I know, I’ve been semi-absent lately, but I’ve been spending a lot of time working on a new blog for my son’s school. If you’re in PDX, Cedar’s school, Village Free School is well worth checking out.

Village Free School is an awesome democratic school in SE Portland, and the least expensive private school in the PDX area and now there’s a blog where you can learn all about it.

The Village Free School blog will be covering all kinds of cool stuff, such as:

• Village Free School current events, projects and more.
• The opportunity to learn more about Village Free School, democratic education in general or possible other education alternatives.
• Current happenings and research in the democratic school arena.
• See what it’s really like to be a democratic education student, parent of a free school student or staff at the school.

Visit the Village Free School blog. At the very least, I suggest you check out 101 Ways To Get Educated.

Somehow, it entirely skipped my mind that Green Sprouts Festival is happening tomorrow. What the… ?

In any case, I go every year, and if you’re in PDX, you should attend as well. Green Sprouts celebrates and promotes the nurturing of life through nature, with a heaping dose of green goods and services, plus activities for the entire family. Parents can learn about and explore eco-friendly, community-involved, natural, and healthy options to raising their families, while kiddos can enjoy the special events tailored just to them.

Special events and types of exhibitors this year:

• The Alma Midwifery Education & Movement Workshops
• Acupuncture
• Aromatherapy
• Breastfeeding
• Childbirth & Related Services
• Birthing Services
• Body care products
• Doula Services
• Energy Work & Healing
• Family wellness
• Holistic Practitioners
• Homeopathy
• Belly Casting
• Lactation Services
• Massage & Bodywork
• Children’s Activities, Events & Parties
• Early Education
• Environmental Education
• Yoga for Pregnancy and Parents
• Environmental Organizations
• Financial services
• Green Parenting
• All sorts of home energy and green home goods
• Alternative Transportation
• Car pooling
• Transportation Alternatives
• Sign Language
• Socially Responsible Investing
• Sustainability – Education
• Natural birthing options
• Wellness
• Cooking
• Grocers – Organic & Natural
• Organic and Natural Food Delivery
• Organic Foods
• Vegan & Vegetarian Goods & Services
• Women’s Health
• Outdoor Recreation
• Arts and Crafts
• Kids Activities
• Ecotravel Activities & Education
• Baby Carriers & Slings
• Bamboo Clothing
• Children’s Apparel
• Diapers: Cloth & Alternatives
• Eco Baby Gear
• Hemp Products
• Belly Dance Bliss for Pregnancy and Beyond
• Recycled Clothing and Products
• Toys: Handmade, Plastic-Free
• AND MUCH MORE!

Other cool stuff going on this year includes Portland Parks & Recreation Ladybug Nature Walks, Josiah Hill III Clinic Lead Testing, Arciform “Get Home Schooled” creative reuse bus, Carmen Phoenix Photography “Parents of Portland Photo Series” Clothing Swap, The Bug Chicks “Insect petting Zoo”, Village Free School (my son’s school) “Thinking Caps Crafts”.

WHEN: Tomorrow, Sunday, September 25, 2011, 10 AM to 5 PM.

WHERE: Peninsula Park

COSTS: Admission is free!

Celebrate summer in PDX with the The Oregon Berry Festival.

July 22nd & 23rd you can head to this fun family event which includes stuff like…

• Children’s activities
• Live entertainment
• How-to pie making demonstration (5pm Friday)
• A PDX chef berry cook-off
• Comedy juggler
• Agribusiness Tour – Kruger’s Farm Market on Sauvie Island
• Ice Cream Making Demonstrations with support from Organic Valley Farmers (Friday afternoon from 2-3 pm and Saturday from 4-5 pm)
• See the full event schedule

Plus of course there will be berries, berries and more berries in the form of pies, cobblers, jams, strawberry shortcake, Marionberry BBQ sauce, strawberry beer, cranberry chocolates, natural blueberry soda and more. Also if you attend, there’s going to be a chance to win a Trek Allant bike with cargo package

Admission is free so this is a great way to get out, for less, with the family. Open from noon to six on Friday, July 22nd and 11AM to six on Saturday, July 23rd.

Location:  Ecotrust, 721 NW 9th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209

[Organic berries image © Dor Sela]

Just a quick FYI to my PDX friends, the Portland Farmers Market will be celebrating it’s 20th birthday with a fun party. There will be festivities, such as crafts and farmer dunking (so I hear) and of course, plenty of fresh birthday treats served up by local chefs.

