Eco Experience

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

Volume 52, January 2026

Eco Tips and More

-Anonymous

-->4J/EWEB Education Partnership Program Message

• Energy learning for Middle Schoolers
• 4J Loves Food Not Waste...refresh routines for new year!
• Eco Chick Classroom Visits

-->News

• ODE Climate Change and Sustainability Education

-->Monthly Matters

• Make an Eco-friendly resolution
• Veganuary
• Take a Walk Outside Day
• International Environmental Education Day
• Cascadia Subduction Anniversary
• International Reducing CO2 Emissions Day
• National Seed Swap Day

-->Resources

• Oregon's K-12 Climate Change and Sustainability Education
• Oregon Climate Education Hub
• NEEF- the National Environmental Education Foundation
• STEM Teaching Tools Field Notes

-->Opportunities

• Oregon Climate Educators Thought Leader meeting
• BRING's DIY classes
  
• MECCA's Crafty Resolutions and Scrappy Hours
• 4J Teacher Climate Ed Collab

-->Newsletter Archive

-->4J/EEP sites

-Gandhi

Happy 2026, People!

Nothing like a fresh start...open with potential and possibilities...all you have to do is START. Take time to check in with yourself and what/who/where you love. And then, use that as inspiration to try something new. Maybe even a NEW eco friendly habit. We are all connected and the more we join together in collective action, the more of a difference we can make locally and globally. If you need a coach, cheerleader or sounding board to reach your green goals...reach out. I am here for you.

With salmon season behind us until next year, the 4J/EWEB Education Partnership is gearing up for our next program offerings-energy, climate and water! Check out our 4J/EEP teacher page for more info about our offerings.

Stay tuned for ways to engage with our district's Climate Action Plan...let's take policy and bring it to life together. Watch your email for upcoming opportunities!

4J/EEP's Wind Energy and EWEB EV Challenge

7th and 8th grade science teachers...stay tuned for an email this week with information about 4J'EEP's energy offerings.

7th grade-Wind energy: The wind unit kit is available for check-out/delivery. Use this form to reserve your time frame. 2025/26 Wind Energy Participation

8th grade-The annual EWEB EV Challenge is back this spring!! The 2026 EWEB EV Challenge Interest Form is live. Check out the EWEB EV Challenge page for more info.

With students returning to schools after winter break, please plan to do a refresher on cafeteria waste routines in order to help keep the system up and running successfully. Use the Love Food Not Waste Resources to help you help your students understand the importance of keeping food out of the landfill.

24/25 Elementary Love Food Not Waste Resources

24/25 Secondary Love Food Not Waste Resources

Be a Waste Warrior-K-12 lessons (by grade band), activities, and resources to teach the planetary impact of what we eat and what we throw away. WWF Food Waste Warrior FREE!!

Small Shifts, Big Difference-Shift Campaign Food Waste video

It takes a village to keep food waste out of the land fill. 🌎🌏🌍

I'd love to work with you and your students on climate, energy and conservation projects!

If your school needs cafeteria support with the Love Food Not Waste program, need help with your Eco Club or if you would like an individual 30-60 minute classroom visit/activity, please fill out the Eco Chick Visit Form. Because I serve K-12 students, your information will help me tailor my presentation/activity to your specific classroom learning needs.

I look forward to working with you and your students! 🌎🌏🌍

Great news! ODE now has a brief communication regarding HB 3365 and the currently adopted standards in science, health, and social science on each content landing webpages.

It is written as follows:

Climate Education

In accordance with House Bill 3365 (2025), revisions to instructional standards in science, health, and social science will include:

· the causes and effects of climate change,

· strategies for mitigation,

· strategies for adaptation, and

· strategies for strengthening community resilience.

In alignment with the bill and the current adoption schedule, the Oregon State Board of Education is expected to adopt revised science standards in spring 2029, health standards in spring 2030, and social science standards in spring 2031.

If you are interested in learning more about the current adopted climate change and sustainability standards within these areas, please click here.

For additional questions regarding the ODE Climate Education program, contact ode.climate@ode.oregon.gov.

As we begin a new year, consider making eco-friendly resolutions by shifting a personal behavior to help our Mother Earth AND your personal well being. You may try going meat-free (once a week, even!), loving food not waste or other ways to reduce your carbon emissions output.

