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The Latest News

November 7, 2020

Tree Planting and Care at Kelley Point Park
 
Blueprint youth and mentors traveled to Kelley Point Park to learn from and volunteer for Yoko Silk of Portland Parks and Recreation. The area is a site is a regular stewardship opportunity for the youth. 
October 17, 2020

Mindfulness and Land Art  at Leach Botanical Garden
 

Blueprint youth and mentors learned mindfulness techniques. The group practiced one of the techniques, nature exploration to gather resources with which to create works of art.
October 10, 2020

Nature Hike at Cooper Mountain Nature Park
 

Blueprint youth and mentors traveled to Copper Mountain for a limited-attendance nature hike, where they learned about the increasingly rare oak savanna  habitat.
October 2, 2020

Canoe Paddle to Sauvie Island with Lower Estuary Partnership
 

Blueprint youth geared up and paddled from North Portland to Sauvie Island. They learned about water quality, the superfund site, and local wildlife. 
September 5, 2020

Beaver Dam Mapping with Johnson Creek Watershed Council
 

Blueprint youth learned mapping protocol before suiting up in waders to survey beaver dams and ark the location of other evidence of beaver activity along the creek.
August 27, 2020

Canoeing with the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership and the Green Workforce Academy
 
Blueprint youth met up with students from the Green Workforce Academy to learn about water quality, the superfund site and fish habitat, while canoeing the Willamette River. 
August 22, 2020

Johnson Creek Cleanup
 

Blueprint youth teamed up with volunteers for SOLVE and the Johnson Creek Watershed Council to remove debris from the riparian zone of Johnson Creek.  The event was one of several limited-attendance nature outings Blueprint offered during the ongoing social distancing effort.
July 9, 2020

Building Floating Wetlands

Blueprint youth teamed up with Columbia Slough Watershed Council to create several prototypes of floating wetlands. . The idea is to test the durability of the designs, their ability to integrate into the natural environment and adequately provide stream habitat. 
June 15 - August 31, 2020

Back 5 Restoration at Leach Botanical Garden
 
Blueprint youth and mentors completed habitat restoration and biodiversity surveys with Leach Botanical Gardens, Wisdom of the Elders, Johnson Creek Watershed and the African Youth and Community Organization. Along with the restoration activities, students took several workshops to build technical and life skills: Macroinvertebrates, amphibians, pollinators, traditional ecological knowledge, mindfulness, iNaturalist training, ornithology, native plants, geology, plant propagation and nature journaling.
March 7, 2020

Tree planting Boise-Eliot with Friends of the Trees

Students and mentors once again traveled to sites around North Portland to plant trees that they will be able to see grow year after year. 
February 29, 2020

Field Trip to Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

Students and mentors traveled back to Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge to plant trees with our partners at  Friends of Trees. 
February 22, 2020

Native planting at Herron Lakes Golf Course with Columbia Slough Watershed Council

Students and mentors traveled to the golf course to sink a few native plants in the ground. They received lessons about land use (i.e., golf courses) and their impact on the health of the watershed. 
February 15, 2020

Floating Wetlands Workshop (Part 2)

Grounding Waters and Constructing Careers students participated in part 2 of workshop at the Columbia Slough Watershed Council where they helped build and launch artificial floating wetlands at Whitaker Pond on the Columbia Slough.
February 13 & 19-20, 2020

Salmon in the Classroom with U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Grounding Waters students assisted U.S. Fish and Wildlife fish biologists with a demonstration for elementary school students. Blueprint youth helped lead the lesson on the fish life cycle, watershed conditions necessary for healthy fish habitat, and assisted with dissection and identification of fish anatomy.
February 1, 2020

Planting Trees with Friends Of Trees in St. Johns

Blueprint youth and mentors joined Friends of Trees crew leader and volunteers to plant trees throughout St. Johns. The students enjoyed meeting new neighbors they had not previously been familiar. Over 100 trees were planted during the event. 
January 25, 2020

Green Building at Dharma Rain Zen Center

Constructing Careers students and mentors returned to Dharma Rain Zen Center to continue work on a straw bale structure and fence for a play area at Dharma. The work is sponsored by the Bureau of Environmental Services Community Watershed Stewardship Program.   
December 14, 2019

Keystone Species Seminar at the Oregon Zoo

Grounding Waters and Constructing Careers students visited the new education center at the Oregon Zoo to learn from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Interpreter, Leah Schrodt. Students learned about the interconnectedness of wildlife and the watershed in which they live.