As an added bonus, this year’s reusable bag design contest winner will be announced. Also, Congressman Earl Blumenhauer, Mayor Sam Adams and Commissioner Nick Fish will speak. Farmers Market events are always fun. I’ve got to work, so I’m gonna miss the fun (sad) but hopefully you and your family can make it.

Where: Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University

When: Saturday, June 18th, 2011.

Time: I think the birthday fun kicks off at 11 am. As always, the actual market should be opening around 8:30 am.

Arbor Day week, yes week, is in full swing here in Oregon. Maybe it’s all the trees, or the general environmental-savvy ideals around here, but no matter what makes us do it, in Oregon we celebrate Arbor Day for the entire first full week of April each year.

Nationally, Arbor Day is celebrated the last Friday in April. However, some other states, along the same lines as Oregon, celebrate on their own time-table. For example, some states observe Arbor Day during a time that correlates with their specific state’s best tree-planting times.

The only way to know for sure when your specific state celebrates Arbor Day is to check the Arbor Day dates across America map.

Now if you’re wondering what you can do this Arbor Day, I like the suggestions on the Oregon Arbor Day page, which reminds us that planting trees is only part of the solution. Really, we also need to learn more about caring for the trees we have.

More fun: if you’re in Oregon you might consider Tree-Mendous Second Saturday at the World Forestry Center. On Saturday, April 9 from 10:30am – 3pm, you can celebrate Arbor Day with the center. Families can, “Enjoy crafts, learn about trees and forests of the world, and go for a guided hike in Hoyt Aboretum.” These extra perks are free with museum admission. It’ll likely be busy, but all kinds of fun.

If you’re not up for the crowds grab a Hoyt Aboretum Meet the Trees kid’s map and go on your own, non-guided tree tour adventure. The hikes on the kids’ map are well set up, fun and easy to follow – even if you’re direction challenged like me. The picture above is Cedar (or the back of his head at least) on a recent 3 mile + hike we went on at Hoyt Aboretum, and yes, we made it out alive.

• See more suggestions for celebrating Arbor Day in Oregon.
• Learn more about National Arbor Day.
• Find out when your state celebrates.

Learn more about trees!

• Why Hug A Tree? Benefits of Protecting & Planting Trees
• Green Book Review: How to Plant a Tree

The Portland Farmers Market 2011 season is kicking off soon – March 19th to be precise. However, if you’re a high school student you can already get involved in some Farmers Market fun.

Photo © Flickr user Christine Rondeau

COUNTRY Financial, a 2011 season sponsor, recently launched a Reusable Bag Design Contest for Portland Public Schools high school students. No word if you HAVE to be officially enrolled in school or if high school aged homeschoolers can also enter (I’d check).

The winner of this contest will receive a $1,000 scholarship and their design will be featured on thousands of bags distributed at the market!

Photo © Flickr user prozacblues

• Learn how to enter the Reusable Bag Design Contest.
• Learn more about Portland Farmers Market.

FYI if you live in PDX, there are two awesome looking documentaries showing in the area tomorrow night (October 3rd). I’m not going to discuss these much yet (although I will review after seeing them). I’ll just let you watch the previews for yourself…

The first is PLAY AGAIN. Which is about how children spend more time in the virtual world than the natural world. PLAY AGAIN attempts to unplug a group of typical media enthralled teens from the Pacific Northwest and takes them on their first wilderness adventure. According to the site, the film documents, “The wonder that comes from time spent in nature and inspiring action for a sustainable future.”

The second is Race to Nowhere which focuses on, “The pressures faced by American schoolchildren and their teachers in a system and culture obsessed with the illusion of achievement, competition and the pressure to perform.”

Being a green unschooler, you can imagine my dilemma. Both look amazing. Which film to see? The eco-film or the unschooling-minded film. Hmmm. Also, my choice affects Cedar. If I go to see PLAY AGAIN, I’ll take him, but the other one looks a little old for him.

At first I was for sure going to attend PLAY AGAIN, but then I heard about Race to Nowhere and was like, bummer! So I emailed the PLAY AGAIN folks who informed me that there’s going to be a second showing in December. Nice.

So, I’ll likely attend Race to Nowhere tomorrow and then hopefully see PLAY AGAIN in December.

If you’re in PDX here’s the info you need…

Race to Nowhere is playing at the Hollywood Theater at 7pm, October 3rd 2010.

