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Allison Sokol Blosser

I would be in Central Oregon in the wintertime. There would be a light snowfall coming down. And I would love to go out for a walk in the fresh snow. I'd bundle up with my scarf, hat, gloves and warm coat and go out for a long walk and just breathe in the clean air and enjoy the beautiful scenery and snow-capped mountains. I’d then come home and sit in front of a fire and read.

It's Your Oregon: Susan Sokol Blosser

My idea of a perfect Oregon day would be in the springtime. Particularly the early morning and dusk. Those are magical times in the vineyard for me and I feel very lucky to see all the diversity of wildlife that we have here.

It's Your Oregon: Alex Sokol Blosser

Oregon, like pinot noir, is never going to be mainstream. Thank God. Oregon will always have its independent streak, whether it’s Ken Kesey or Steve Prefontaine or Mayor Bud Clark or Tonya Harding for that matter.

It's Your Oregon: Beth Herzog

Beth brought a wealth of experience to OEC. She has been an environmental educator and served as a legislative intern in Washington state. Asked what motivates her to pursue environmental work, Beth says she knows how important it is to motivate people to act on their values, especially when it comes to getting involved in the legislative process.

It's Your Oregon: Jody Newell

My concerns and hopes for Oregon, as well as across the globe, are that people begin to realize we can make a difference, one person at a time.

It's Your Oregon: Dan Schauer

Trained as a journalist and designer, Dan Schauer volunteered at OEC helping to develop a more sustainable farming and food-production system in Oregon.

It's Your Oregon: Vivian Sui

At a young age Vivian recognized pollution as a problem. In middle school she became fascinated by other cultures – their cities and people. She went on to earn degrees in Environmental Science and Geography, interconnected disciplines that examine how people live with the land.

It's Your Oregon: Ricardo Umana

Trained as an Electrical Engineer, Richard speaks frequently on global warming issues. Using his experience with energy efficient technologies he is working toward a more sustainable carbon-neutral world.

It's Your Oregon: Douglas County Global Warming Coalition

“It is time to make the climate crisis our top priority," said Stuart. "Global warming has created an undeniable sense of urgency… we no longer have the luxury of sitting back and waiting for someone to take action.”

It's Your Oregon: Maradel Gale

The first President of the Oregon Environmental Council, Gale was also the organization’s first lobbyist in 1968. It is to clear-eyed visionaries like Maradel Gale that Oregonians owe much with regard to our state’s ecological heritage.

It's Your Oregon: Great Adventure Child Care

Like many providers, the Eco-Healthy Childcare Program was a natural extension of Karen Morrison's values that she already integrates into her daily life. In many ways, Karen was already going above and beyond the checklist, with hands on lessons about nature, including composting for their garden.

It's Your Oregon: Laurie's House

Laurie Todd has been providing community and natured-focused childcare out of her home for 14 years. She specializes in in-home programs for infants and toddlers.

It's Your Oregon: Rowanberry School

With over seventeen years of childcare experience, two years ago Angela Molloy Murphy opened the Rowanberry School. Serving about 13 children ages 3 to 6, Angela seeks to integrate art and nature into everything she does.

It's Your Oregon: Pumpkin Patch Day Care

Candace Stambaugh has been taking care of children in her home in Springfield Oregon for 9 years. Working from home and being a busy mother, Candice was grateful to have the Eco-Healthy Childcare Program reach out to her.

It's Your Oregon: Harmony Montessori

After 13 years heading Harmony Montessori School and over 30 years in childcare and education, Jude Foster knows a thing or two about caring for children in a conscientious way.

It's Your Oregon: Happy Hollow Children's Center

Parents of the children have noticed the advances Happy Hollow has made to become a safer and healthier environment. “Parents like that we’re eco-healthy, even if they’re not,” McMurdie said. The center also has a bulletin board for parents with information on health and safety for kids.

It's Your Oregon: Martinez Daycare and Preschool

“Parents worry about the chemicals their kids are exposed to,” Martinez explains, “we try to keep the childcare as free of toxics as possible.” The Eco-Healthy Childcare program has helped her achieve this goal.

It's Your Oregon: The Willow Tree

Kimberly Palmer's philosophy is play-based and she has a small garden plot, with a grapevine, strawberries, mint and more, which provides ample opportunity to show kids what the earth gives to us, and how we can give back.

It's Your Oregon: Unity School

The Unity School heard about the Eco-Healthy childcare certification through its own research and sought the certification because it made sense for their practices. Taking care of the earth is part of the teaching at Unity, and the kids grow up working in an organic garden, composting at every meal, and knowing all about recycling.

It's Your Oregon: Little Stars Family Daycare

Heather Stewart had been working in an office for 7 years before she had her first child. At that point she began working at home and when her job asked her to return, she didn’t want to go back to an office. Heather began caring for children as a way to work from home and stay with her own two kids. She has now been providing childcare for the last 2 and ½ years in Medford Oregon.

It's Your Oregon: Iris Valley Learning Center

Since providing a safe learning environment for children is so important to the Iris Valley Learning Center, becoming an Eco-Healthy Childcare just made sense for them.