How does death after spawning ensure both the stability of the salmon population, as well as the health of the forest ecosystems? How can we eradicate invasive species? Why do methods to protect/reestablish birds differ from protecting/reestablishing salmon? How do beavers ensure that wetlands exist for over half the wildlife and plant population that rely on them to survive? All these questions and more were answered. 
December 7, 2019

Planting Native Plants at Baltimore Woods

Grounding Waters students joined David Grandfield of Portland Parks and Recreation to plant native plants after a period of invasive removal at the site. 
November 23, 2019

Planting Native Plants at Kelley Point Park

Grounding Waters students joined Yoko Silk of Portland Parks and Recreation to plant native plants after a period of invasive removal at the site. 
November 9, 2019

Geology & Mindfulness Workshop at Leach Botanical Gardens

Grounding Waters students participated in a training and day of data collection at "the back 5," which is 5 acres of land at Leach Botanical Gardens  that was overrun by invasive species. Blueprint, Leach, Johnson Creek Watershed, and local middle schools have teamed up to restore and monitor biodiversity at the site. Today's event included a lesson on mindfulness as a method for mental well being and scientific inquiry.
November 2, 2019

Green Building at Dharma Rain Zen Center

Constructing Careers students helped build a straw bale structure and interpretive path at Dharma Rain Zen Center. Students who are artists will return to the site to create a mural showing an inclusive nature-based community event to liven up the outdoor classroom and playground.
October 26, 2019

No Ivy Day with The Nature Conservancy at Mt. Tabor

Grounding Waters and Constructing Careers students took part in ivy removal at Mt. Tabor in SE Portland. 
October 19, 2019

Green Building at Dharma Rain Zen Center

Constructing Careers students helped build a straw bale structure and interpretive path at Dharma Rain Zen Center. Students who are artists will return to the site to create a mural showing an inclusive nature-based community event to liven up the outdoor classroom and playground. ​
October 12, 2019

Surveying Amphibians at Leach Botanical Gardens

Grounding Waters students participated in a training and day of data collection at "the back 5," which is 5 acres of land at Leach Botanical Gardens  that was overrun by invasive species. Blueprint, Leach, Johnson Creek Watershed, and local middle schools have teamed up to restore and monitor biodiversity at the site.
September 21, 2019

Green Building at Dharma Rain Zen Center

Constructing Careers students helped build a straw bale structure and interpretive path at Dharma Rain Zen Center. Students who are artists will return to the site to create a mural showing an inclusive nature-based community event to liven up the outdoor classroom and playground. 
September 14, 2019

Surveying Macro-invertebrates at Leach Botanical Gardens

Grounding Waters students participated in a training and day of data collection at "the back 5," which is 5 acres of land at Leach Botanical Gardens  that was overrun by invasive species. Blueprint, Leach, Johnson Creek Watershed, and local middle schools have teamed up to restore and monitor biodiversity at the site. 
August 31, 2019

Beaver Surveys with Johnson Creek Watershed Council

Grounding Waters and Constructing Careers students participated in a training and day of data collection led by  Johnson Creek Watershed Council. The students learned beaver facts and research methodology before heading to the creek to collect data regarding beaver activity. The data will be used to prioritize restoration efforts in the watershed.
August 24, 2019

Field Trip to Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

Blueprint students and mentors visited Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge to learn about conservation and stewardship of federal lands. Their lesson included a large amount of wildlife identification and a talk about green infrastructure in wilderness areas. 
August 17, 2019

Salmon Watch Training

Grounding Waters students attended a training with Salmon Watch in preparation to lead learning stations for K-8 field trips focused on watershed processes and ecosystems. Topics the students will teach include macro invertebrates, riparian zones and water quality.
August 2, 2019

Renewable Energy Lesson at Bonneville Dam (Constructing Hope Summer Youth Camp)

