Cities across the world are investing in green roofs to combat urban challenges. Portland is a leader in green roofs, and we’ve learned a great deal about their benefits for managing stormwater and greening our city. We’re learning more all the time about the true costs and benefits of green roofs and how they offer a better return on investment. On Thursday May 2, 2013, join the City of Portland for a series of presentations and case studies that detail current research examining the green roof bottom line.

Who should attend? Architects, designers, developers, building owners and managers, planners, engineers, and green roof professionals

What is the cost to attend? Registration is $25. Space is limited, advanced registration is required.

Are you an Ecoroof Professional or Vendor? The 2013 Ecoroof Symposium will include a Vendor Fair for ecoroof service providers, suppliers, and professionals. Registration for table space is $25.

Registration opens on Monday, March 18th.

Visit www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/ecoroofpdx to register and get more information.

If you have not heard, in February the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office of North America selected Portland to host this year’s World Environment Day (WED) on June 5th, 2013.

An exciting element of World Environment Day is the event calendar. The city invites all environmental and sustainability groups to be part of Portland’s World Environment Day celebration by scheduling events in the six weeks between Earth Day on April 22nd and World Environment Day on June 5th. Nonprofits, businesses, schools, agencies and individuals can add their scheduled activities to the events calendar at www.portlandoregon.gov/wed, Portland’s World Environment Day website.

If you have an event you'd like to add, please do so! And please spread the word with your partners, supporters, and constituents. Let's take advantage of this great opportunity! 

Green streets and private facilities such as planters and infiltration basins help reduce stormwater draining to sewer pipes, helping the City avoid installing larger pipes.  In targeted areas, the City partners with property owners to design and build stormwater facilities to be safe for the site and neighboring properties.  The program is voluntary and the property owner maintains ownership at all times.  Following construction, the property owners maintain the new facilities. 

The City recently partnered the Western Seminary at SE 55th and Hawthorne to manage stormwater from a total of 25,700 ft² of roof and paved area. This project used two infiltration planters and 3 tiered infiltration basins to reduce stormwater flows entering the local sewer by an average of 570,000 gallons of runoff annually.  These facilities were constructed by Ted’s Excavating and Braun Construction.

Our friends at East Multnomah County Soil and Water Conservation District have a number of opportunities coming up to learn about rain gardens, naturescaping, and site planning. From the EMSWCD website:

Itching to dig up fresh ideas for your yard & Garden? Don't forget about our fabulous (and FREE!) workshops that offer low-cost, sustainable gardening tips & resources for all levels of do-it-yourself yard & garden enthusiasts. (You can view the full workshop descriptions here.)

Rain Gardens 101: Learn to grow a rain garden!

* 3/23 - Whitaker Ponds Nature Park

* 4/6 - Troutdale Community Building

* 4/21 - Hollywood Senior Center

* 4/27 - Pilgrim Lutheran Church

Naturescaping Basics: Learn low-maintenance, natural gardening techniques that save you time, money and energy!

* 3/30 - Tabor Space

* 4/14 - Historic Kenton Firehouse

* 4/20 - Livingscape

* 5/5 - Kennedy School

* 5/18 - Troutdale Community Building

Site Planning 1: An extension of Naturescaping Basics: how to prepare a naturescaping site plan.

* 5/4 - Historic Kenton Firehouse

* 5/19 - Whitaker Ponds Nature Park

Site Planning 2: Share your landscape site plan and receive personalized advice from our landscape specialists.

* 4/17 - EMSWCD Office

* 5/15 - EMSWCD Office

Click here to register for a workshop today!

We've had a lot of exciting news about restoration efforts and partnership in Crystal Springs Creek over the last couple of years, including the bird and wildlife sitings along the creek, and the 24-hour construction blitz that replaced one of the nine culverts that block fish passage. 

Now it's time for the next phase of the project, which involves replacing the culvert under SE Tacoma Street and restoring wetland habitat in Westmoreland Park, where Crystal Springs Creek currently flows into a large, shallow pond.  Construction will start this summer, and will result in improved habitat and cooler, cleaner water in Crystal Springs, as well as other improvements to the park. 

There are nine culverts on Crystal Springs Creek between SE 28th Avenue and the creek’s confluence with Johnson Creek. Environmental Services and partners are working to restore the watershed for the the migratory salmon and steelhead that use the creek, as well as the people, river otter, heron, eagles and frogs that live there. City partnership with local and federal agencies and community partners, is making it possible to replace all nine culverts by 2015. To date, five of the culverts have been removed or replaced, and for the first time since the early 1970s, winter salmon are returning to the headwaters of Crystal Springs Creek in Reed College Canyon.  The Tacoma Street culvert project this summer will be the sixth culvert improvement.

For more information about the project and construction impacts, see this news release from Portland Parks and Recreation and the Environmental Services website for Crystal Springs.

 photo (c) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers