Tuesday, August 14, 2007

boomslang

Happy tuesday...

(a scandalous lack of capitalization, certainly)

What now, just what are we doing here (where there's nothing to do)?

Another week, another thing we're trying to do, in our relentless and dreamlike quest to check as many boxes as we can. This week, civic engagement/community organizing/empowerment - nothing new there

well, maybe a little new, because this community, these mostly low-income, mostly latino are like their brothers and sisters in other Portland neighborhoods, and other neighborhoods in other USA cities; when we dole out the environmental goodies, they don't get 'em. they don't get the clean air, the clean water, the uncontaminated land, the environmental jobs.

many times and too often, environmental engagement happens because these communities want to stop the bad stuff - the landfill, the lead, the mold, the bus depot, the brownfield.

For us, it starts with bringing environmental assets (jobs, projects) to these communities. Last year, we built 3 stormwater management projects on Hacienda CDC properties, training opportunities for Nursery employees, and an outreach and education opportunity for residents, especially children.
now, we're returning, using the installations as the basis for an 8 hour watershed curriculum for participants in Hacienda CDC's Expresiones program, an after school program for middle school students. we'll also upgrade the installations themselves, and - like last time/above - Expresiones students will help with the installations.

So, on monday, we met with folks from Hacienda CDC, from the Columbia Slough Watershed Council, SOLV, and the City of Portland's Clean Rivers Education program to start designing the curriculum, the next step in our goal to bring culturally appropriate, accessible environmental education and other benefits to Hacienda CDC residents and other disadvantaged communities.

we're very excited...

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