SOLVE IT April 20th, 2013 Final Report 2013

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1 SOLVE IT April 20th, 2013 Final Report 2013 Presented by: Legacy Sponsor: Sustaining Sponsors: Media Sponsor: Major Sponsors:

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SOLVE IT Sponsors page 2 Executive Summary page 3 Event Highlights page 4 Project Map page 5 Event Coordinators page 6-8 Photo Gallery page 9 Project Partners page Publicity, Education & Evaluation page 13 Newlyweds at their first SOLVE event in Hood River. Cover photo: A volunteer plants a native shrub to help improve water quality, provide wildlife habitat, and reduce erosion! Page 1

3 SOLVE IT SPONSORS Presenting Sponsor Portland General Electric Legacy Sponsor Metro Sustaining Sponsors Clean Water Services Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Washington County Media Sponsor K103 Major Sponsors City of Beaverton Skanska Additional Support Genentech SOLVE Supporters Volunteer leaders get ready for the big event at Beaverton Creek near Millikan Way. Page 2

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In celebration of Earth Day, approximately 6,311 volunteers came out to make a difference in their local communities as part of the 24th annual SOLVE IT presented by Portland General Electric. Volunteers dug in to pull invasive vegetation, plant native trees and pick up litter at 236 project sites across Oregon, including 85 sites which involved students in service learning projects. With SOLVE support, volunteers accomplished the following watershed improvements: Planted 6,492 native plants Removed 87,171 pounds of mixed waste from neighborhoods and natural areas Collected and recycled 281 tires Removed invasive, non-native vegetation from 41 acres of land A family spends a fun Saturday morning together making a difference at their local natural area. HISTORY The idea of people coming together from all over the world on Earth Day to take care of and celebrate our planetary home began in On April 22nd, 1970 over 20 million Americans worked in their neighborhoods and parks for a healthy, sustainable environment. In 1990, SOLVE IT took root in the greater Portland Metro area and has since grown into a statewide Earth Day event. Since 1990, SOLVE IT volunteers have removed more than 15 million pounds of invasive plants and litter from illegal dumpsites, neighborhoods, and natural areas as part of this global event. SOLVE board member Stefanie Slyman removes invasive plants with volunteer Emily Plummer in Hood River. Page 3

5 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Global Youth Service Day SOLVE was selected as the lead agency in Oregon for the international Global Youth Service Day event, as a result all SOLVE projects were also a part of this international effort. Overall close to 3,000 youth were involved in SOLVE projects throughout the state! Now in its 25th year, Global Youth Service Day is celebrated by hundreds of thousands of young people in more than 100 countries and recognizes the positive impact that young people have on their communities 365 days a year. GYSD is a program of YSA, which coordinates the event and offers grants, programs, and resources to assist in planning meaningful servicelearning projects that improve the lives of young people and communities. Hood River Waterfront Park Earth Day Weeding Project Volunteers removed four truckloads of weeds from this beautiful park! Mulch was spread throughout the newly weeded plant beds which are filled with native plants. Fun educational activities were available for all the children that attended. 100 adults and 50 youth cleared an acre of invasive non-native plants! Nyssa Park Cleanup Volunteers cleared all the weeds from the playground area of Lions Park. This was a great opportunity for kids who live near the park to help clean it and to talk with the Parks and Recreation Chairperson about the improvements they would like to see. The volunteers removed all the trash they could find and cleared 1,000 square feet of non-native invasive plants. Nestucca Bay Cleanup 41 volunteers teamed up to remove trash from Nestucca Bay and the surrounding areas. 2,500 pounds of trash and 14 tires were removed from the bay and other waterways, helping to protect wildlife, improve water quality, and beautify the area. PGE Employees Volunteer at the Oregon Humane Society Dog Walking Path Revival Sasha Moyle with the Oregon Humane Society led this amazing project which involved many employees of presenting sponsor, Portland General Electric.. She explained how successful their Earth Day event was, Wheelbarrows full of invasive species were removed from our dog walking path. Thistles, Blackberries and Clematis all met their demise and are now residing in a large yard debris container. Kinnikinnick plants were added to the slope of our pond to prevent erosion. Hopefully that will help our beaver friends continue to call our pond home and encourage other natives species find a little sanctuary in our corner of North Portland. Bonneville Lock and Dam Weed Rodeo Students and school staff members from Dallesport elementary participated in a weed rodeo at Bonneville Lock and Dam. Students removed invasive plants including Himalyan blackberry and English ivy. This is the sixth consecutive year that students have participated at this event. 50 students removed 800 pounds of trash and cleared 1,800 square feet of invasive plants. Page 4

