Kindness to the Earth
“The Earth is what we all have in common”
~ Wendell Berry
Local Organizations
From October to April volunteers plant street trees through the Neighborhood Trees Program and they restore natural areas planting seedlings and native shrubs through the Green Space Program.
Volunteers needed for:
Saturday Tree Planters: Public tree planting events on Saturday morning from November – April.
Crew Leaders: Teach volunteers how to plant trees and work together as a team. During our planting season, crew leaders are asked to commit to guiding small groups of planters at a minimum of 4 Saturday morning plantings.
Truck Drivers: Volunteer truck drivers lend their vehicles to a planting event and help get trees and tools from house to house on planting day.
Bike Planters: Bicycling crews transport trees, tools and people to each planting site during neighborhood planting events.
Planting Event Help: help setting up, registering volunteers, feeding volunteers, and cleaning up at planting events.
Location: Eugene/Springfield
Volunteer Requirements: RSVPs are kindly requested for groups of more than 5 people. Volunteers under 18 years old must bring a signed copy of their youth waiver to the event.
Training/orientation: Our next Crew Leader trainings will be held in late October and early November 2019. Want to be emailed when registration for these free trainings opens? Simply let us know! volunteer@friendsoftrees.org // 503-595-0213.
Contact: (541) 632-3683, email: eugenetrees@friendsoftrees.org. Eugene Springfield Planting Calendar and volunteer sign-up form available at: Friends of Trees
Provides safe shelter for animals in transition, advocates for animals and their people, works to end animal overpopulation, and educates the public about compassion and responsibility towards all animals.
Volunteers are needed for:
1st Avenue Shelter: dishes/laundry, dog enrichment program, dog photo and video team, front office assistant, kennel care assistant.
Green Hill Road Shelter: cat video team, cattery care assistant (litter pans and laundry, dishes and laundry, or main floor cleaner), cattery companion.
Location: Shelters are located at:
Greenhill Humane Society — 88530 Green Hill Road, Eugene, OR 97402
1st Avenue Shelter (for Dog Enrichment Program and front office volunteering) – 3970 W 1st Avenue, Eugene, OR 97402
Volunteer requirements: Volunteers must be 16 years of age or over. (Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 can volunteer only if accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.)
Volunteer shifts: Volunteers must commit to at least one 2-hour shift per week or at least 8 hours a month for a minimum of 3 to 6 continuous months or longer (dependent on position).
Training/orientation: After applying, potential volunteers will be contacted to schedule for an upcoming New Volunteer Meeting & Orientation Session.
Contact: 541-844-8824, volunteer@green-hill.org. Volunteer application.
Beyond Toxics protects and enhances human and environmental health. They use environmental justice engagement and community-based environmental grassroots organizing to ensure environmental protection and health for all communities. Beyond Toxics empowers communities to enact lasting solutions to environmental health threats. Volunteer information is available at: Beyond Toxics
Eugene, Oregon enjoys a long history of innovation, vision and commitment to sustainability. The city takes a comprehensive approach that places equal importance on advancing social equity, economic prosperity and environmental health.
Our Children’s Trust elevates the voice of youth to secure the legal right to a stable climate and healthy atmosphere for the benefit of all present and future generations. Through their programs, youth participate in advocacy, public education and civic engagement to ensure the viability of all natural systems in accordance with science.
Their mission is to protect earth’s atmosphere and natural systems for present and future generations. They lead a legal campaign seeking systemic, science-based emissions reductions and climate recovery policy at all levels of government. They give young people, those with most at stake in the climate crisis, a voice to favorably impact their futures. To find out how to get involved, visit: Our Children’s Trust
350 Eugene is dedicated to helping raise awareness of and organize direct action around institutions and policies driving climate change. 350 is the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, measured in parts per million (ppm), above which the planet is in a state of climate crisis. We are currently at 410 ppm.
350 Eugene has been building a grassroots movement to advocate for rapidly moving off fossil fuels and harmful land use practices while transitioning to a clean energy economy and, in the process, transforming the world into a livable, joyful and just place.
Through symbols, art and creative actions, 350 Eugene helps visualize both the problems and the solutions to climate change for our communities, the media, and our leaders.
Get Involved in Environmental Issues
Volunteer for local environmental organizations
Donate to media that report on environmental issues
- InsideClimate News
- The Guardian
- Local environmental newsletter
Donate to environmental organizations
- 350.org
- Greenpeace
- The Sierra Club
- Local environmental groups (see list below)
Change Behaviors To Help Protect the Planet
Transportation
- Drive less – walk, ride a bike, take a bus, plan ahead to avoid unnecessary driving
- Fly less – drive or take a train
Food
- Buy food grown locally to lessen food transportation distances
- Buy food grown without pesticides and herbicides if possible
- Eat less meat
- Buy food from farmers using sustainable agricultural methods
Recreation
- Choose outdoor activities for enjoying the environment that do not pollute the environment
Educate Yourself About Environmental Issues
Learn how environmental scientists discern the past and the future
Climate Change
Books:
The Two-Mile Time Machine: Ice Cores, Abrupt Change, and Our Future (2014) – by Richard Alley
Films:
Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Change (2015)
Extinction of Dinosaurs
Books:
T. rex and the Crater of Doom (1997) – by Walter Alverez
Films:
TV Movie: PBS, NOVA, The Day the Dinosaurs Died (2017)
Loss of Soil
Books:
Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (2007) – by David Montgomery
Videos:
YouTube: Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (2011) – by David Montgomery
Learn how environmental scientists work collaboratively across discipline to determine conclusions to complex problems:
Videos:
Skeptical Science, New Video: John Cook and the 97 Percent (June 2017)
Blog Articles:
bravenewclimate.com, So just who does climate science? (2008) – by Barry Brook
Articles:
Scientific American, Dec. 1, 2015 , Why Climate skeptics are wrong – by Michael Shermer
Learn about different environmental crises:
Climate Change
Books:
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate (2014) – by Naomi Klein
Articles:
Rolling Stone, 7-19-12, Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math – by Bill McKibben
Radio Program:
WNYC, Bob’s Grill #4: ExxonMobil’s Richard Keil
Websites:
RealClimate: Climate Science from Climate Scientists
Skeptical Science: Getting skeptical about global warming skepticism (Look especially at Resources)
Soil Crisis
Books:
Films:
Species Extinction
Books:
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History (2015) – by Elizabeth Kolbert
Films:
Articles:
Create or join discussion groups/book clubs about environmental issues.
For books, consider covering only parts of a book over 2 or more meetings rather than covering the whole book at one meeting.
National Organizations
Guided by science and economics, the Environmental Defense Fund (EFD) finds practical and lasting solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EFD works to solve the most critical environmental problems facing the planet including areas that span the biosphere: climate, oceans, ecosystems and health. They work in concert with other organizations — as well as with business, government and communities — and avoid duplicating work already being done effectively by others.
National Parks Conservation Association
With 1.3 million members and supporters beside them, the National Parks Conservation Association is the voice of America’s national parks, working to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for present and future generations. From their national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 27 locations nationwide, they call on program and policy experts, committed volunteers, staff lobbyists, community organizers and communications specialists to inform and inspire the public and to influence decision makers to ensure that our national parks are well protected. To learn more about taking action, visit: National Parks Conservation Association
The National Wildlife Federation, America’s largest conservation organization, works across the country to unite Americans from all walks of life in giving wildlife a voice. They’ve been on the front lines for wildlife since 1936, fighting for the conservation values that are woven into the fabric of our nation’s collective heritage. To find out how to get involved visit: National Wildlife Federation
The Sierra Club is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. They’ve built a national community of volunteers, advocates, and grassroots activists who show up when and where it counts. Supporters have the tools and resources to make themselves heard in nearly every district in every state across the country. From securing protection for 439 parks and monuments, to winning passage of the Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts, to putting over 274 coal plants on the path to replacement with clean energy. To learn more about taking action, visit: Sierra Club
The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depend through the dedicated efforts of a diverse staff, including more than 600 scientists, all of whom impact conservation in 72 countries. The Nature Conservancy uses a non-confrontational, collaborative approach and stays true to core values.
Enduring conservation success depends on the active involvement of people and partners whose lives and livelihoods are linked to the natural systems. The Nature Conservancy respects the needs, values and traditions of local communities and cultures, and forges relationships based on mutual benefit and trust. To find out how to get involved, visit: The Nature Conservancy