Ecopalooza: The Day After
August 8th, 2010 
admin 
The crowd takes in the debut of Speaker Minds at Ecopalooza
A big thank you to everyone who made it out to Ecopalooza yesterday at Fernhill Park. Months of hard work paid off with a great event that celebrated local music while spreading a positive message. Best of all, two local non-profits (Minority Information Outreach and Friends of Trees) will benefit. By all accounts, a great time was had by all. Below are just a few of the shots captured during the day. Surely there will be more to come. Again, thank you for making Ecopalooza a success!
Ecopalooza: The Freebies
August 3rd, 2010 admin Wow, we’re only four days away from Ecopalooza! We know lots of you are already going to be there with us this Saturday at Fernhill Park. But if you’re still on the fence, allow us to push you over the edge with these awesome raffle prizes. Take a look at our Flickr slideshow below and go to our raffle page for a full list of all the stuff you might walk away with. Our sponsors sure did hook us up. Just another reason to come out and enjoy the solar-powered fun!
Ecopalooza: Powered by the Sun
July 21st, 2010 admin 
The Sustainable Waves stage at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene.
It’s the star attraction of the show. Nearly a dozen music acts and speakers will take the stage on August 7th on a stage powered with the most natural fuel you can fine — sunshine.
“We’ve been doing it about five years, pioneering the solar sound concept,” says Mark McLarry. He’s the owner of Sustainable Waves. The company based out of San Diego and Austin has caught on in a big way. The 30 foot stage and its smaller brothers and sisters have provided the platform for events ranging from SXSW to the Espy’s. On August 7th, they come to Northeast Portland to set the stage for Ecopalooza at Fernhill Park.
“Originally Rahmiel reached out to me,” says Mark about Ecopalooza Co-Founder Rahmiel Mitchell. ”After talking to him the stars sort of aligned. We have a day off from Tour de Fat. It’s basically just a good fit.”
Tour de Fat is the traveling road show put on by New Belgium Brewing this summer. Sustainable Waves has taken its traveling stages as far as Canada for the Warped Tour. The stages move via a 26-foot truck hauling a 26-foot trailer. Those trucks are equipped with solar panels that collect the sun’s energy and funnel them to the stage. By the time the stage reaches its next destination, it’s ready to go.
“When the truck pulls up, the stage folds down from the power truck. It’s all integrated from that one power truck,” says Mark. ”We’re running enough sound to cover 5,000 people completely solar powered.”
So what happens if it gets cloudy? This is Oregon after all. This summer has been especially unpredictable.
“The stages are always charging and we can go six or nine hours without any sun,” says Mark.
So if you’re ready to hear local artists, hear a sustainable message and see it in action on a solar-powered stage, bring you friends and family to Ecopalooza. Our band schedule and event flyers are now available for download. It all starts at 11AM Saturday, August 7th at Fernhill Park.
To learn more about Sustainable Waves and marvel at their groundbreaking technology, you can find them online at http://sustainablewaves.com/
You can also check out this profile done by The Weather Channel, which includes some words from Mark McLarry.
Download & Print the Band Schedule & Flyer.
July 15th, 2010 admin We’re 23 days out from Ecopalooza and now you can help us get the word out on this groundbreaking event. On our homepage, to the right, you’ll find links to printable versions of the Ecopalooza event flyer and a full band schedule. You can also just click on the two images below. So fire up your laserjet, inkjet, dot matrix or however you get the job done. We want you there. See you at Fernhill Park on August 7th!
Ecopalooza Band Schedule
Ecopalooza Event Flyer
National Solar Energized for Ecopalooza
July 14th, 2010 admin 
National Solar is based in Seattle, with offices in Portland and Salem.
Ecopalooza is now less than one month away, and we have so many great sponsors to thank for making this event happen. One of our gold sponsors sharing the sustainable vision is National Solar. This week we got a chance to talk with Janelle Lancaster of National Solar. She says it didn’t take much to get onboard.