6 PROJECT MAP Page 5

7 Event Coordinators The success of each project depends on well-organized Event Coordinators. These are the volunteer leaders who, with support and technical assistance from SOLVE, identify community needs for projects, act as team leaders, contact local garbage haulers, help recruit and supervise volunteers, encourage the community to participate, order project materials, oversee the work and ensure the safety of volunteers, and more. We couldn t do it without them! Site: Coordinator(s): Site: Coordinator(s): 222 NW Fifth Ave Pedro Billescas Cherryville Cemetery Joyce Yam Alder Elementary School Faith Mbaabu Clackamette Park Nancy Busch Alsea Bay Emily Bowling Cline Falls State Park Josie Gallagher Alton Baker Park Erin Lamb Columbia Annex Park Dani Dennenberg Autumn Ridge Park Melissa Marcum Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Lorri Epstein Baltimore Woods - Area 12 - Catlin Property Stephen Kennett Cottonwood Bay Park Monica Vogel Bandon School District Trent Hatfield Crooked River - Smith Rock State Park Scott Brown Beaver Creek - Area 6 Stephen Kennett Donald L. Robertson Park Greg Dirks Beaver Creek - Area 6 Kristen Taylor Driftwood Wetlands Cathy Boden Beaverton Creek at Millikan Way Amanda Legernes Elijah Bristow State Park Barrett Frobose Beverly Beach State Park Wade Lockett Errol Heights Wetlands Susan Hawes Big Creek Park Lisa Mulcahy Estacada, Downtown Gloria Polzin Bluffs Park Melissa Marcum Fanno Creek - Grant Ave Carla Staedter Boardman Wetlands Kristen Taylor Feyrer Park Kay Patteson Bonneville Lock and Dam Tim Darland Force Lake Christie Holmgren Buffington Park Jim Billings Forest Park Neighborhood Erika Miller Camassia Natural Area Molly Dougherty Fox Creek Trail Bob Burnham Cannery Square Plaza Naomi Belov Gabriel Park Jennifer Seamans Cannon Beach Zoe Shulevitz Gales Creek at Roderick Rd April Olbrich Cape Lookout State Park Travis Korbe Gateway Green Jordan Norris Carter Park Rest Area Silver Kelley Gladstone City Hall Jerry Herrmann Cascade Head Preserve - Lincoln City Molly Dougherty Glenfair Elementary School Celia Flaim Casey State Park Mandy Hellmann Glenn Otto Park Duane Korst Cathedral Park Anisha Scanlon Greenway Park Melissa Marcum Cedar Mill Creek - Forest Heights Kristen Taylor Hamby Park Scott Crowell Champoeg State Heritage Area Daniel Klug Harrison Park School Stanley Moy Chenowith Elementary School Stacey Holeman Hinson Church Angela Kirkman Page 6

8 EVENT COORDINATORS Site: Coordinator(s): Hood River Waterfront Park Ann Frodel Jackson Woods Carolyn Ortman Jasper State Park Sean Stewart Jefferson Elementary School Scott Burress Jewett Elementary School - Central Point Kim Elmer Keizer Rapids Park Mark Caillier Kelly SE 16th Dr. Stephanie Raffaele L.L. Stub Stewart State Park Steve Kruger Lents Tool Library Xavi Cortal Lewis and Clark State Park Russ Pascoe Lincoln Middle School Beverly Wilson Lions Park Susan Barton Lower Macleay Park Kevin McWhirter Lynch Wood Elementary School Joy Stokka Maddax Woods Claudia Davis Maddax Woods Steven Miesen Magness Memorial Tree Farm David Leckey Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery Cricket Soules Mary S. Young State Park Lorie Griffith McCann Tire Jim Baggenstos McCarthy Park Christina Thompson McKay Creek - Glencoe High School Stephen Kennett McLean House and Park Mike Watters Milwaukie Presbyterian Church Beth Ragel Mist Grade School Rachel Wilcoxen Mt. Scott 129th and Scott Creek Lane Kristen Taylor Murrayhill Recreation Association Mel Schultz Nadaka Nature Park Lee Dayfield NE Alberta Between MLK & NE 33rd Sara Wittenberg Neah-Kah-Nie School District June Ekborg Nehalem Bay State Park Peter Walczak Nestucca River Boat Ramp Alex Sifford Northwest Portland Fran Goldstein Oak Grove Elementary Chelsea Lamb Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge Matt Spencer Site: Coordinator(s): Oregon Dunes Recreation Visitor Center Jim Grano Oregon Humane Society Sasha Moyle Oxbow Park Ellen Weeks Pearl District Neighborhood Jennifer Kirk Pier Park Mary Ann Aschenbrenner Pioneer Park - Prineville Maureen Booher Pixieland Wetland Restoration Site Hui Rodomsky Pleasant Valley Elementary School David Scharfenberg Pony Creek Emily Wright Redmond Badlands Kaelinn Newby Reedsport - Large Triangle Susan Martin Rinearson Creek Kristen Taylor Riverside Park Eveonne Harper Road s End Beach Wayside Dylan Goldade Rock Creek - SE 172nd and Troge Kristen Taylor Rock Creek Trail - Orchard Park Scott Crowell Rocky Butte Shawn Lewis Rooster Rock State Park Glenn Littrell Salmon River Hatchery Conrad Gowell Salmon Street Springs Fountain Pedro Billescas Sandy Community Center Nancy Enabnit Sauvie Island Academy Jennell Hoehne Scappoose Bay Marina Chas McCoy SE 122nd and Division Lori Boisen Secor Neighborhood Park Jessica Space Skyline Ridge Neighborhood Cindy Banks Sporthaven Beach Scott Clapson Springwater Corridor - Lents Ed Kerns Starbucks - Sylvan Jennifer Kirk Stites Green Space Kari Middleton Straub Environmental Learning Center Mark Babson Straub Nature Park Rachel Walker Sunny Wolf Charter School Shawn Hardy Sunset Park Steve McGettigan Tillamook State Forest Stephanie Beall Page 7

9 EVENT COORDINATORS Site: Tom McCall Upper Elementary School Trinity Lutheran Church and School Tryon Creek - Lewis & Clark Property Tryon Creek State Park Tualatin Community Park Tualatin Hills Nature Park Ukiah School Union St. Substation Valley Catholic High School Valley of the Rogue State Park Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade Vermont Creek W.L. Henry Elementary School Wapato Greenway Access Wennerberg Park West Linn Oak Savannah Whetstone Savanna Preserve Whole Foods Market - Hollywood Wilkes Creek Headwaters Natural Area Willamette Confluence Willamette Park - Portland Willamette River - South Waterfront Willow Creek - THPRD property Coordinator(s): Charlie Graham Dennis Karas Stephen Kennett Sarah Kreisman Jackie Konen Melissa Marcum Norma Barber Megan Saunders Kristen Taylor Lyle Scott Tyler Sims Stephen Kennett Sarah Aspholm Carolyn Lindberg Chad Olsen Roberta Schwarz Molly Dougherty Allison Clark Kim Breckel Molly Dougherty Marissa Dorais Jim Luke Kristen Taylor A volunteer from Portland General Elecrtic gets ready to plant a native tree at Force Lake in North Portland. Page 8

10 PHOTO GALLERY A father teaches his daughter the important role native plants play in our ecosystems. A tired, but proud volunteer crew celebrates their hard work at Willamette Park in Portland. You are never to young to start removing weeds from your local park! Students in Sourtheast Portland learn about the damage caused by litter before cleaning up around the school. Starbucks employees get to work at Sellwood Riverfront Park. Mel Schultz and Butch Edwards from thie City of Beaverton poses with their great volunteer team.. Page 9

