Portland, OR. - April 16, 2009 - Select professionals and students from around the globe will have a chance to experience Oregon's living laboratory of sustainability successes, challenges, and ongoing experiments through the Summer Sustainability Series, a five-day field immersion convened by the Oregon University System and the Oregon Business Council. Registration is by application through www.summersustainabilityseries.org.

With an emphasis on field exploration and hands-on discovery, participants will meet and interact with nationally recognized business leaders and experts along with Oregon's Governor, who has put sustainability at the forefront of the state's economic development agenda. The program is offering two distinct tracks this year "“ one in green building and the other in sustainable agriculture.

For professionals, the five-day immersion program offers a shortcut to months of expensive research "“ providing knowledge that can deliver an immediate pay-off in setting the direction for new programs and strategies, benchmarking best practices and the latest methods, and building a direct connection with fellow leaders.

For graduate students, the series accelerates real-world advancement on these topics -- along with building a network in industry.

"I've been a speaker and participant at over a hundred sustainability and green building events in the last five years," said Dennis Wilde, principal at Gerding Edlen Development, one of the nation's leading green building developers. "This one is completely unique in its value "“ giving a small group of people direct contact with practitioners, on site, for multiple days, in a well-orchestrated curriculum."

Oregon offers an ideal venue for this field-intensive series of workshops. The state, and Portland in particular, host the highest concentration of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings in the country and is the center of the new movement towards "living buildings" that are striving to achieve self-sufficiency in energy and water.

In agriculture and food systems, Oregon is a leader in sustainability, organics, and direct marketing, while producing a more diverse range of agricultural products than any state other than California.

David Sim of Gehl Architects in Copenhagen, a participant in the inaugural 2008 series, applauded the hands-on exploration that set the series apart and brought challenges and solutions to life. "I would make this the model because it’s the best learning environment possible," Sim said, "Although I came from Europe, the trip was worth it...I was in Portland getting to see things that no PowerPoint or book would have ever explained. It's been incredibly valuable."

The June 22-26, 2009 series is based in Portland with extensive field trips and will feature meetings with Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, Dennis Wilde (Principal at Gerding Edlen Development), Lisa Sedlar (President of New Seasons Market), and many other thought-leaders in their fields.

The Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems track includes straight talk from food system executives. The group will meet on-site with senior leaders of some of the food system's most innovative companies "“ New Seasons Market, NORPAC, Burgerville, and Truitt Brothers.

In the words of Eileen Brady, Co-Owner of New Seasons Market and a key advisor to the program, "The Summer Sustainability Series program on agriculture and food is one of the few educational opportunities to address the whole value chain, exploring everything from farms and ranches, to processors, distributors, markets, and restaurants. This promises to be a thought-provoking experience for anyone who truly wants to transform the food system."

Site visits for the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems track also include:

• Zenger Farm "“ Demonstrating a model of urban agriculture
  
• Portland Farmers Markets "“ An insider look at connecting farmers with urban consumers
  
• Truitt Brothers "“ Showing innovative processing partnered with local growers

• Living Buildings "“ A special meeting with the team that will have just concluded a feasibility study for the world's first planned large-scale living building "“ one that aims for net zero energy and net zero water, among other unprecedented goals.
  
• The Urban Growth Boundary "“ Shaping the region's livability and planning
  
• Gerding Theater "“ Exploring historic preservation and energy efficiency innovation
  
• New Columbia "“ A model of revitalization and affordability
  Organizers limit both the sustainable agriculture and green building tracks to 20 professionals and 15 graduate students each to maximize value for participants.

Summer Sustainability Series

Summer Sustainability Series

The Summer Sustainability Series offers unique 5-day professional programs based on the ground-breaking work of Oregon’s businesses, universities, not-for-profits, and policy makers. Our programs are limited to 35 select participants, providing direct engagement with experts and examples, and solutions to address today’s most pressing sustainability challenges. We visit innovators in the field as they bring their experiences to life. Participants join other thought leaders from a range of professions and cities. For the summer of 2009, two programs are being offered: ‘Sustainability in the Urban Built Environment’ and ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems.’ Both run June 22-26.

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