“We like what it stood for,” says Janelle. ”We like the fact that the stage is run off of solar energy. That speaks to what we’re all about — making the public more aware and responsible with their energy. It can be not only be something of interest, but fun too.”
The mission of National Solar is to help people navigate the process of using the sun to power their homes.
“We try to make it as clear and as simple as possible for our customers. That’s our job,” says Janelle.
Going solar is usually a 2-4 week process. After an expert evaluates your home, the next step is to decide just how many solar panels to install. Each installation is unique. Once a plan is selected, National Solar handles all the paperwork and permits needed to help you maximize your benefits from the state. Most people can get reimbursed right away to help cover the startup costs.
To find out more, just come out to Fernhill Park on Saturday, August 7. National Solar will be there, ready to meet anyone who is interested in learning more about making the switch to solar.
“We’re really excited. this is our first time participating,” says Janelle. ”We haven’t typically participated in an event like this but this is really more on the passion side than the business side. It seems like a great event to raise awareness of conservation and the environment.”
You can also find National Solar online: http://www.nationalsolarusa.com/
They also have a cool blog! http://nationalsolar.blogspot.com/
Keeping You Healthy and Happy at Ecopalooza
July 10th, 2010 admin 
Naturopathic doctors Sara Kates-Chinoy and Lindsay Baum of Grain Integrative Health
You know there will be music, a solar-powered stage, resources to help you learn more about sustainability and plenty of beer. Now you know that if you need any help at Ecopalooza, we got you covered there too. Doctors Lindsay Baum and Sara Kates-Chinoy are co-owners of Grain Integrative Health in Southeast Portland. They’ve been busy beyond even their own expectations since seeing their first patients in February. But on August 7th they’ll be on hand at Fernhill Park to provide care for anyone who needs it.
“We’re really interested in supporting an event like Ecopalooza because it supports the environment and so much of what we do as integrative health providers, and naturopathic doctors especially, is focus on how we can reduce harm to individuals and also the environment,” says Dr. Baum.
It’s not just Lindsay and Sara who will be lending a hand. They’ll bring along a taste of the versatility you’ll find at their clinic on SE Belmont Street.
“We’re planning on having a mental health therapist there, an acupuncturist, and a massage therapist for people who have heat stroke or minor injuries.”
Grain Integrative Health is brand new on the Portland health scene. Dr. Baum and Dr. Sara Kates-Chinoy are sharing a vision that combines health with sustainability. It also creates a sense of community by allowing already practicing physicians and specialists to take part and see patients at the new clinic. You’re as likely to get a physical at Grain Integrative Health as you are to talk to a psychologist or get an acupuncture treatment.
“We’ve got incredible resources here for these new business owners so it’s a pretty stellar group,” says Dr. Baum. ”We’ve got a really nice group of people here. We were able to sort of handpick because everyone wants what we’re offering. Including our patients.”
It’s a long road to do what Grain Integrative Health is doing. Both Lindsay and Sara endured 9 years of schooling. They’ve also done work in traditional hospital settings before following their dream in Portland. Sara was working at a clinic in Seattle just last year. When she’s not seeing patients at Grain Integrative Health, she’s also teaching local medical students. Lindsay doubles as the head of clinical research in rheumatology at Providence Hospital.
Despite the traditional backgrounds, Sara and Lindsay have a vision for making naturopathic remedies more accessible not just here, but eventually around the country. The goal of their practice is to help people get healthy without becoming reliant on drugs.
“The goal is to reduce harm and not just palliate. Chemical drugs tend to be palliative. Any drugs can be palliative… What we try to do is optimize the function of the body, so that the body can do what it needs to do. We’re not focused on giving things. We’re focused on helping people make the changes they need in their lives to optimize their health.”
Grain Integrative Health is part of Ecopalooza because both share similar values. Dr. Baum hopes the event is a huge success.
“I hope that Rahmiel and all of the people who got this started are hugely successful and that they’re applauded for their effort. I know from our experience it takes a lot of effort to do something that no one’s done before and it takes a lot of effort to do something that’s ethically based that no one’s done before.”