11 PROJECT PARTNERS, VOLUNTEER GROUPS & IN-KIND SUPPORTERS Thank you for all your support! We attribute the success of the event to the generosity of our sponsors, partners, volunteers, property owners and managers, and in-kind donors - your contribution makes this event possible. Aim High Martial Arts Alaska Airlines Alberta Eye Care Alberta Main Street Allovars Community House AmeriCorps NCCC Team Ant Farm Arts Community Academy Athleta Bandon High School Barlow High School Bella Paccia Pizzeria Benson High School Bi-Mart Bureau of Land Management Blooming Livestock 4H Bloomsberry Farmers market Blue Plume Art Studio Boeing Boy Scouts of America Boys and Girls Club - Coos Bay Centennial High School Center for Advanced Learning Central Catholic High School Chemeketa Community College City of Beaverton City of Carlton City of Corvallis Parks & Recreation City of Forest Grove City of Hillsboro City of Milwaukie City of Oregon City City of Port Orford City of Sandy City of Sherwood City of Tigard City of Troutdale City of Tualatin City of West Linn Parks & Recreation City of Wood Village Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation district Claggett Creek Watershed Group Clean Water Services CMI Columbia Riverkeeper Columbia Slough Watershed Council Comcast Concordia University Coos Soil and Water Conservation District Coos Watershed Association Cornelius Fire Department Corvallis Kiwanis Corvallis School District Crook County Parks and Recreation District Cub Scouts Cully Association of Neighbors Da Vinci Middle School Dagoba Chocolate Dallesport Elementary School Department of State Lands Division-Midway Alliance Earth Crusaders Ecotrust Elemental Technologies Estacada Main Street Program Estacada First Baptist Church Estacada Web Academy First Tech Credit Union Forest Park Neighborhood Association Franklin High School Fred Meyer Friends of Beaverton Creek Friends of Cathedral Park Neighborhood Association Friends of Force Lake Friends of Fox Creek Friends of Maddax Woods Friends of McLean Park and House Friends of Pier Park Friends of Secor Park Friends of Tebow Park Friends of Tryon Creek State Park Genentech Girl Scouts of America Glenfair Elementary School Golden Fleece 4H Gordon Russell Middle School Great Harvest Bread Green Frog Nursery Green Lents Gresham High School HDR Engineering HEART Heron Lakes Golf Course Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Hinson Church Home Depot Hood River Watershed Group IBM Page 10

12 Project Partners, Volunteer Groups, and In-Kind Supporters Continued... ICG International Intel Jackson School Neighborhood HOA Jasper Mountain Center Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest Jewett Elementary School KBOO Radio Kerns Neighborhood Association KPMD Ladd Hill Community Planning Organization Laotian Buddhist Temple Leadership and Entrepreneurship Public Charter High School Lents/Springwater Habitat Restoration Project Lewis and Clark College Lincoln Middle School Long Creek School District Loppworks Lower Columbia Canoe Club Lynch Wood SUN School Maribella Portland Market of Choice Master Watershed Stewards Class McCabe Realty Mid County Foot Patrol MidCoast Watershed Council Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council Miller Education Center East Molalla High School Green Team Molalla River Watch Multnomah County Youth Cooperative Multnomah Sheriff Marine Patrol Native Fish Society The Nature Conservancy National Charity League Neah-Kah-Nie Middle School Neah-Kah-Nie School District Nearby Nature Neighbors West/Northwest Nestucca Neskowin Watershed Council New Seasons Nike North Fork John Day Watershed Council North Wasco School District #21 Northwest Trail Alliance NW Nature Shop Oak Grove Elementary School Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Oregon Equestrian Trails. Oracle ORCOBA Oregon Humane Society Oregon Parks and Recreation Deptartment Oregon State Univeristy Kiwanis Oregon State University Oregon State University - Civic Engagment Center Oregon White Water Association Pacific Crest Community School Pacific University Peets Coffee and Tea Perkins Coie Portland General Electric Phi Kappa Rho Pleasant Valley Elementary School PNCA Port Orford Parks Commission Port Orford Watershed Council Portland Parks and Recreation Portland Parks and Recreation - City Nature Portland State University PSU Outdoor Club Raindrops to Refuge Reedsport Garden Club Reynolds High School Rhodda Paint Roosevelt High School Roots and Shoots Rosendin Electric Ross Cookies Rotary Club of Forest Grove Salmon Drift Creek Watershed Council Sandy High School Scappoose Bay Watershed Council Sightlines Siuslaw School District 97J Skyline Ridge Neighbors Sons of Norway South Coast Watershed Council South Stage Cellar Southridge High School Southwest Charter School Spring Valley Watershed Council St. Andrews Catholic Church Starbucks Sunny Wolf Charter School Page 11