It's Your Oregon: Katie McNamara

Dubbed “Nice Cubes,” McNamara launched Oregon’s first, local organic baby food business in December 2006. Currently available at 17 natural food stores including New Season, Whole Food, and People’s Co-op, Nice Cubes looks at, and addresses, the environmental and health impacts of its products from every angle.

It's Your Oregon: Yvonne's Kiddy Care

Delores began taking care of children 15 years ago when she was a foster home caregiver. She also had a granddaughter to raise and wanted to be able to care for her full-time. This combination prompted her to start a full childcare center in the St. John’s neighborhood in Portland.

It's Your Oregon: Larry Williams

One of the founding members - and first Executive Director - of the Oregon Environmental Council, legendary conservationist Larry Williams speaks about launching a movement, conserving Oregon for future generations, and the fate of detachable pull-tabs.

It's Your Oregon: Judie Hansen

One of OEC's first and hardest-working volunteers talks about the heady first days of the organization, what it's like to testify in front of Congress, and what it feels like to pose with Gerald Ford (while OEC members protest outside). We've often wondered ourselves!

It's Your Oregon: Max Holfert

Max Holfert graduated from PSU with a degree in Natural Science. He has worked as a commercial fisherman, in the construction industry, and as a drafter at a local design firm. He currently owns and manages Building Forward LLC, a small green remodeling/building company in Portland. He is starting the MBA+ program at PSU to learn how to more effectively promote sustainable business models.

It's Your Oregon: Noah Andrade

For me the decision to volunteer was rooted in three ideas. I wanted to learn about environmental issues, to connect with people who are passionate about creating positive change in the community, and I wanted to move from thinking and saying to doing.

It's Your Oregon: Peter Spendelow

Peter Spendelow has a Doctorate in Zoology from UW and currently resides in Portland, OR. Peter worked as a recycling/solid waste specialist for the Department of Environmental Quality for 23 years, and he is now the president of Northwest VEG.

It's Your Oregon: Molly Chidsey

Molly is a resident of Portland, OR who works as a Program Development Specialist at the Multnomah County Sustainability Program. For ten years she has worked with large organizations – college campuses, hospitals, local government – promoting sustainability.

It's Your Oregon: Chef Marco Shaw

Chef Shaw sources approximately 95% of the food he serves locally (which he defines as within 100 miles) the 9-10 months of the year that it’s available here in Oregon. The majority of the food he serves is organic. Each winter, he gets together with his farmers and they huddle over seed catalogs to choose what they’ll grow this year for his restaurant. This isn’t easy, and takes significantly more time every day than buying everything from one food service company.

It's Your Oregon: Lisa Frack

Lisa says that if she could change one thing in the world to protect the environment, it would be to “seriously reduce consumption of unnecessary consumer goods since so much of our pollution and waste is generated by their production – starting with myself!”

It's Your Oregon: Maggie Collins

Little did I know what was in store in January, 1973, when I walked into OEC’s SW Water Street office. Judie (Neilson) Hansen was efficiently managing in a small area full of mis-matched furniture. I explained that Oregon Environmental Council sounded like a good place to volunteer because “environmental” was part of its name. I went away from that first encounter with a copy of Senate Bill 100, which I read that night in a toy-cluttered NE Portland living room after my preschoolers were tucked in.

It's Your Oregon: John Frewing

It was 1972. The US Congress passed the Clean Water Act. One amazing provision was for funds to support citizen education. Another provided citizen lawsuits for enforcement. Washington and Oregon citizens worked together for an education conference to be held in Seattle, near the University of Washington.

It's Your Oregon: Andrea Hunter

I had joined OEC several years before, and had been a home-based volunteer. Don Waggoner, OEC’s president, had a large volume of correspondence relating to his evaluation of Oregon’s Bottle Bill. I had an electric type-writer, and volunteered. On the strength of this, Larry took a chance and hired me. I think he hoped my “people skills” would make up for my typing deficiencies.

It's Your Oregon: Brock Evans

My first summer of climbing and hiking reinforced my feeling that I had arrived in some kind of Paradise. Often I would sit on top of some peak in the North Cascades gazing in awe across its vast wild sweep of mountain-tops in every direction, and think to myself, “hey, I could climb one of these every week-end of my life and never know them all…oh what joy!”

It's Your Oregon: Ann Wheeler

While Ann Wheeler may not think of herself as someone who “can wax eloquent” about Oregon, you only need to spend a little time talking with her to see that she clearly loves the place.

It's Your Oregon: Joe Walicki

Joe Walicki served as OEC’s communication director from 1995 to 1998, and has remained involved with our organization over the years. We recently chatted with Joe about his commitment to Oregon and to the Oregon Environmental Council.

It's Your Oregon: Dan Carver

I would like to see the land use laws that were implemented by Tom McCall and others enforced so that we can continue the legacy of green that Oregon has built its reputation upon.

It's Your Oregon: Jeanne Carver

My perfect Oregon day is in the interior of Oregon, hiking down one of the great canyons and picnicking by a creek.