10A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL April 20, 2016
How to make spring projects
more eco-friendly
T
Tour Dorena
Genetic Resource
Center
T
wo tours of the U.S. Forest Services’ Dorena Genetic
Resource Center (DGRC) will be offered on Earth Day,
Saturday, April 23. The Center is a world leader in develop-
ment of populations of trees with resistance to non-native dis-
eases. It is a regional (Oregon and Washington) facility, but
also does cooperative projects with partners in other states and
Canada. During the tour, guests will see examples of tests to
examine the natural level of disease resistance in some of the
native North American trees, orchards where tree breeding is
done, greenhouses where an array of plants are grown, and a
seed plant where seed is extracted from cones. There will be
a display of cones of some of the area's native conifers, and
poster presentations displaying a summary of results. Richard
Sniezko, geneticist at the center, will also discuss the common
garden genetic trials, the native plant restoration program, and
the national tree climbing program (centered at DGRC), as
well as some of the related work they are involved with in
Hawaii and the white bark pine restoration plantings at Crater
Lake National Park. Tours will leave from west parking lot at
Coiner Park. South Lane Wheels will depart at 11 a.m. and
1:30 p.m. Guests are asked to bring a sack lunch and wear ap-
propriate weather-related clothing. To sign up for the tour go
to the information booth at Coiner Park. Space is limited to
17 people per bus and is on a fi rst-come basis.
Smokey Bear to
appear at Cottage
Grove Earth Day
celebration
On Saturday, April 23, the Cottage Grove Ranger Station
will host a booth at the Earth Day Celebration in Coiner Park.
The free Earth Day Celebration will feature live music and
food, prizes, arts and crafts, and a variety of local vendors
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To contribute to the festivities, the U.S. Forest Service
booth will be handing out Smokey Bear swag, sharing infor-
mation about the nearby Cottage Grove Ranger District, and
offering a number of kids’ activities and giveaways. These
include:
Fourth-graders can stop by the booth and do a fun learning
activity to earn their Every Kid in a Park pass, which will
grant them and their families free access to thousands of pub-
lic lands across the country – including free access to every
national park and forest.
Kids can get their hands wet and learn about stream ecol-
ogy at the stream simulator, a hands-on tool to enact and
experiment with real stream conditions. Volunteer students
from the Al Kennedy alternative high school will be present
to help operate the simulator.
Smokey Bear will make two special appearances at the
booth, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Visi-
tors can shake Smokey’s hand and pose for selfi es with their
favorite bear.
For additional information, contact the Cottage Grove
Ranger Station at (541) 767-5000, or stop by the station dur-
ing business hours at 78405 Cedar Park Road.
he arrival of warmer
weather means different
things to different people. Some
anticipate opportunities for out-
door fun, while others may be
considering redecorating or re-
modeling their homes. For the
latter group, home improvement
season provides a great opportu-
nity to make homes more eco-
friendly.
When planning home im-
provement projects, it’s best
to fi rst choose a project and
then look for ways to make the
project more environmentally
friendly. Such an approach may
not only benefi t the environ-
ment, but it also may benefi t ho-
meowners’ bottom lines.
Interior decorating
Longer days and warmer tem-
peratures often translate into
wanting to freshen up the inte-
rior of a home. Heavy draperies
and comforters are put away,
and lighter fabrics are taken
out of storage. Whenever pos-
sible, reuse or repurpose items
you already have rather than
purchasing new items. Longer
drapes can be cut and hemmed
to be used as window treatments
in other rooms. Making a patch-
work blanket out of old T-shirts
is a crafty project that makes use
of items that would otherwise be
destined for landfi lls.
When laundering linens, skip
the energy-using dryer and let
items line dry in the sun and
fresh air.
If you decide to purchase
some new items, look for prod-
ucts made from sustainable
or organic fabrics. Hemp and
bamboo textiles have grown in
popularity. Hemp and bamboo
plants grow quickly, and their
durability makes these materials
smart choices.
When replacing items around
the house, donate older items to
a charitable organization.
Flowers and plants
Spring and summer call to
mind beautiful blooming plants.
Relying on native, sustainable
plants is practical, environmen-
tally friendly and cost-effective.
According to the National
Wildlife Federation, sustainable
plants are native plants. Native
plants sustain local wildlife
more effectively than non-na-
tive alternatives, so include na-
tive plants in your sustainable
garden. Native plants also are
less reliant on pesticides and
herbicides to keep them healthy
and viable.
Don’t forget to bring plants
indoors as well. Even though
you may be opening the win-
dows more, indoor plants can
fi lter and purify indoor air. The
NASA Clean Air Study, led in
association with the Associated
Landscape Contractors of Amer-
ica, found that certain common
indoor plants naturally remove
toxic agents such as benzene,
formaldehyde and trichloroeth-
ylene from the air. Effi cient air
cleaning is accomplished with
at least one plant per 100 square
feet of home or offi ce space.
