Eco /ˈēkō/ adjective; not harming the environment; eco-friendly

Volume 45, April 2025

Eco Tips and More

-Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

-->4J/EWEB Education Partnership Program Message

-->Eco News

• Introducing 4J's Five Year Climate Action Plan!
• Recognize 4J Eco Champions

-->Monthly Matters

• Earth Day 2025 Our Planet, Our Power
• Local Power
• Earth Week Actions
• Meatless Monday
• Transportation Tuesday
• Waste not, Want Not Wednesday
• Thrifty Thursday
• Forest Friday
• Water Weekend
• Get Your building involved-create a Drawdown Eco Challenge for your people!
• Food Waste Awareness Season

-->Events and Opportunities

• Take Action, Take the Earth Week Pledge!
• Jane Goodall Livestream 4/10
• Reimagine Earth Day Eugene 4/13
• Trans Wild Forest Frolic 4/19
• Mt. Pisgah Arboretum's Earth Day work party 4/26
• Sign up for the Summer (Climate) Institute
• Join Oregon Climate Thought Leaders Committee

--> Resources

• Subject to Climate's Earth Month
• K-12 Earth Month Calendar
• Let's Go Eco! with Mr. Eco (for elementary)
• Garden Season is beginning!
• Green Schools National Network "Greenprint"

-->Eco Experience Archive

-->Sites: SPLASH!, 4J/EEP, The Salmon Spot

Happy Spring, People!

It's the 55th anniversary of Earth Day this year! It's that time of year to honor our Mother Earth, marvel in her beauty and check in with our actions to help her. With so much change in 4J, it has been decided to scale our month long plans to a condensed one week version for individual actions that can be shared with your students, team mates, departments, or as a soloist. Utilize this newsletter and the 4J Celebrate's Earth Day website for resources. We will aim for a big Earth month district wide challenge for 2026!

I know there is a lot going on in the world and adding climate action into the big picture can feel daunting and overwhelming. I have been leaning into Elizabeth Johnson's messaging in her book, "What if we get it right?". I find it inspiring to imagine outcomes where climate solutions win and humans rally to make a collective change. I continue to believe there is time and we can regenerate the planet within this generation...if we adapt and mitigate now. This newsletter provides some ways to begin to dig into your personal practices and join together with others across 4J collectively to change the culture of our district toward a greener workplace. (See the Green Print under the resources section.)

I encourage you read Elizabeth Johnson's book, "What if we get it right? "(along with All We Can Save), to watch her short TED talk (below) and work on your own venn diagram...it's a helpful, hopeful exercise. It takes all of us identify climate action that brings us joy, highlights what we are good at and ways to take action for the things we care about. There is much to do and still time to act.

Let's rally, People!

In solidarity,

Tana aka Eco Chick

Atmos: A Glimpse At The Future If We Get Climate Action Right

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Author, What If We Get It Right?

In 2019 the Eugene School board unanimously approved Eugene 4J's Climate Resolution. Around the same time, Eugene 4J became part of the City of Eugene's Climate Collaborative and named in the City's Climate Action Plan 2.0 for the goal areas of: transportation, food waste, reduce/reuse strategies and water quality/conservation.

Since the return to buildings after covid, our district has been quietly working away on our goal areas, making some decent strides to meeting many of them. This year our district has decided to become more intentional with our climate resolution and a five year climate action plan was approved by the Executive Leadership team on January 21st. A Climate Task Force is being formed at the district level and our website will soon have information about what we have been doing and what is to come. Stay tuned for more info!

Being one of the largest employers in the area, we have an ethical responsibility to our community to shift our collective practices toward sustainability and carbon emissions reduction strategies. We already have many things to celebrate yet miles to go to walk our walk as an entity. I am excited to help shepherd the way so our district may become a model for sustainability and climate action across our community, the state and the nation. It takes a village to green a school district and I have faith we can work together to green up our district culture!

Small shifts make a big difference in helping our community with climate action goals! Let's do this!

Every building in Eugene 4J has Eco Champions and we want to highlight and celebrate their efforts!

