Welcome to the Sustainable Action Trip! Welcome to the Sustainable Action Breakaway Service Adventure! This program will be challenging, educational and fun. This sheet does not cover all aspects of the trip, but it will give you a few more details.

When is the trip?

Sustainable Action takes place from Thursday, August 21, 2008 through Wednesday, August 27, 2008. Please arrive at Lewis and Clark (or Portland International Airport, if coming by plane) no later than 11 am on Thursday, August 21, 2008. We will return to campus the following Wednesday, after a tasty breakfast. If you are planning to meet your family on campus for New Student Orientation, you can expect to be on campus and checking into your residence hall room by 2 PM on Wednesday, August 27, 2008.

Where will I live during the trip?

We will be staying at a church in Northeast Portland, along with the group from the Urban Action trip. The church will provide for an “indoor camping” experience. Yep, that means sleeping on pads or mattresses on the floor! There will be kitchen facilities on-site, where we will prepare our meals together. We will make our way to the local YMCA for showers several times during our stay. The church we use is centrally located and has always proven a very hospitable site for LC students.

What will I do during the trip?

This project will explore living and working within a sustainable food system. We will trace the process from growth, to consumption, to composting. We will participate in activities and service projects with local Oregon farmers, the Oregon Farmers Market, and the LC community. Issues surrounding the promotion of environmental stewardship and local economic development will be examined. We will exchange work for knowledge as we learn from some amazing people who are a part of the sustainable food process and will help them with various projects in return. Prepare to learn about sustainable food issues, to work in the dirt, and to eat some tasty local, organic food.

Potential Hazards:

Common injuries which could occur on this trip include blisters on hands or feet, cuts on feet as a result of walking barefoot, accidental cuts from kitchen knives, burns on hands from handling pots on a stove without hot pads or gloves, and sunburn from not applying enough sunscreen while working outdoors. These are all preventable with a little caution and common sense. Tools that you might use at a work site need to be respected. Shovels, gardening tools, and other items should be used carefully. Proper tool use will be explained before each job. Footwear should be sturdy enough to protect participants’ feet from injury. Participants should bring their own work gloves or borrow them from College Outdoors.

The temperatures in Portland typically range from the low 60s to the high 80s (Fahrenheit) at this time of year. August is usually the driest month, but it has been known to rain, so bring appropriate clothing. Be sure to bring some clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

How will I make sense out of the experiences I have during the trip?

We will spend time together as a group reflecting on and discussing our service activities as well as having fun and making new friends. We anticipate students will return from this trip excited, energized, and ready to begin their Lewis & Clark experience!