On the web: http://grainintegrativehealth.com/
Get Sustainable Today at Ecopalooza
July 3rd, 2010 admin
Gordon Westfall with his daughter at Fernhill Park
We caught up with Gordon Westfall of Sustainable Today at the Ecopalooza site. Fernhill Park is a beautiful, open, thriving park in Northeast Portland. Tall pine trees and lush oaks set the backdrop for locals as they run track, play a pickup game of softball or take it all in with a good book. For Gordon, it’s also a battleground in the fight to help people live healthier, more sustainable lives.
“This is the trench. This is the war zone right here,” says Gordon. ”We’re gonna have a lot of people that have no clue and they’re just gonna stumble right across it and hear the music. That will give us an opportunity to have communications with people who don’t know what sustainability is. It’s gonna give us an opportunity to go head-on with people who need it the most.”
Transforming lives today for a more sustainable tomorrow hasn’t always been Gordon’s top priority. It all came together for the cable tv producer about four years ago. While on an intense regimen of prescription medication to treat an arthritic hip, the moment for change came as he watched an episode of Charlie Rose. An oil exec was talking about peak oil and the threat to long-term sustainability. Gordon new it was time for a new path, and it had to start with himself.
“Sustainability really starts with health and wellness. If your community is sick, if you are sick, you will never fully achieve self-sufficiency. You’ll never be sustainable in your life.”
“Sustainable Today” is short for The Center for Sustainable Today. Gordon used his expertise in television to help launch the local non-profit. At its core are three shows: The Doctor’s Corner, Money Matter and Sustainable Today. The goal for all three is to help give people the tools, support and tips to take their lives in a new direction.
“We’re gonna let people know that sustainability is a fun experience. It tastes great, it looks fun, it smells good, it feels fun. In order to make a change in someone’s life, you gotta thrill them out of their body.”
– Gordon Westfall
There’s more to Sustainable Today than what’s on your television. The group’s impact in the community has brought tangible results like chemical-free Atkinson Park in Oregon City. Potlucks, catered events, and festivals like Ecopalooza are all where Gordon goes to reach out to the masses. But recently he realized that preaching to the choir in progressive Portland isn’t where he needs to focus most of his energy. At one recent festival in Oregon City, Gordon realized just how hard it will be to change the consumer culture.
“So I was sitting there. We had the teepee, our booth, the television. We had our chocolate and I’m looking at these people and not one person would listen to what we had to say,” says Gordon. “They knew nothing about what the word sustainability meant. They didn’t want to hear it.”
Eventually Gordon wants to see support groups for those who want to transition to a sustainable lifestyle. He likens it to breaking an addiction, and like Alcoholics Anonymous there needs to be a network for people to rely upon. As for Sustainable Today, the Center’s goal is to reach children at an early age. A five-year vision for a Waldorf-inspired, environmentally conscious kindergarten is in the works.
“The reason why I’m doing this is my little kids,” says Gordon. ”They are the ones who inspire me to live here, to be here as long as I can to watch them grow up. And I want to make sure that when they grow up they are as healthy as they can be and healthier than I was able to be. So it’s really about helping the children now.”
You don’t have to wait five years to see Sustainable Today’s vision. Just come out to Ecopalooza on August 7th and say hello. Gordon will be there with his teepee and all-natural chocolates to entice people to learn more. He’s just one of many who are coming together to make Ecopalooza a successful event.
On the web: http://sustainabletoday.org/
Friends of Trees, Friends of Ecopalooza
June 22nd, 2010 admin 
Friends of Trees' Greg Tudor stands proudly near Southwest Portland's Willamette Park, the site of one of many planting projects.
It’s hard not to think of trees when you think of Oregon, especially here in the Portland area. But believe it or not, the Rose City falls well short of the average canopy cover in the Northwest. Just 26% according to Greg Tudor, the man whose mission is to recruit, organize and mobilize an army of more than 2,000 volunteers for Friends of Trees. The objective for the 20-year-old group is to boost that percentage closer to the 40% average. But it’s bigger than that.
“We really focus on growing healthy communities and we really see ourselves as a community building organization that plants trees rather than a tree planting organization,” says Greg. “We work really hard to make sure that it’s neighborhood focused and that at the end of the day we haven’t just put trees in the ground, but that we’ve introduced neighbors to each other, that we’ve maybe alerted people to services or issues they previously didn’t know about.”
Friends of Trees is one of Ecopalooza’s gold sponsors. We sought them out because we know their history and reputation in our community. When asked about how the partnership came together, Greg says it’s just a perfect match.
Tiny flags mark the beginnings of something big.
“The way it was presented to us by Rahmiel and Mark that it was all sorts of different music, all sorts of different groups, that it was really open to everybody. It’s very similar to what we aspire to in terms of cross-communities and breaking those boundaries. So we thought it was a really good fit for us.”
Friends of Trees is busiest from November to April. They want to get the trees in the ground so that they can get plenty of rain. At Ecopalooza, Greg will be there to look for new recruits for this coming fall. Most of the planting gets done on Saturdays, when pods of dedicated volunteers spread out into urban areas to give neighborhoods a new look and a fresh start. Greg has been involved in other volunteer efforts around town, but he says this is one that carries an impact for years.
“It’s a tangible result,” says Greg. ”You can look and see the trees that you planted. You can go visit the site. You can ride you bike past them on the street. I think tree planting has that visual impact.”
Friends of Trees focuses much of its work on the Eastside, but anyone can take part. The trees are bought wholesale from Oregon nurseries. Subsidies allow Friends of Trees to sell them back to the community at a deep discount. All the sweat equity comes gratis. There is a bit of a process for the county to determine what types of trees work for specific neighborhoods. Friends of Trees works with nearly 200 different species of trees, so odds are you’ll find something just right.
“A lot of people aren’t expecting that much tree for their money,” says Greg. ”I think a lot of people expect little two-foot plugs. Especially when you get a couple in a row, you can really change the look of a street just right off the bat. You go from that flat expanse of grass to all of a sudden five or six trees in a row, it’s really neat to see.”
Greg says to keep an eye on their website and blog in the coming months so that you can find out the best times for planting season. And of course, on August 7th, visit him at Ecopalooza. We couldn’t be more proud to partner with Friends of Trees. Please consider them if you’re looking for a fun volunteer opportunity.
On the web
Friends of Trees homepage: http://www.friendsoftrees.org/
Friends of Trees blog: http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FriendsofTrees
Twitter: http://twitter.com/friendsoftrees
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/friendoftrees
Creating Ecopalooza: DeVry Is Where It All Starts
June 14th, 2010 admin 
Ron Karsten is providing the environment that makes Ecopalooza happen.
“So you start to take a look at the three of these students with their very small germ of an idea… and as it grew I watched as each person picked up a little part of the responsibility.”
That’s Ron Karsten, talking about seeing the beginnings of what promises to be a huge event on August 7th. The Director of DeVry University’s Portland campus has seen hundreds of students come through his doors. But it’s three who capture his attention this year. Rahmiel Mitchell, Mark Hosman and Mandalyn Echols are all DeVry students, and the nucleus of the benefit concert with a message. Sustainability and giving back to the community are some of Ron’s goals as he helps students enter the business world.
“They’re pretty inspirational from the standpoint of their own individual talents, but they’ve learned to combine and congeal some very very good skills into something that’s very fun, very vibrant, very alive,” says Ron. ”And they have a strong passion that they share, one and to the other, about seeing this become successful. So it’s kinda neat.”
Ron will also be speaking at Ecopalooza. When we got a chance to chat with him at the DeVry campus, he made it a point to highlight all the hard work of the Ecopalooza team. But he is also committed to the cause.
“I get to be a speaker about the importance of sustainability and about the dedication of full participation in your community. No standing and watching. Get in there and truly do something to make a difference. Use your personal initiative, your own passion to help people.”
