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Community Education at the ELC
We invite everyone in the community to join in the fun at the Environmental Learning Center!
Whether you want to learn how to attract wildlife to your garden, identify native wetland species, or gaze at the stars with Rose City Astronomers, we offer a variety of events and classes that bring the community together to enjoy what the Environmental Learning Center has to offer.
Our current offerings:
Community education at the ELC
Show your love of the ELC by volunteering at Stewardship Saturday events! Join other community members in various activities to enhance wildlife habitat, including pulling invasive plants, mulching and clearing trails. Coffee, tea, snacks and all necessary tools and equipment will be provided. Dress to be outside.
When: First Saturday of every month
Time: 10 a.m.-noon
Who: All ages and abilities are welcome, no experience necessary
Where: Environmental Learning Center
What: Onsite volunteer opportunities
- December 7, 2024
- January 4th, 2025
- February 1st, 2025
- March 1st, 2025
- April 5th, 2025
- May 3rd, 2025
- June 7th, 2025
- July 5th, 2025
The Environmental Learning Center presents a FREE Online Workshop Series for anyone interested in home gardening for wildlife and water quality. Learn how to garden with less water, manage too much stormwater, and generally provide a healthier habitat for birds, pollinating insects, and more. This year we have chosen the overarching theme of Climate Resilience with presentations on the observed impacts of climate change on wildlife, but focusing on actionable steps that we, as homeowners, can take to mitigate these effects while protecting watershed health.
These are stand-alone courses, so sign up for the topics of interest to you whether that's one or all of the sessions below!
When: Thursdays, Jan. 23 - March 6
Time: Noon - 1:00 p.m. (PST)
Cost: FREE
Where: Zoom - Link will be sent to you prior to the session and recordings will be available after.
Schedule of Programs
Each week, experts will share their experience, stories, best practices, and expertise with you. There will be plenty of time for discussion, so come prepared with your garden questions!
- Jan. 23 - Trees for Climate Resilience and Watershed Health
- Jan. 30 - The Impact of Land Use Changes and Climate on Bird Species
- Feb. 6 - Habitat Gardening for Pollinators in a Changing World
- Feb. 13 - Soil: The Magic Ingredient
- Feb. 20 - Plant Tolerances to Weather Extremes
- Feb. 27 - Balancing Fire Resistance, Wildlife Habitat, and Water Conservation Goals
- March 6 - Gardening for Amphibians
Special thanks to our sponsor, Clackamas Water Environment Services and our community partners: Clackamas River Basin Council, Clackamas River Water Providers, , Greater Oregon City Watershed Council, North Clackamas Watersheds Council, Oak Lodge Water Services and Tryon Creek Watershed Council.
Recordings of the 2024 sessions are available at the links below for anyone who missed the live version, or would like to revisit the content. Thank you to all the wonderful presenters who shared their expertise with us this year. We couldn’t provide this series without you.
Speakers and Session Descriptions with links to recordings:
- Jan. 25: Connecting the Pieces of our Urban Ecosystems
- Feb. 1: Take a Walk on the Wild Side: The remarkable wild bees of Oregon (and how to welcome them to your backyard),
Feb. 8: Garden Smart for the Changing Climate - Feb. 15: Friend or Foe? How to Identify Invasive Plants in Our Backyards
- Feb. 22: Companion Planting for Clean Water
- Feb. 29: Plants and Fungal Networks
- March 7: What Tree Should I Plant?
Special thanks to our sponsor, Clackamas Water Environment Services and our community partners: Clackamas River Basin Council, Clackamas River Water Providers, Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District, Greater Oregon City Watershed Council, North Clackamas Watersheds Council, Oak Lodge Water Services.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, and our co-host, the Greater Oregon City Watershed Council, on July 8, 2023 to help identify flora and fauna in the ELC wetlands. It was a big day of education, as folks of all ages spotted amphibians, birds, insects, mammals and plants.
While many species were documented, here are a few highlights:
- Pacific tree frog hiding in a hole in a nurse log
- Northwestern salamander larvae
- Great blue heron and bald eagle flew overhead
- Northern red-legged frog - the first sighting of this frog species since last fall, when one was spotted at the ELC for the first time in a decade!
Thank you to our Bioblitz sponsor, Clackamas Water Environment Services, and our co-host, Greater Oregon City Watershed Council. Thank you, Clackamas River Basin Council, Confluence Environmental Center and National Wildlife Federation for tabling at this event and sharing information with attendees.
To see more photos, visit the iNaturalist page from the day's event.
Come check out star clusters, nebulae and maybe some galaxies! Rose City Astronomer volunteers will share highlights through their telescopes. Meet at the athletics fields across from the Environmental Learning Center. Bring chairs, blankets and binoculars.
Free and open to all!
Where: The athletics field, near the Environmental Learning Center at the Oregon City campus
When: July 26, 2024, from 9:30 p.m.-midnight
Cost: Free
If you have any questions, reach out to Rose City Astronomers at haggart@rosecityastronomers.org.
If the skies are cloudy, call Rose City Astronomers for cancellation updates: 503-594-6044.
Interested in donating to the ELC?
Your donation is tax deductible, and your generosity helps us continue to offer all our programming and scholarship opportunities.