Earth Stewardship

Live sustainably

• Utilize the mugboard! Save a disposable cup (and some money) by grabbing a mug out of the student kitchen in the LRC. Just be sure to wash and return it when you’re finished!
• Use a hanky! Save trees and waste by using a cloth handkerchief to blow your nose. Better yet, buy some old cloth napkins at a thrift shop instead of new hankies.
• Compost your food scraps! Check out tips on effective composting.
• Save glass jars! Reuse empty peanut butter or jam jars for food storage, as drinking glasses, or any other use can you think of. Keep a jar in your locker to use for free beer or soda from student events on campus.
• Buy local food! Farmers markets and local co-ops or other groceries are great sources for fresh, local produce. Check out the farmers markets in the area.
• Join a Portland CSA! Support a local farm and get great weekly produce deliveries through Community Supported Agriculture. 
• Grow your own food! Go as big or small as your time and space allow. Start with herbs in containers, or give tomatoes a shot. It’s fun and delicious!
• Buy in bulk! Bring plastic bags or empty jars to fill up with grains, beans, flours, sugar, dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter, oils, etc. It’s cheaper too!
• Support renewable energy! PGE offers many earth-friendly billing options that only cost a little extra on your monthly bill. Check out PGE website for more info.
• Unplug to eliminate phantom loads! Keeping appliances and other electronic devices plugged in drains electricity, even when they’re turned off.
• Save paper! Avoid printing when possible (read and highlight cases or other documents in .pdf form on your computer), and when you do print, do double-sided. Use recycled paper in your home printer. At school, remember that even though it’s free for you to print, it costs trees and energy to do it, so limit your usage!      
• Reduce consumption, get stuff for FREE, and FREECYCLE your stuff. Freecycleportland allows members to pass along still-usable, tangible items rather than throw those items away. Freecycling alleviates pressure on landfills and cut back on wasteful consumerism.             

Volunteer

• Take care of our backyard! Join Friends of Tryon Creek for scheduled ivy pulls, helping to protect native plants by removing invasive species. 
• Protect our local rivers! Contact Willamette Riverkeeper or Columbia Riverkeeper to sign up to help monitor water quality and promote water stewardship.
• Spend the day outside planting trees in the Portland area with Friends of Trees.
• Join SOLV, a network of Oregonians volunteering to improve the environment and build a legacy of stewardship. SOLV focuses on beach and river cleanup, native planting, invasive plant removal and environmental maintenance projects. Check out the SOLV Volunteer Calendar.