And that’s the ultimate mission of DeVry, to give people the tools they can put into practical use in our community. At any given time, 300 people are working to better themselves at DeVry and the Keller Graduate School of Management. 14 different graduate concentrations are offered. For those with a shorter time horizon, associates degrees are also offered. Beyond being a Gold Sponsor, DeVry is also providing the workspace the Ecopalooza team needs to hash out the details, keep track of progress and monitor the work yet to be done.
Ron sums up the partnership best. It’s all about seeing his students grow.
“When they came to me and asked if I’d like to be a sponsor, it was just a natural fit. We have an interest in seeing these students be successful so that they’ll be able to use this growth and learning that they’re doing. They’re getting some leadership skills on how to work with people and some management skills on how to create the organization. This is the best solution that we have on hands-on training, the best solution we have on seeing young leaders grow into good businesspeople here in our community.”
DeVry on the web: http://www.devry.edu/
And Now… Your Ecopalooza Team
June 9th, 2010 admin 
They work very, very hard. Can't you tell?
It takes a lot of planning, planning…. and yes, more planning to put on an event as big as Ecopalooza. Bands need to be found, contracts need to be agreed to, a site needs to be selected. Then there’s permits, food vendors, sponsors, getting the word out, and last but certainly not least, setting up the beer garden.
These are just a few of the tasks on the plate of the Ecopalooza staff. The idea for the show was first devised by Rahmiel Mitchell and Mark Hosman. It’s one thing to get the inspiration. Execution is quite another. As Mark and Rahmiel got the ball rolling, they surrounded themselves with volunteers with the experience that’s required to get the job done. Some of it’s not the most glamorous work, but everyone involved knows that in the end, this will all benefit two great local causes.
The Team
Rahmiel Mitchell: Co-Creator of Ecopalooza. The go-to guy for everyone else in the group. If someone can’t get something done or needs a contact, he’s there to help tie up the loose ends and provide the overall vision for Ecopalooza.
Mark Hosman: The man who keeps it all organized and the trains running on time. With years of event planning experience, you might say this isn’t his first rodeo. Mark knows what t’s to cross and i’s to dot in order to make sure a show as big as Ecopalooza goes off without a hitch. He’s the taskmaster and helps keep everyone on track.
Mandalyn Echols: She’s what we call the Site Manager. Anything that has to do with getting Fernhill Park ready for Ecopalooza on August 7th, she’s on it. Securing the proper permits, dealing with county red tape, notifying the neighbors and making sure people have a place to park — that all falls in her domain.
Melony Beaird: She’s our Production Manager. On the day of the event, she might be the busiest. She will coordinate a smooth transition between all of the different bands and making sure the solar-powered stage is ready to go. She will work closely with Mandalyn and our Band Manager, Alethea. Melony has lots of experience in this line of work, including five-years with local non-profits.
Alethea Garcia: If you like the bands you’ll hear at Ecopalooza, you’ll have her to thank. Alethea is our Band Manager. She’s been scouting the Portland area not only for acts with a great sound, but also artists who share the same passion for sustainability and helping the causes that will benefit from the show.
Sabrina Rempp: She works closely with Alethea to make sure all the band contracts are secured. You might also find her out with Alethea checking out Ecopalooza bands as they perform around town leading up to the show.
Bob Figone: Bob is our beer man. He’s helping the team by finding a great local microbrewer. He chose Off the Rail microbrew, which is based in Forest Grove. Sweet Leaf amber ale, Mad Man IPA and War Pig Wheat heffeweizen will all be there for your beveraging pleasure. Bob also brings 27 years of experience to the table when it comes to project management.
Kelsey Figone: She’s Bob’s daughter and doing great work helping with the marketing of Ecopalooza. Kelsey has worked in fundraising for non-profits for the past two years. Originally from West Linn, Ecopalooza will be a bit of a sendoff party for her before she studies abroad in South Africa this fall.
Ben Lacy: Ben has nearly a decade of experience in television news. He’s new to Portland, having moved here just last month. Ben is manning the twitter and facebook profiles. He also puts together most of the blog posts on the website. (Like this one!) Ben got connected with Ecopalooza through Hands on Portland, which is a great way to find the right cause.