Constructing Careers students and their classmates from the Constructing Hope Construction Summer Program visited Bonneville Dam to learn about renewable energy and environmental protection. In addition to talking hydro power, we learned about the salmon life cycle at the nearby fish hatchery.
July 31, 2019

Weatherization with Community Energy Project and  Earth Advantage (Constructing Hope Summer Youth Camp)

Constructing Careers students and their classmates from the Constructing Hope Summer Youth Camp learned how to weatherize homes for energy efficiency before trying their skills out at two homes in North Portland.
July 30, 2019

Blower Door Testing with Earth Advantage (Constructing Hope Summer Youth Camp)

Constructing Careers students and their classmates from the Constructing Hope Summer Youth Camp learned about building science and tightening the envelope of houses during a field trip led by Earth Advantage. The images show students doing a blower door test, a procedure that allows home owners to lower the pressure inside the house in order to detect air leaks using an infrared phone app. 
July 29 - August 2, 2019

Green Building Week at Constructing Hope Summer Youth Camp

The Blueprint Foundation has joined forces with Constructing Hope, Airways Science, and the NW College of Construction to offer a five-week program in trades skills for underserved youth. Blueprint Foundation's Constructing Careers students took part in the program to learn tools safety, masonry, welding, carpentry, tile work, and other essential trade skills. With partners at Earth Advantage, Blueprint Foundation leadership lead one week focused on environmental literacy and green building. The following photos are a collection of photos from our visit to Habitat for Humanity homes in North East Portland, where Waylon White of Earth Advantage pointed out the energy efficiency features of the houses.
July 20, 2019

Day of Service with SEI

Blueprint youth and mentors joined SEI on a day of service. The day was about Black youth coming together to counteract the pervasive negative images shown about them and their community through coordinated civic engagement. SEI transported youth to various service opportunities. Blueprint youth opted to assist at a local food bank. 
June 27, 2019

Grant High School Renovation Tour with Colas Construction

Constructing Careers students and mentors visited the Colas Construction renovation site to learn about new innovations in construction that makes buildings more resource efficient and comfortable. Colas Construction is the largest Black owned general contractor in Portland. Students had the opportunity to learn what a day in their career might look like should they decide to pursue construction as a career. 
June 22, 2019

Restoration at Leach Botanical Garden with Wisdom of the Elders

Blueprint students and mentors teamed up with the staffs of Wisdom of the Elders (Native American restoration organization), Leach Botanical Garden,  and Johnson Creek Watershed to begin restoration on a 5-acre plot that has been overrun by blackberry and other invasive plants. The team will monitor plant, animal, and macro invertebrate diversity as the site is returned to native plants with a connected floodplain. The project will be an ongoing outdoor classroom for the students, thanks to funding from Oregon Community Fund, City of Portland and the Youth Development Council. 
June 6, 2019

Tour of Convention Center Remodel with Colas Construction  

Blueprint students visited the Oregon Convention Center, which is currently under renovation by Portland's largest Black-owned construction company, Colas Construction. The students learned about building science and green building solutions to energy conservation.
May 25, 2019

Hike at Tryon Creek  

Blueprint students and mentors visited Tryon Creek to hike and learn about forest ecology in general and the history of the park in particular.
May 18, 2019

Environmental Representation Workshop at Portland State University  

Blueprint students and mentors participated in a workshop focused on the importance of diverse voices in the green movement and green workforce. Students learned from a presentation by Blueprint mentors and PSU students before giving talks of their own where they outline the importance of being advocates for their community. After the workshop,  students and mentors enjoyed time in the PSU game room.
May 16, 2019

STEAM Night at Boise-Eliot  

Grounding Waters students and mentors taught at a night of community learning about the science, technology, engineering, art, and math at Boise-Eliot.  Activities included Salmon in the Classroom, where the students dissected fish and identified essential fish anatomy responsible for health, safety, and reproduction. 
May 13 - June 25,  2019