Proper disposal
Spring cleaning is another tra-
dition for many families come
the end of winter and dawn of
spring. Many people use spring
as a time to go through closets
and garages to remove items
they no longer use or need. In
an effort to clean up fast, some
people may dispose of chemical
products, paints, treated lumber,
and many other items in ways
that can be damaging to the en-
vironment. Always learn local
municipal guidelines for proper
disposal of potentially harmful
products. Area recycling cen-
ters may have drop-off areas for
stains and paints, used motor oil
and other potentially harmful
products.
Before discarding something,
see if it can be donated or sold.
This will result in fewer items
ending up in landfi lls.
Exercise caution outdoors
as well. Runoff from cleaning
products used on home siding
or driveways can leach into the
surrounding soil or fi nd its way
into sewage drains that ultimate-
ly direct fl uids to public water-
ways. Choose environmentally
responsible products whenever
possible.
Springtime renovation and
cleaning projects provide the
perfect opportunity to adopt
eco-friendly practices that pay
dividends for years to come.
Earth Day is a great teaching opportunity
E
arth Day has been around
for more than 40 years,
and during that time, it has in-
spired millions of people to in-
crease their awareness of, and
their appreciation for, the en-
vironment. Since the dawn of
the twenty-fi rst century, people
increasingly have adopted eco-
friendly lifestyles and attitudes,
and the continued embrace of
environmentally friendly prac-
tices and principles has made
the struggles of Earth Day pio-
neers, like former United States
Senator Gaylord Nelson, more
than worth it.
Nowadays, children grow up
learning about the environment
in school and at home. For ex-
ample, many households par-
ticipate in their community's
recycling programs, and such
households are raising eco-con-
scious children, perhaps without
even recognizing they're doing
so.
While a transition to a more
eco-conscious lifestyle might
not be seamless, it's far easier
than many might suspect and
even easier for kids who have
yet to develop a lifetime of
habits that might not be so eco-
friendly. With Earth Day on the
horizon, the following are a few
ways parents can get their kids
involved in activities or life-
styles that benefi t the environ-
ment.
Address Eating
Habits
Over the last several years, the
opportunities to eat in an eco-
friendly manner have increased
dramatically. Organic foods
have grown more and more
popular, and parents can use this
growing trend to teach their kids
about the environment. When
shopping for groceries, choose
organic products that weren't
grown with pesticides or harm-
ful chemicals and explain this
difference to kids.
Shopping locally provides
another opportunity for parents
to involve food when teaching
kids about the environment.
Explain to kids that shopping
locally reduces reliance on fuel
because products don't need to
be shipped, be it through the air
or on the ground, to your com-
munity, minimizing fuel con-
sumption.
Teach
Conservation
Techniques
Conservation provides anoth-
er easy opportunity for parents
to instill eco-friendly ideals in
their children. Conservation is
about reducing waste, so conser-
vation techniques don't involve
sacrifi ce. Instead, they involve
being more responsible when it
comes to using our resources.
Parents know full well the
constant reminders kids need
when it comes to dental hygiene.
But use these daily reminders
about brushing and fl ossing as
an opportunity to impart a les-
son about the environment. In-
Please see TEACHING, Page 11A
Cause an Effect
Make the decision to make a difference this Earth
Day. On Earth Day and every day, the routine
choices we make affect our planet, so here are
some simple tips for choosing wisely:
• Reduce, reuse and recycle
at home, at work and at school.
• Shop for used goods, or look for items
made from recycled materials.
• Buy in bulk or multi-packs to
cut down on packaging waste.
• Look for Energy Star ® and WaterSense ®
labels on products like appliances
and plumbing fi xtures.
• Cut down on plastic bags by carrying your own
reusable shopping bag to the store.
• Properly dispose of recyclable items, electronics
and potentially hazardous materials.
• Always turn off lights and appliances when you
leave a room.
• Unplug your mobile phone charger when it’s not
in use.
• Walk, ride your bike or use public transportation whenever possible.
• Choose locally and organically produced foods.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Don’t top off your gas tank, as this lets harmful chemicals enter the air.
• Go to www.epa.gov/earthday to fi nd local volunteer opportunities and to learn more about steps you can take
to protect our planet.
Green your routine with eco-friendly choices from these local businesses:
A OK Building
Maintenance &
Janitorial
Grace Olsen
Members receive discounts on events, special invitaƟons for
tours, and are an integral part of our work to protect the water
and habitat resources of our watershed. Become a member on
our website www.coasƞork.org or mail this form to: 28 S. Sixth
St., A CoƩage Grove, OR 97424.
Pam’s Sunnyside
Greenhouses
1704 W. Main St.,
Cottage Grove
541-942-7041
White Water
Well Drilling
Martin Creek
Quarry
Creswell, OR
541-884-9702
76250 Martin Creek Rd
Cottage Grove
541-942-1057
Rogers & Son
Cottage Grove
Sentinel
1324 E. Main
Cottage Grove, OR
541-942-0500
116 N 6th Street
Cottage Grove
541-942-3325