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Green Travel/Ecotourism

Eco-Inspired Opportunities

Technical Tour Opportunities

The West Eugene Wetlands offers visitors opportunities for biking, hiking, outdoor photography, birding, wildlife and butterfly observation, as well as many other related outdoor activities - all within four miles of the core of the city of Eugene. This area is accessible via public transportation, and is close to the municipal airport, yet offers solace and opportunities for reflection in an urban setting.

Birding:

The annual Fern Ridge Wings and Wine Festival is just one example of a regional event that gives all birders engaging opportunities to discover how birds are enjoyed and protected, while gaining access to cultivated gardens and pristine forestland. In 2003, the Fern Ridge Reservoir was recognized as an Important Birding Area. It is home to more than 250 bird species including tundra swans, northern harriers, peregrine falcons, egrets and eagles. The county has an active Audubon chapter, involved in numerous community programs. The Cascades Raptor Center is a non-profit nature center and wildlife hospital specializing in birds of prey. The Center's mission is to preserve a healthy, viable population of birds of prey in their natural habitat, through public education and rehabilitation.  On display in this south Eugene wooded setting are over 60 non-releasable birds and 33 native species.  The Coast and Cascades Trail includes excellent opportunities for estuarine viewing. With Clark's nuthatches and a variety of owls in the East to Tufted Puffins and Snowy Plovers in the Western portion of the county, the region offers fascinating birding opportunities.

River Rafting, Kayaking, and Fishing on the nearby crystal clear McKenzie River is an experience which brings you close to nature like no other. This merry body of water flows steadily through lush forests, old growth fir and cedar trees, some which tower over 200 feet (61 m). There are numerous varieties of ferns and flowers which add to the beauty of the riparian surroundings. McKenzie guides are skillful and well educated about the river history, fauna and flora. The stewardship of the river is taken seriously by the folk who have often lived, loved and worked on it for decades.

Culinary Tourism:

Food has always been tied to travel, but it has now reached an entirely new level. It provides a tangible connection to our heritage as the region has deep roots in agriculture.  It is the products of our state - the cheese, pears, hazelnuts, wine grapes, and hops that make this a culinary destination. Culinary tourism promotes the consumption of these products at restaurants, fresh produce stands and wineries in a dynamic way. Eugene, Cascades & Coast leads the way with the annual Oregon Truffle Festival (the first of its kind in North America), award-winning wineries, and a rich array of bio-dynamic and organic farms. The Willamette Valley is a proud participant with other Oregon regions in the internationally-recognized Oregon Bounty statewide celebration of the harvest during the months of October and November.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area: The Oregon Dunes extends for 40 miles (64-km) along the central Oregon Coast. These dunes are like no others in the world, and constitute the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America. The experienced and professional Dune Buggy Operators who negotiate this ever-shifting terrain embrace the self-imposed mandate of sharing the geologic story and ecology of the area while showing visitors an extraordinary time!

Technical Tour Opportunities

BRING Recycling: BRING's mission is to promote a healthy and sustainable environment through education, innovative conservation programs and community involvement in conserving natural resources. BRING Recycling is one of the nation's oldest non-profit recyclers. Since 1971, BRING has encouraged people to rethink what they use and what they throw away. From collecting and processing household recyclables to teaching kids about using earthworms to compost, the Planet Improvement Center has a wealth of information, practical tips and programs to help local residents and visitors live more sustainably.

Aprovecho: Since designing the first Lorena stove Aprovecho researchers have developed new stove ideas that have been used in over 40 countries.  In the mid-1980s an Aprovecho team, working under Dr Larry Winiarski, invented the Rocket Stove design. This was an easy to build chimney-less stove that produced almost no smoke because it achieved near complete combustion. This stove has proven to be effective in African refugee camps and in university laboratories. Working in concert with the people of Honduras, Aprovecho stove technicians have created a stove that uses considerably less wood than either an open fire or a Lorena while still meeting the goal of removing smoke from the kitchen. Since 1997 more than 5,000 rocket stoves have been built in Central America. Aprovecho Research Center is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit, 40-acre land trust. The spirit of the work is to learn how to live together sustainably and ecologically, and to help others do the same, in this and other countries. Each summer Aprovecho holds an internship program which combines lecture and discussion formats with practical, hands-on activities, offering a holistic approach to living sustainably.

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County: A novel approach to recycling and reuse! Responding to a need by agency thrift stores for more clothing than the local market could produce, St. Vincent de Paul began buying surplus clothing from other West Coast thrifts. This process led to direct contacts with solid waste systems in Oregon, Washington and California. St. Vincent de Paul staff and board members then became aware of the potential of deriving reusable goods from the waste stream. While 90-year old furniture is "antique" in this country, it is not old enough in Europe where 200 year-old pieces are readily available. So SVP imports furniture from European dumps to sell here. The agency has developed a very strong model for success through the creation of sustainable waste-based recycling programs and is recognized throughout the country as an innovative pioneer in the recycling field. The affiliated Aurora Glass Foundry produces 100% recycled, socially responsible architectural and ornamental glass of the highest quality. All products are handmade from recycled glass and are available in a variety of colors.

NextStep Recycling: The NextStep Recycling Center recycles computer equipment and almost all other electronics, keeping electronic waste  from entering our landfills with its zero landfill policy. This company also repairs computers and promotes their reuse.

SeQuential Biofuels: SeQuential Biofuels have converted used cooking oil into biodiesel that can be used in unmodified diesel engines. This company seeks to lead the renewable fuels movement in the Pacific Northwest by expanding the awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of domestically produced biofuels. They work to offer retail options and promote quality sustainable fuel alternatives to answer consumer's growing demand for choice. It is their goal to see biofuel regionally produced and regionally consumed.

FOOD for Lane County: FOOD for Lane County finds creative solutions to hunger and its root causes. This responsive food bank includes programs that help people help themselves, as well as works to engender participation of the whole community.  A few of the organization's dynamic solutions include: The Food Rescue Express (FREX) Program, which repackages rescued food for distribution to food pantries and meal sites, contributing thousands of pounds of food to the emergency food system and preventing food from entering landfills, and the innovative Youth Farm Program, which combines hunger relief with youth services and education. The three-acre farm provides paying work, job training and education to at-risk teenagers throughout the spring and summer, and serves as an educational work site for local alternative schools and programs serving at-risk youth throughout the year.

Willamette Farm & Food Coalition:  A non-profit community-based organization committed to a more secure and sustainable food system within Lane County. They support the purchase of locally produced food to benefit the farming community and strengthen the local economy, and seek to facilitate greater understanding about the environmental, economic and social impacts of our food choices.

Eugene Permaculture Guild: The Guild seeks to educate members and the wider community about the principles of sustainable living, and to create examples of permaculture in the Eugene area.

EWEB: The Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) is a public utility that "sets the bar" for sustainable energy solutions. In March 2006, EWEB launched its retail "Greenpower" endeavor, certified as a Green-e Renewable Energy program. EWEB has led the way in its voluntary participation through voluntarily funding research and generation of renewable energy.

Short Mountain: The Short Mountain Methane Power Plant takes ozone-damaging landfill gas and turns it into valuable electricity. The Short Mountain project brings many benefits to the local community, EPUD, and the Pacific Northwest. As a "green" or "renewable" resource, it is consistent with the resource priorities of the region.

Visit here to see more of Sustainable Lane County and Green Eugene.