Use this form to nominate Eco Champions in your buildings to be highlighted in a special Eco Experience edition later this spring featuring colleagues that go above and beyond to make sustainable practices a priority. It may be your custodian, nutrition services staff, teachers, EA's, admin, students...ANYONE and everyone....even yourself! Nothing wrong with a little self-promotion.

Eco Champion Nomination Form

—Wendell Berry

EARTH DAY, EVERY DAY!

This year is the 55th anniversary of Earth day. The theme for Earth Day 2025 is OUR POWER, OUR PLANET, inviting everyone around the globe to unite behind renewable energy, and to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030.

How? By joining in Earth Action Day, encouraging all to take action—educate, advocate, and mobilize. Pledge an Earth Action on social media. Attend/plan/register a local event. Integrate Earth Day lessons into your curricula. There are so many ways to play! EARTH DAY 2025

And few other resources:

Local Power info

EWEB Where Our Power Comes From

EWEB Invest in Clean Power

Earth Day Resources

2025 Subject to Climate Earth Day Resource Guide

Earth Reminder: Earth Day Activities

Nat Geo Kids: History of Earth Day

ACT now Climate Action Super Heroes

-->Check out the Eugene 4J Celebrate's Earth Day page and Earth Action Week for resources.

4J Climate Justice Students invite people like you and me to make small shifts to make a big impact to help Planet Earth. Shift to a new green habit!

There are many ways to reduce our carbon footprint-meatless meals, rethinking waste, conserving water, reducing and reusing items, getting outside and more!

All living things are connected and we all share Earth as our home. When we make shifts to greener habits, it makes the world a healthier place to live. Below are links to thematic days to give small shifts a try.

4J's Earth Month Actions

Take the pledge and commit to a new green habit! ---> Take the Pledge!

Save Water and Land!

• Plan a meatless meal.

• Figure out your food footprint.

• Explore Plant-based alternatives.

• Adopt a new vegan/vegetarian recipe.

4J's Earth Month Actions

Take the pledge and commit to a new green habit! ---> Take the Pledge!

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint!

• Walk!
• Ride your bike.
• Get a bus pass.
• Travel by bus.
• Carpool.
• Bike Caravan.
• Skate, roll, scoot to school/work.

4J's Earth Month Actions

Take the pledge and commit to a new green habit! ---> Take the Pledge!

Reduce Your Waste!

• Reduce what you need.
• Choose reusable over single use items.
• Love Food Not Waste-start curbside composting at home!
• Always bring a reusable water bottle or cup!
• Eat your leftovers!
• Eat Smart. Waste Less.
• Recycle Right.

4J's Earth Month Actions

Take the pledge and commit to a new green habit! ---> Take the Pledge!

Save Money & the Planet!

• Buy second hand items.
• Hang clothes to dry.
• Choose recyclable items.
• Repair instead of replace.
• Eat your leftovers!
• Shower less.
• Say "no" to things you don't need.

4J's Earth Month Actions

Take the pledge and commit to a new green habit! ---> Take the Pledge!

Get Outside & Love Our Planet!

• Walk instead of drive.
• Make friends with a tree.
• Take a hike.
• Smell the flowers.
• Sit by a river.
• Climb the butte.
• Ride a bike.
• Plant a tree.
• Watch an insect.
• Listen to the birds sing.

4J's Earth Month Actions

Take the pledge and commit to a new green habit! ---> Take the Pledge!

In the 1980's EO Wilson coined the term biophilia: that humans are instinctively drawn towards their natural surroundings. Our students are showing us with their "behavior and apathy", that they are ready to connect with our dear Mother Nature. Getting students outside this spring could very well be one of the top priorities for all educators. A core routine, even.

Getting outside provides more than a fun break for youth. It is also good for their physical and mental health and development. Being outside builds confidence, promotes creativity and imagination, teaches responsibility, provides different stimulation, makes one think, and reduces stress and fatigue. It can reduce the negative affects of screen time!

