Your Share - May 2010

In this issue: Save Portland's Pesticide-Free Parks, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Update, Events

Portland's Pesticide-Free Parks Threatened
Sites include Lair Hill in Southwest, Sewallcrest in Southeast and Arbor Lodge in North
By Joe Fitzgibbon, The Oregonian

Most Portlanders will tell you they want pesticides banned from parks. They want native plants in greenspaces where children, pets and wildlife can roam safely.

But when it's time to set aside chemical sprays such as Roundup and spend hours weeding, only a handful of residents stand ready with rakes and shovels. Full article>

What's Happening With the Gulf Coast Oil Spill?
From EarthShare.org

Many of EarthShare's environmental groups are blogging, tweeting and otherwise chronicling the Gulf oil spill as it impacts the coastal areas - here are just a few ways you can keep current:

• Get the on-the-ground perspective from locals with this online tool from the Surfrider Foundation, The Ocean Conservancy and Sky Truth that lets Gulf-area residents document what's happening to their coast.
• Find out how The Ocean Conservancy is working on response, recovery, restoration and reform in the wake of the Gulf oil spill.
• Spend some time on The Nature Conservancy's The Gulf: Ways You Can Help resource section for the latest from Conservancy bloggers -- spread the word that one of North America's most treasured places needs our help.
  
• Follow National Wildlife Federation's coverage on Twitter and help get those re-tweets out!
• Read Natural Resource Defense Council's blog on the Disaster in the Gulf.
• Since it will be critical to recovery efforts to assess habitat conditions prior to the impact of the spill, National Audubon is planning to launch a Citizen Science initiative in Important Bird Areas throughout the Gulf coast. They'll provide more information as the effort unfolds.
• Read about Environmental Defense Fund's five steps to limit the Gulf oil spill's damage, and stay abreast of the latest on the crisis with video reports from their Gulf Coast team.