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[Partner News]
Late spring kicks into high gear for Lane County sustainability partners
By Daniel Hiestand
Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator
Also in this section:
This month, we transition to our new schedule. Instead of focusing on a particular topic, we will highlight news from our sustainability and waste prevention partners throughout Lane County. Next month, we return to our theme with our "Transportation" issue.
Enjoy.
Shift hosts June 5 fundraiser
Contact: Kendsie Channing
E-mail: [email protected]
Shift Community Cycles is hosting a fundraiser event, Chain Reaction: A Community Catalyst Event, on June 5 from 6-9 p.m. in its downtown programming space (190 8th Ave., Eugene) to share the impact its had so far this year, and encourage the next phase of transportation transformation.
Be part of the moment where giving gains momentum! Shift will reveal its new mission and vision to SHIFT its energy toward the future opportunities for cycling in Lane County.
This event is geared toward anyone who supports Shift Community Cycles, refurbishing bikes to keep them out of landfills, teaching youth about bike riding, or alternative transportation.
Shift is leaning on our supportive and generous community to become the destination community hub for cycling in Lane County.
As grants become harder and harder to secure, its programming is at risk for the remainder of the year. Shift wants to sustain its operations in order to improve sustainable living through biking.
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Springfield, BRING partner to display Student Product Challenge designs
Contact: Jack Greenberg
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (541) 746-3023
 Join BRING this June as they display the Student Product Designs made by Lane County Students at Springfield City Hall (225 N. 5th St, Springfield). From February to May, Lane County students have been diligently working on creating a submission for the Student Product Design Challenge.
Students were tasked with creating an idea, designing it out, collecting reused/reclaimed materials, and finally, bringing their creations to life.
BRING and Springfield Arts Commission is proud to display the hard work, resourcefulness, and commitment to sustainability that these creative projects symbolize.
Make It! Workshop: Planter Boxes on June 14
Join BRING (4446 Franklin Blvd., Eugene) on June 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a Make It! Workshop. Participants learn how to build cedar planter boxes using pre-cut and pre-drilled kits. No registration required; family-friendly drop-in program. Materials available on first-come, first-served basis. Pay-what-you-can, sliding scale suggested donation.
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5th Annual eBike Expo on June 20
Contact: Sofia Carpenter-Rodriguez
E-mail: [email protected]
It's time for the 5th Annual eBike Expo on June 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the City of Eugene Campbell Community Center (155 High St, Eugene). Stop by to test ride electric bikes, scooters, and more from a variety of Eugene's bike shops in one place! Also, learn all about e-bike safety, laws, and financing.
Experience for yourself how e-bikes aren't just the easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint, but the most fun! Already have an e-bike? Ride on over and show off your e-bike to other folks who are curious about them. In addition to test rides, come for music, food, and free bike tune-ups!
The event encourages people to get familiar with E-Bikes in hopes of creating more sustainable transportation.
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Sustainable Fashion Month kicks off with fashion show
In partnership with the Hybrid, MECCA, and Viking Textile Maker Hub, Eugene Sustainable Fashion Month features events and activities that bring vintage lovers, designers, and makers together to show what’s possible when fashion gets a second (or third) life.
 Organizers are seeking a few local businesses to highlight an exclusive upcycled fashion show, Reclaim. Businesses will be matched with a local upcycle designer who will make two looks from a box of sewable waste materials contributed by the business. Organizers are seeking a limited number of local businesses for this unique opportunity. Learn more on the Reclaim Business Partner Application.
Sustainable Fashion Month will include four events at the Hybrid Gallery.
Reclaim Fashion Show | Saturday, June 20 | 7-9 p.m.
Where: Hybrid Gallery | 941 W. 3rd Ave., Eugene
Designers debut looks made from local business scraps.
Remix | Friday, June 26 | 5-9 p.m.
Where: Hybrid Gallery | 941 W. 3rd Ave., Eugene
A vintage night market with a live funk band, Bendre the Giant, and plenty of groove.
Rewind | Sunday, June 28 | 6-8 p.m.
Where: Hybrid Gallery | 941 W. 3rd Ave., Eugene
A vintage fashion show full of timeless flair.
Replay | July 18, June 20 | 2-4 p.m.
Where: Hybrid Gallery | 941 W. 3rd Ave., Eugene
A runway show spotlighting youth and emerging designers, it’s fashion with personality, purpose, and a new way of looking at discarded materials—inviting Eugene to rethink what we wear, how we make it, and how we can do it all a little more creatively and sustainably.
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Monarch butterfly survey takes off June 26
Contact: Casper Riordan
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (760) 504-3296
Walama Restoration Project is a nonprofit based in Eugene, dedicated to environmental stewardship and biological diversity through education and habitat restoration.
Walama will be taking volunteers out to Willamette National Forest on June 26 for its second monarch butterfly survey of the year. Volunteers will be doing moderate to difficult off-trail hiking, searching for monarch butterfly activity in milkweed meadows as part of a larger restoration effort in the forest during an all-day excursion.
Please RSVP by emailing [email protected].
Monarchs are a vital part of our ecosystems, and Walama's team has worked alongside volunteers and the forest service to restore their habitats and increase their population here at the North end of their Western migration range.