Building a routine around outdoor learning can have it's challenges, but I will tell you from experience-it is WELL worth it. In my 5th grade class at Chávez Elementary, we had clipboards, pencil boxes and book boxes-all mobile and at the ready, just in case the weather called to us to do our free write out, partner read or complete an observation out in the courtyard space. We had "assigned" sit spots and took time every week rain or shine to check in on our micro-ecosystems. Often directions would be delivered indoors to take the "work" outside-then I could wander between the students, helping, just as I did indoors. It is a shift, but I found that my students would work in earnest just for the opportunity to go outside for a 5 minute swallow watching break, laying on their backs taking in the marvel of their flight. Sigh-it was magic.

If you'd like support getting your students outdoors this spring, I would love to work with you. Feel free to email shepard_t@4j.lane.edu to set up a consultation.

Core Routine: Sit Spots

Book: Richard Louv Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder

Article: Healthy Children.org Playing Outside-Why It's important

Article: Child Mind Institute Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature

Article:Science Daily Getting Kids Outside can reduce the Negative Effects of Screen Time

Conserve and Protect Water!

• Always use cold water unless you need it hot.
• Don't leave the tap running.
• Take shorter showers.
• Run full loads of laundry/dishes.
• Water outdoors only when needed.
• Pick up litter to keep waterways clean.

4J's Earth Month Actions

Take the pledge and commit to a new green habit! ---> Take the Pledge!

—Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day

Connect the dots between climate solutions and climate actions to help reverse climate change with Drawdown Ecochallenge!

Drawdown Ecochallenge is offered in partnership by Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown. Together, we're taking action on the most substantive solutions to climate change. Stretch your limits, earn points, and see your positive impact grow. Take the challenge, and see how a few weeks of action add up to a lifetime of change for you and the planet.

Ecochallenge.org's social change platform + curriculum connect a global community of advocates and changemakers, each doing what we can, in ways that are most relevant to us, to make this great spinning dot we call home a healthier, more equitable, more sustainable place.

Welcome to the Drawdown Eco Challenge

https://drawdown.ecochallenge.org/

How to video

Did you know...each year Eugene puts 40 million pounds of food waste into our local landfill?

Thankfully there are many ways to prevent food waste.

In our fast paced way of living with all things conveniently at our fingertips, we have lost sight of what an important and valuable resource food is and where our food comes from. With K-12 food waste collection happening in our cafeterias across the district, the time is ripe to teach and promote food waste prevention.

Food waste is wasted resources-water, land, cash. Preventing food waste and addressing food waste properly is one of the EASIEST things we can all do to help reduce carbon emissions immediately. Believe it or not, composting falls pretty low on EPA's food waste hierarchy, so understanding how food is wasted, why food is wasted and strategies to prevent such waste will help us all understand how we can do our part.

Food Waste Prevention Week

4J/EEP No Time to Waste

WWF Food Waste Warriors

EPA Food Waste Hierarchy

Lane County Wasted Food Prevention

And, yet another day to recognize the importance of food waste prevention. the STOP food waste site has stories, recipes, a campaign tool kit and more. I especially like the page: Why Stop Food Waste?

Prevent, Inspire and Repurpose

1. Prevent food waste at source by storing food optimally, making use of every edible part of the ingredient and planning meals ahead of time
2. Inspire others to waste less, and repurpose more
3. Repurpose food by redistributing any surplus to your local community, or giving a second life to ingredients that most commonly go to waste

STOP Food Waste Day

-Greta Thunberg

Taking action is one of the surest ways to feel hopeful and invested in the health and livability of our planet. And, with each little green shift you make in your daily routines, the richer you will feel and your connection to how you consume will deepen. This is one of the most important connections you can make with yourself! The more you tune in, the more you will wake up to the simplicity and joys of life. And, become part of a movement that rethinks, regenerates, and reciprocates.

Livestream with Jane Goodall
April 10, 2025 07:00 PM -April 10, 2025 09:00 PM

Visiting SAGE Jane Goodall on the Future of Hope

Conservation icon, Dr. Jane Goodall will take the stage for one night in Oregon to share personal reflections on her remarkable life, her trailblazing work and her inspirational message of hope for our planet.