13 Project Partners, Volunteer Groups, and In-Kind Supporters Continued... Surfrider Foundation SW Watershed Resource Center Target The Lincoln Street Crew The Tualatin Wildlife Reserve Timber Lake Job Corps Tom McCall Roots & Shoots Tsunami Rugby Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District Tualatin River Watershed Council Ukiah School District Umpqua Bank Unicorp United Methodist Church University of Portland Upper 5 Vineyard Upper Cervical Clinic Upper Rogue Watershed Association USACE-Bonneville Lock & Dam Vernier Software Vernonia School District W L Henry Elementary School Waterfront Community Park Association Waterfront Pearl Wells Fargo West Linn High School West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District Whole Foods Market - Hollywood Wilkes Community Group Willamette University Young Non-Profit Professionals Network Portland General Electric Vice President Dave Robertson explains what motivates him to volunteer with SOLVE! Page 12

14 Publicity, Education and Evaluation SOLVE IT received statewide and international media coverage to tell the local SOLVE stories. The following is a sampling of the many newspapers, publications, television and radio stations, and web-based media that ran stories, notices, and calendar items. PRINT Argus Observer circulation: 1,600 Hood River News circulation: 4,843 Keizer Times circulation: 3,500 Molalla Pioneer circulation: 3,600 The Oregonian circulation: 259,931 Sandy Post circulation: 2,722 Tillamook Headlight Herald circulation: 6,176 TELEVISION, RADIO, web and SOLVE PROMOTIONAL Radio: Clear Channel ran 30-second vignettes 22 times each on seven stations in the 10 days leading up to the event. In addition, the seven stations mentioned the event 560 times in the month leading up to the cleanup. Flyers: 4,700 flyers highlighting the event and our sponsors were distributed across the state. Electronic flyers were ed to 7,944 SOLVE volunteers. An editable flyer including all sponsors was also provided to Event Coordinators to print and distribute. Web: SOLVE IT was picked up by multiple web-based media including visitors associations, Oregonlive, and the Tillamook Headlight Herald. The SOLVE IT web page provided opportunities for viewing program information and sponsor logos, and received 2,103 unique visitors in the months leading up to the cleanup. ADDITIONAL COVERAGE Site Signs: Signs were displayed at popular registration sites featuring a logo-clad thank you to all sponsors. VOLUNTEER EDUCATION Pre-Event Education: Topical education web pages were developed and posted on the SOLVE website. Volunteers who registered online were also provided a link to the education web page. Day-of-Event Education: Event Coordinators were encouraged to display on-site educational materials, as well as discuss how volunteer efforts improve a site in the short and long-term. VOLUNTEER EVALUATIONS Post-event volunteer surveys were sent to event coordinators, and episodic volunteers to gather information about their experience. Results from these surveys will help SOLVE improve all of our future volunteer opportunities. E-Newsletter: SOLVE IT was publicized in the SOLVE e-update which is distributed to 12,135 readers. Page 13

15 SOLVE IT April 20th, 2013 Program Description Since 1990, SOLVE IT volunteers have removed approximately 15 million pounds of debris from illegal dumpsites, neighborhoods, and natural areas. This program has had a major impact on illegal dumping in the metropolitan area. Today there are fewer illegal dumpsites thanks to SOLVE IT volunteers. SOLVE IT is an event evolving to meet the needs of the community. This year s statewide event included cleanup, invasive vegetation removal, planting native trees and shrubs, and monitoring and maintenence of watershed restoration activities. Projects were coordinated by local organizations, agencies, businesses, and individuals. SOLVE IT Coordinator Quintin Bauer As Oregon s largest non-profit volunteer organization, SOLVE provides over 40,000 volunteer opportunities annually. SOLVE volunteers and projects benefit more than 185 communities throughout Oregon each year. SOLVE brings Oregonians together to improve the environment and build a legacy of stewardship through watershed restoration, litter cleanups, and K-12 environmental education. You can support SOLVE programs and volunteers by donating at org. Help us keep Oregon beautiful and make a contribution today! 2000 SW 1st Ave, Suite 400 Portland, OR (503) (c)(3) Federal Non-Profit Tax ID#