Rock Creek Campus Sustainability
Erin Stanforth, Rock Creek Campus Sustainability Coordinator | 503-977-8342
Rock Creek Environmental Studies Center
The Rock Creek Environmental Studies Center is a natural area on Portland Community College's Rock Creek Campus. The RCESC is a natural area within the Rock Creek Campus that is considered to be an important natural history area by both the Portland Audubon Society and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. It includes about 44 acres of woodland, 11 acres of wetland and 44 acres of grasslands. Several smaller unique ecosystems are also present, including several springs and a small pond ecosystem. The Center is not only an important living laboratory to the Rock Creek students, but is open to school groups and the public.
Active Campus Initiatives
Recycling
Rock Creek has a comprehensive recycling program comprised of centralized 'waste stations.' Just recently, the campus added new outdoor waste stations made from 100% recycled plastic lumber. To participate in the recycling outreach and education program, contact Erin.Stanforth@pcc.edu
Recycle old cell phones with the Woman’s resource center and help domestic violence victims. Building 2 room 103
Green Tags 
Green Tags are available for $10 at Rock Creek Campus. Proceeds from green tags go toward the Rock Creek Solar Fund and to purchase wind power at $5 will go into the Rock Creek Solar Fund to implement clean, solar power at our campus! $5 will purchase 500 kilowatts of Wind Power to offset 700 lbs. of carbon emissions from your car’s carbon output. Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF’s) Green Tags meet rigorous environmental criteria endorsed by three leading environmental organizations looking out for your interests. To buy your green tags go to building 3 room 128 at the student center help desk or contact Tammi.Monday@pcc.edu
Mug’ly Days
In the Rock Creek student center Building 3 on Monday’s each term in your mug on Tuesdays ’s from 9:30 – 11:30 am to Rock Creek building 3 room 128 (the student center) for free coffee/tea/cocoa and a morning snack when available. If you forget your mug you can rent one for $1.00 (which goes to the Rock Creek Solar fund). For more info contact Tammi.Monday@pcc.edu
Rock Creek “Land of OG” (Organic Gardening)
So much happens across from building 9 in the garden. It features a sustainably designed straw bale tool shed, composting bins, an earthen oven, as well as three areas for PCC community involvement in the approximately 1,500 square meters of planting area. Some of the plants in the garden: broccoli, squash, corn, sunflowers, pepper, nasturtiums, lavender, lemon balm, basil, green onions, chives, arugula, rosemary, kale, radishes, spinach, lettuce, borage, butterfly flowers, mustard greens, chard, parsley, water cress, sage, turnips, carrots, strawberries, peas, eggplant and beans are among the vegetables that have been grown successfully.
Learning Garden
The Rock Creek Organic Learning is managed by the Learning Garden Coordinator, karen.cox@pcc.edu.
The garden features composting bins and a sustainably designed straw bale tool shed. Food from the garden provides a partial supply for the cafeteria and also is donated to local Washington County charities. Pre-school children, service-learning students, classes, staff, faculty and students all participate. As a bonus for helping, take home a little harvest when there is some. For more information on how you can participate please contact Karen Cox. Spring Work Parties start Wednesdays, May 7th from 1-5pm.
Organic Garden Class
Every spring Organic Gardening Instructor, Kevin Lien has his class doing hands on learning about soil structures and functions, the soil food web, composting, and the basics of biogeochemical cycling. Students learn basic plant anatomy, growing plants, flowers, and vegetables in the Pacific Northwest as well as pruning and grafting. BI 163
Organic Garden (OG) club
This is club that involves interested students staff and faculty in the process of creating a sustainable organic garden in a hand on learning experience. Active members will grow and harvest food to take home and eat. The food from the garden also provides a partial supply for the cafeteria. Our mission is to show the importance of Organic Gardening practices at PCC Rock Creek; to create a self-sustaining Organic Garden for future students and staff to benefit from; to contribute quality produce to the PCC community through Food Services and outreach. For more information contact Erin.Stanforth@pcc.edu
Vermicomposting
Rock Creek's vermiculture bins are thriving! Vermiculture is Vermicompost (also called worm compost, vermicast, worm castings, worm humus or worm manure) is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by some species of earthworm. Vermicompost is a nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer and soil conditioner. The Rock Creek worms are fed by coffee grounds and food stuffs from the cafeteria! The end product organic fertilizer is used in the Organic Garden. For more information about this unique program, contact campus coordinator, Erin.Stanforth@pcc.edu
Caught Green Handed !!
At Rock Creek when you come to Mug’ly Monday’s, buy Green tags, bike maps, or Chinook books, or sometimes just when you are recycling correctly you are “Caught Green handed”, fill out the raffle slip and drop in the container at student center help desk in building 3 to win a prize at the end of term. Each term fall, winter, and spring we give out four loaves of bread and two coupons for free bread for a year from Dave’s Killer Bread as well as mugs, t-shirts and other prizes when donated. We hope you get caught green handed! For more information contact Tammi.Monday@pcc.edu