This event will take place live on April 10, 2025 at the Elsinore Theatre in Salem. Tickets to the event are sold out. You can view the event with the purchase of a livestream ticket (also known as a simulcast).

Your purchase helps to offset the cost of offering the livestream. You can purchase a single livestream ticket and attend the livestream with other people in your household. If you are a teacher, you can also purchase a single livestream ticket and share the livestream with students in your classroom.

After the event, livestream ticket holders can view the livestream for up to two weeks.

Livestream with Jane Goodall

Re-Imagine Earth Day

"A coalition of organizations and agencies dedicated to sustainability is proud to announce Re-Imagine Earth Day, an inspiring, action-oriented community event designed to empower individuals and communities to live more sustainably. Learn about everything from reuse to food waste prevention.

Time & Location

Apr 13, 2025, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM PDT

Farmers Market Pavilion, 85 E 8th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401, USA

About the event

This dynamic indoor/outdoor event, hosted by MECCA, BRING, Shift Community Cycles, City of Eugene Waste Prevention, and Waste Wise Lane County–a part of Lane County Waste Management–will foster tangible behavior change and provide opportunities to engage, learn, and take meaningful steps toward a healthier planet.

The event is free and open to all.

Calling Oregon K-12 Educators:

Join a community of educational professionals and mentors who can support your climate change knowledge and teaching strategies!

Our Summer Institute network is full of educators and climate change practitioners doing just that! Discover best practices, hands-on activities, lesson plans, and tools that will help you strengthen your climate curriculum and better support your learners.

Whether you’re a formal classroom teacher or a non-formal educator, this is the perfect opportunity to grow your climate change education skills and connect with like-minded professionals. Plus, scholarships are available.

• When: July 14 – 17, 2025
• Where: Virtual July 14-15 (national) and in person (Oregon Cohort) July 16-17, South Slough Reserve, Coos Bay
• Who: Educators passionate about climate teaching
• Cost: $250 Registration (some scholarships available) + travel
• Graduate Credits Available
• Questions? Email: jaime.c.belanger@dsl.oregon.gov
• Register here: https://climategen.org/summer-institute/

Join us on the third Tuesday of each month!

You are invited to join the Oregon Climate Education Thought Leaders Committee to:

1. Build a community that empowers educators to teach and learn about climate change

2. Help shape and grow the Oregon Climate Education Hub by sharing resources and providing feedback so that it remains relevant to Oregon educators

3. Identify ways to collaborate to spread awareness of these resources in a way that grows all stakeholders’ work

Register in advance for this meeting by filling out this Google Form.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting (a Zoom link and Google Calendar Invite).

About the Advisory Committee

Our aim is to create a community of practice toward the goal of making it easier for Oregon educators of all grade levels and subjects to integrate climate change education into their existing lessons and teaching practices so their students will have access to powerful climate education throughout their lives.

-Albert Einstein

As you begin to think about your yard and garden this season, keep conservation in mind. Drought tolerant, native plants can add much beauty, low maintenance and ta ta ta da...pollinators! And, don't get too carried away. All things in time, at the right time. Check out the OSU April Garden Calendar for some timely advice on garden chores, fertilizing, pest control and more. OSU Extensive Service encourages sustainable gardening practices.

Here are a couple of helpful resources to get you going with native plants:

Oregon Department of Forestry Native Trees and Plants of Oregon booklet

Native Plants for Willamette Valley Yards

OSU Gardening with Native Plants West of the Cascades

The National Green School Network's Green Print model had changed and is more encompassing of the whole school culture. I really appreciate the rethink after all these years-centering on equity, sustainability and health, then branching out beyond to all the elements that make schools schools from leadership to facilities to curriculum and instruction, as well as culture and climate. All things that affect students, staff, faculty and our community. This is a big shift from just doing a recycling program and having a green team. The movement is toward inclusion of all concerned parties.

Click the link below to learn more.

Green Schools National Network Greenprint

—Margaret Mead

Tana Shepard aka Eco Chick

TOSA-Climate. Energy. Conservation

Email: shepard_t@4j.lane.edu
Website: https://bit.ly/4J-eep
Phone: 541.790.5533

-John Denver