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Repair Fair scheduled for June 27
Contact: Katy
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (541) 838-0125
ToolBox Project, Restore, and community fixers are partnering to put on a Repair Fair for our community members.
ToolBox Project & Restore's Repair Fair will be held on June 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Eugene Habitat ReStore (1210 Oak Patch Rd.). Community members are invited to bring household items in need of repair and work alongside local volunteer “fixers,” who will provide guidance and hands-on instruction to help attendees learn how to repair their items.
The event is designed to promote sustainability, reduce waste, and share practical repair skills with the community.
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Slow Food South Willamette: Food for Lane County Youth Farm Tour scheduled for June 27
Contact: Vanessa Salvia
E-mail: [email protected]
Join Slow Food South Willamette for a relaxed tour and shared meal at Food For Lane County Youth Farm’s new location at the base of Mt. Pisgah. Walk the rows, meet the farmers, and see how good, clean, and fair food is grown with care.
Bring your lunch for a picnic afterwards, if you choose to stay. We’ll eat together and celebrate the people and practices that sustain our local food system.
Where: Food For Lane County Youth Farm
Address: 34596 Seavey Loop Rd, Eugene
When: Saturday, June 27
Tour: 11 a.m. to noon, followed by picnic from noon-1 p.m.
Cost: Free but please RSVP so the farm knows how many people to expect
About the Youth Farm
Teen farmers learn how to grow food here, and the food is distributed to food assistance programs, and is also sold at Food For Lane County’s produce stand and through their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The produce stand sells more than 40 varieties of organically grown (though not certified) fruits and vegetables.
Oakshire Commons fundraiser on July 6
Oakshire Commons is hosting an Oakshire Inspires fundraising night for Slow Food South Willamette on Monday, July 6 at Oakshire Commons in downtown Springfield (416 Main St.).
 $1 from every core pint and 10% of food sold throughout the whole day (noon-10 pm) will be donated to our chapter. Slow Food leadership will be present from 5-8 pm.
What: Fundraiser event
Where: Oakshire Commons, Springfield (416 Main St.)
When: July 6
Address: 416 Main St., Springfield
Time: Noon to 10 p.m.
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Beach cleanup set for July 5 in Florence
Contact: Nancy Rhodes
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (415) 497-4083
EMAC, in collaboration with County Transfer and Recycling (CTR), Lane County Parks, and Driftwood Shores, is hosting the SOLVE Dirtiest Day of the Year Clean Up Event. Please join us to clear the post-holiday debris! Recommended for ages 13 and up.
 Heceta Beach Cleanup will be held on the "Dirtiest Day of the Year," July 5, from 9 a.m. until noon. Meet at Heceta Beach Park (near Driftwood Shores at 88466 1st. Ave., Florence). Wear comfy but closed-toe shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. Kindly bring a backpack for hands-free convenience. Cleanup supplies will be provided. Let's all do our part to clear the post-holiday debris! Please pre-register (through SOLVE) for this event using the link provided.
Every year lots of post holiday trash is left behind on Heceta Beach following the celebrations on July 4. It's tragic what is left behind. This includes sparkler sticks often partially buried in the sand--a danger for dogs and barefoot humans. In past years we have found smoldering rocket launchers and other firework debris, left behind toys, food and beverage wrappers and containers (plastic and glass), and filled dog waste bags. The goal is to reduce the amount of harmful pollutants from going into the sea where vulnerable sea life is at risk, and keep the garbage off the beach which may harm other wildlife.
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Burrito Brigade seeks support to build sustainable food hub
Contact: Jennifer Denson
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (541) 632-3239
Burrito Brigade is transforming a Whiteaker neighborhood warehouse into a sustainably-based community food hub and is asking the community to help it fundraise to meet its building’s renovation goals. In-kind donations are also welcomed, such as second-hand kitchen/ grocery storage equipment.
Waste To Taste, a Burrito Brigade project, rescues over a half million pounds of food from the waste stream every year and redistributes through a free dignified shopper-choice grocery store. Burrito Brigade’s three main projects together provide zero-cost, no-questions-asked food access across Lane County.
This capital campaign funds a commercial kitchen installation, food storage infrastructure and ADA-compliant critical upgrades and necessary building improvements. Construction begins this summer and doors open to the public in early 2027.
Learn more at burritobrigade.org or follow the organization's progress on social media on Instagram and Facebook.
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Springfield Spring Cleanup event a success
Contact: Mike McGillivray, Communications Coordinator, Development and Public Works
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (541) 726-3615
The City of Springfield held its annual Spring Cleanup event on May 16 at EcoSort in Glenwood. The free event gave residents a safe way to recycle or dispose of unwanted household items. 
This year had a large number of vehicle trips recorded at 629 which was up by over 200 compared to last years numbers of 411. Residents dropped off electronics, furniture, yard debris, appliances, scrap metal, and other materials. New this year, the event also accepted household batteries and unused medications.
 The City of Springfield’s Operations Division hosted the event with support from the City staff and regional partners. Partners included Sanipac, Lane County Waste Management, EcoSort, St. Vincent de Paul, BRING, Lane Forest Products and NextStep Recycling. The event served Springfield residents living within city limits.
Are you enjoying the newsletter? Are there topics you'd like us to cover? Please share your thoughts with us at [email protected]. Thanks for reading.
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