the hippocampus can be modestly expanded, and memory improved, by nothing more than regular walking.

Urban Farmer on Living Culture TV

Check out this episode of Living Culture TV devoted to our Urban Farmer Certification!

Thanks to Nate Rafn for featuring us on his wonderful tv series focusing on agriculture and food in the Pacific Northwest.

Salem-Keizer Sustainability Summit

You might be interested in this.... looks like a good lineup of topics and presenters.

We are presenting Pringle Creek in the 9am slot!

Salem-Keizer Sustainability Summit - Greening Our Communities

Date: March 8, 2011

Time: 07:30 AM - 01:30 PM

http://www.keizerchamber.com/community_events.asp

Event Description

Presented by: Portland General Electric


Sponsored by: Oregon Department of Energy, Marion County, City of Keizer, City of Salem, and Energy Trust of Oregon



Who Should Attend: 
Commercial Property Owners & Business Operators
Home Owners
Government / Public Works / School Maintenance
, Energy Industry Allies.



Join us, March 8th at the Keizer Civic Center, on a journey to incorporate sustainable practices in your business, home and community. Find out how you can minimize your impact on our environment. Meet local, State and regional experts on the trends, resources and opportunities available to help you "green" your business, home, and community. 


AGENDA:
7:30-8:00am: Registration and Continental Breakfast and Trade Show.

8:00am: Welcome Remarks by:

• Keizer Mayor Lore Christopher

• Salem Mayor Anna Peterson

8:15am: Keynote - 
JIM PIRO, Portland General Electric, CEO



9:00-10:00am: Breakout Session Choices:

• Sustainable Development - Building Green

• Going Green -Good for the Environment; Good for Business

• Innovative Technology: Vehicle Electrification

• Foods that Sustain - Growing Green

10:00-10:30am: Trade Show & Break
10:30-11:30am Second Breakout Session choices:

• Sustainable Development - Low impact practices

• Going Green -Show me the Money

• Foods that Sustain - Serving Green

• Innovative Technology: Renewable Energy Generation

11:30-11:45amTrade Show & Break, Lunch check-in/Registration


11:45-1:00pm Chamber Luncheon Keynote Speaker 

JACK GRAVE Chief Cultural Officer Burgerville



1:00-1:30pm Trade Show & Green Tours

Urban Farmer Certification

Chris and Elizabeth with Minto Island Growers kick off the first Urban Farmer class!

EarthWISE 100th certification!

We are really proud to be a part of this program!

Thanks Alan, Beth & Bailey for your great leadership in Marion County!

Read more about it here, here, here and here.

If you are already EarthWISE certified, come join us to celebrate!

Date: Saturday, Feb. 26
Time: 2:30 to 5:30
Tours: at 3, 4, and 5
Who: Owners, CEOS, Green Teams (spouses and children welcome).
Where: Painter Hall (directions at: http://www.pringlecreek.com/directions.htm)
What: Snacks, soft drinks, coffee, fun
How: By RSVP to Alan Pennington

Painters Hall-iday Decorations!

In preparation for our neighborhood holiday party, we decided to make all of our decorations from materials used in the Painters Hall or from around the site.

Our tree was especially charming; it was based on a craft project featured in the Nov/Dec 2010 Natural Home Magazine. It's made from days of collected newspaper, two soda cans, and a branch garnered from Paco's Aspen trimmings.

The ornaments are expired cafe coupons and paper scraps from events!

The baskets are full of trimmings and branches collected from around the neighborhood.

Happy Holidays!

Aaron Good's "Thursday Drawings 2"

Last weekend was the opening reception for Aaron Good's "Thursday Drawings 2" in our Painters Hall community center. The show was very successful, with about 80 friends and family members attending. Aaron's work will continue to be on display for the month of December, so be sure to stop in to check out his beautiful drawings. The Painters Hall is open weekdays 9am to 5pm.

Here are a couple photos from the opening:

Twenty-eight year-old Aaron Good has been active as an artist in Salem for the past fifteen years. His art was featured in a one-person show at the Salem Art Association in 2008. Very Special Arts and the National Downs Syndrome Association selected Aaron’s art for use on their holiday cards. Aaron Good has donated a number of his drawings to charity auctions during the past three years.

Light show

Urban Farmer Certification

Our educational objective for the Conservatory is simple: teach people, particularly children and young adults, how to grow their own food. In response, we started the Leslie Middle School Learning Garden to encourage students to explore the connection between the classroom and the natural environment. Now we are excited to debut our newest Conservatory program geared toward people in their 20s and 30s, the Urban Farmer Certification.

Developed in partnership with Friends of Salem Saturday Market and the OSU Master Gardener Program, the Urban Farmer Certification will allow you to learn valuable gardening skills while cultivating your own healthy, organic fruits and vegetables. With a monthly class taught by OSU-Extension Service Master Gardeners and local farmers, the course curriculum will include garden planning, seed starting, beneficial insects, composting, and chicken keeping, among others. Classes will include both a theoretical lesson and a hands-on component that takes place in our greenhouses and community garden. As a participant in the course, you may utilize a portion of the community garden for your own cultivation space. All participants will apply their acquired knowledge in their personal garden space in order to obtain the Urban Farmer Certificate.

Schedule: the last Saturday of the month, January-October 2011

Cost: $60

scholarships available and a 20% discount for FSSM members

Sign ups begin December 1st! Please call 503-315-1055 or email shannon@pringlecreek.com for more details or to sign up!

First snow!

The Leslie Middle School students' cold crops are happy and cozy in the Conservatory, and everything seems brighter with last night's dusting...