PLAY AGAIN is playing at the Academy Theater at 7pm, October 3rd, 2010.

If you’re not in PDX…

Skip over to the websites and see if there are any showings near you.

• Race to Nowhere
• PLAY AGAIN

If you happen to live in PDX, heads up, because this year’s Green Sprouts Festival is coming up this weekend. I spaced it – it’s been busy.

Last year I went to the show with my best friend Sara and also Beth; fellow Inhabitots blogger and owner of Petite Planet. I had a good time last year. There was a lot to see and do and plenty of cool green goods and services to learn about. This year I’m going with all the kids.

Green Sprouts Festival at Peninsula Park

ABOUT GREEN SPROUTS:

In general the Green Sprouts Festival is put on by ReDirect Guide and is a festive and educational one-day event for the whole family. The event looks at issues that celebrate and promote green living, healthy pregnancy, eco-friendly childhood and natural parenting options.

THIS YEAR:

A wide variety of informative seminars and interactive activities are planned geared towards raising families in a healthy and sustainable environment. Plus there’s going to be 70+ green sponsors on hand. Topics include:

• Lead Poisoning Prevention
• Energy Reduction in Your Home
• Hospital? Birth Center? Home Birth? – Birthing Options From a First Hand Account
• Natural Solutions for Colic and Ear Infections
• Nursing mommy Q&A
• Bugs and Babies – Non Toxic Treatment of Lice
• Diaper Options
• Creating a Healthy Clean Home for Babies
• To Vaccinate or not to Vaccinate
• Intro to Baby Sign Language
• Age Appropriate Dental Care – Floride, X-rays and more
• Baby Blues Warning Signs and When to Seek Treatment
• Baby Safety and Child Proofing Your Home

There’s a bunch of new features you can check out this year too.

ATTEND:

The event takes place at Peninsula Park (north PDX) and runs from 10 AM to 5 PM on Sunday, September 26, 2010. Parking, although I thought it might suck was a snap. It took us about 2.5 hours to go through the whole event, although I’d have stayed longer (we had some other stuff going on last year).

If you’re a local here in PDX and you’re looking for a way to cut down on new clothing consumption then you may want to check out PDXSwap. I just read about this group in the latest issue of Portland family Magazine, and while I haven’t tried the PDX group I did have a group like this in another state I lived in and it was pretty cool. PDXSwap is a group of Portland Metro area residents who get together on a regular basis for a clothing swap. According to the group’s website, PDXSwap is the only regular clothing swap in the Portland Metro area.

Why attend a swap?

• Used clothing is a great tactic for going green locally. You’re giving older, but still in good shape clothing a home vs. having a bunch of clothes end up in a landfill. Plus this saves on resources needed to manufacture new clothes AND best of all it saves you money.
• Attending a swap can have benefits over a thrift store or garage sale though because you don’t have to spend as much time searching. PDXSwap, for example, is set up in different groups by size. I.e. if you know you’re not a size 3 you don’t have to attend the size 3 swap.
• You can meet other green-minded pals at a swap group.

According to PDXSwap, “All are welcome to join.” The group asks that you only bring swap clothing that’s in “Wearable condition (no rips, tears or visible stains), and only in sizes specified for the groups to which you’re attending (see the Swap Sizes page for more details). Petite sizes and junior equivalents are very much welcome, as are shoes, belts and other accessories.”

Visit PDXSwap to learn more then clean out your closet and get swapping.

PS if you’re not a PDX local: Look up “name of your city + clothing swap” online and if you can’t find an established swap group then you can learn how to organize your own swap group in your town for clothes, toys, books and more.

The Portland Japanese Garden is holding a free admission day on November 11, Wednesday from 10am-4pm. The free event is sponsored by KOIN Local 6. Besides being a cool nature fall outing for your family, the event will also benefit Janus Youth Programs through the collection of voluntary donations at the Admission Gate.

Janus Youth Program, is a great Portland non-profit which provides shelters for homeless youth. Many items for youth are always in high demand if you’d like to donate. Visitors during this free event will also get to see the Garden’s winter Art in the Garden Exhibition: The Bontei Tray Gardens of Marc Peter Keane, featuring handcrafted wood and stone tray gardens. Admission to the exhibition is free as well.

The Garden is above Washington Park at 611 SW Kingston Drive in SW Portland, Oregon.

[Image via Japanese Maple, Portland Japanese Garden; photo: David M Cobb]