Here's a few easy things you can do immediately to reduce your impact on the planet:

1. Never buy bottled water again

2. Brew your own Fair trade coffee

3. Pick up trash

4. Bike, Walk, Carpool

5. Eliminate Phantom Power...unplug things you aren't using

6. Eat plant based meals

7. Replace your lightbulbs for LED's

8. Do business locally

9. Go plastic free

10. Swap single use for reusable

11. Repair items

12. Compost food scraps

13. Rethink your toilet paper brand

14. Buy Less

15. Rewear clothes

16. Stop showering every day

17. Cook at home

18. Hang your laundry to dry

19. Fix drippy faucets

20. Plant a Garden

21. Recycle Right

22. Turn off lights

23. Adjust your water heater to 120°

24. Avoid Fast Fashion

25. Take the first step toward electrifying

26. Learn more ways...

For more ideas check out these links:

Tree Hugger 10 Easy , Green New Year's Resolutions Anyone Can Keep

Eco-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions: 25 Ways to Go Green in 2025

10 Eco Friendly Resolutions

Green Citizen 12 Actionable and Sustainable New Year's Resolutions

-Albert Einstein

January is also known as ... Veganuary...a 30 day Challenge!

Veganuary inspired and supported over 620,000 people to try vegan during their 2022 campaign – with participants from over 220 countries and territories. They have worked with businesses to drive up vegan food options in shops and restaurants, and have made veganism more visible and accessible through their work with national and international media.

This site offers recipes, meal plans and more. 30 Day Veganuary Challenge

Veganuary

Meatless Mondays

Meatfree Monday

Take A Walk Outdoors Day falls on January 20 every year, and as the name suggests, it’s a day to step outside for a walk alone or with someone. Walking comes with a bag full of health benefits, and taking a walk outdoors is always more fun than doing it on a treadmill. Walking outdoors lets your body absorb Vitamin D which is good for your bones and muscle growth. For best results, try an early morning walk because only the early morning sun generates Vitamin D, and 75% of adults don’t get enough of it.

Take a Walk Outdoors Day

Self-Guided Walking Tours of Eugene

Blog-Favorite Flat Paths

International Environmental Education Day, which falls on January 26, is observed all over the world in the hopes of improving the relationship between our fellow humans and nature itself. It seeks to identify and find solutions to certain environmental issues, both globally and locally. With this, a collective and effective process is made available to reach more like-minded people who want to make a difference for our world itself. Aside from just assessing these issues, the main goal for this day is to bring about awareness for the motivation to continue on this endeavor. Once this has been achieved, motivation to act with the right forward-thinking and knowledge can bring about a sustainable change for today and future generations as well. You can find a list of science scholarships to enhance the effect of this journey through education from the leading schools and institutes in the country, for the betterment of the environment and our future.

International Environment Education Day

NEEF K-12 Education

EPA Environmental Education

North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)

January 26th marks the 326th anniversary of the Cascadia Subduction Earthquake. And, we are due for another big event like this at any moment. All the more reason to be aware and prepared. Below are several links for you to dig into.

Realtime Earthquake Map

Quake Alert App

OPB Mega Quake video

Article: How to Prepare Your kids for the Cascadia Earthquake

Shake Alert Activities for teachers

On this day in history...lesson

Article: The Really Big One

Oregon.Gov Cascadia Subduction Zone

EWEB Pledge to Prepare, a 12-month blueprint for emergency preparedness.

4J/EEP's Aware and Prepared

And, if you have never heard Steven Eberlein's talk...do it today. Linked below.

Since global warming affects — well — the globe, reducing CO2 emissions to control this effect should be a global event, which brings us to International Reducing CO2 Emissions Day, held on January 28 each year. Since CO2 is such a big contributor to climate change, this event intends to change the way countries around the world operate. Over time, this day seeks to aid the world’s transition to a cleaner environment.

International Reducing CO2 Emissions Day

SHIFT transportation

Here's how CO2 emissions have changed since 1900

10 ways to reduce carbon footprints in schools

National Seed Swap Day is celebrated on the last Saturday in January, which is January 27th this year, to honor the great U.S. tradition of swapping seeds with neighbors. The final week of January lays the chilly winds of winter to rest and signals the coming of spring — a season of cherry blossoms, outdoor picnics, and fresh plantations. As the plants and trees shed their final bounty, communities gather to plan for the next year of harvest. Mark this brand new season by swapping seeds and sharing warmth with your community on National Seed Swap Day.

National Seed Swap Day

Seed Savers Exchange

12 Tips for Organizing a Seed Swap

Eugene Seed Library

-James Cromwell

Check out this hot off the presses document spelling out where climate change and sustainability already show up in our science, health and social sciences standards.

Oregon K-12 Climate and Sustainability Education

-Anonymous

Teachers! Join the 4J Climate Ed Collaborative!

With our new climate action plan and new climate education legislation in place, we are forming a new teacher collaboration group for curious and courageous climate change educators. We will begin by sharing ideas and resources that will ultimately lead us to building a shared vision for climate change integration into our existing curriculum. Virtual meetings will be held the last Tuesday of every month.

Join the effort!

When: Tuesday, January 26th

Time: 4-5 pm

Location: https://meet.google.com/ykc-gtfu-syd

-Maya Angelou

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