Student teaching at Kairos Aftercare Program

Blueprint students and mentors serve as educators for Kairos youth, teaching environmental science every other Friday afternoon. The repeated exposure to near-peer Black environmentalists, including one mentor who is a self-described marine scientist extraordinaire is intended to maintain elementary school students' interest in science through middle school, which research shows is the period of time when science interest wanes for students of color. 
May 11, 2019

Learning to row with Rose City Rowing Club

Blueprint students and mentors spent the day on the Willamette River learning the proper techniques for competitive rowing. Rowing is a nature-based sport that is often not considered a viable option for students of color, despite a higher chance of gaining a scholarship for college should they decide to take up the sport as student athletes. We hope their exposure to the sport will increase interest in this water resources-related sport.
May 9, 2019

STEAM Night at Woodlawn  

Grounding Waters students and mentors attended a night of community learning about the science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities Woodlawn students completed during the 2018-19 school year. Activities included Salmon in the Classroom, where the students dissected fish and identified essential fish anatomy responsible for health, safety, and reproduction. 
April 13, 2019

Native planting at Herron Lakes Golf Course with Columbia Slough Watershed Council

Students and mentors traveled to the golf course to sink a few native plants in the ground. They received lessons about land use (i.e., golf courses) and their impact on the health of the watershed. 
March 30, 2019

Restoration at Kelley Point Park with Portland Parks and Recreation

Students and mentors visited Kelley Point Park to learn about water quality of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers from Yoko Silk (Portland Parks and Rec) and Tiffany Barber (Columbia Slough Watershed Council).  Prior to the learning activity, the group took some time to remove invasive blackberry from the Blueprint stewardship section of the park. Each visit brings the area closer to the native and diverse environment that existed before the invasive plants took hold. 
March 22-24, 2019

Beach clean-up with SOLVE and hike at Cascade Head with The Nature Conservancy

Grounding Waters and Constructing Careers students and mentors spent the weekend at the Oregon Coast. As is often the case, for several students, this was their first trip to the coast, despite living their whole lives in Portland. We were excited to see them experience the coast. In addition to cleaning up the beach with SOLVE, our partners at the Nature Conservancy took us on a hike at Cascade Head, where the students saw elk for the first time. Students also learned about coastal processes with a stunning backdrop of estuary and ocean. Back at the beach house, we had the chance to do a group mentoring session and gaming competitions.
March 9, 2019

Tree planting in Humboldt with Friends of the Trees

Students and mentors once again traveled to sites around North Portland to plant trees that they will be able to see grow year after year. Their continued dedication has been noticed. 
March 2, 2019

Restoration and tree care at Dharma Rain Zen Center

Students and mentors spent the caring for saplings and removing invasive blackberry from the site. 
February 23, 2019

Building Planter Boxes with Urban Nature Partners 

Constructing Careers students and mentors teamed up with youth and leaders from Urban Nature Partners to beautify the community through the installation of garden boxes.  
February 21, 2019

Salmon in the Classroom at Boise-Eliot Elementary 

Grounding Waters students assisted U.S. Fish and Wildlife fish biologists with a demonstration for 4th grade students at Boise-Eliot Elementary School. Students helped lead the lesson on the fish life cycle, watershed conditions necessary for healthy fish habitat, and assisted with dissection and identification of fish anatomy.​ 
February 16, 2019

Black Youth Excellence Awards  

Blueprint mentors attended a ceremony where one Blueprint Foundation student (Lashay) was honored for her work in the community educating younger students about the environment and performing environmental stewardship.
February 2, 2019

Tree Planting in North Portland with Friends of Trees  

Grounding Waters students and mentors contributed to the planting of nearly 100  trees in St. Johns with the help of their neighbors.
January  26, 2019

Construction at Dharma Rain Zen Center

Constructing Careers students built compost bins for Dharma Rain Zen Center's community garden.
January  21, 2019

Building Relationships with Law Enforcement 

Blueprint youth and mentors attended an event in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King on schooling, crime, and trust building between Law Enforcement and the Black Community.
January  19, 2019

Grant High School Site Tour with Colas Construction

Constructing Careers students visited the Grant High School Remodel to learn about green infrastructure and careers in construction from Black professionals who work for Colas Construction, Portland's largest Black-owned construction company. 
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  • Home
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