Happy New Year! January’s Green Drinks gathering brought together 40 community members at 3 Magnets all-ages pub downtown for an evening of connection, learning, and collective momentum.

A huge thank you to Bruce and Tony for stepping in with some emergency pizza that saved the day and kept the conversation (and energy) flowing.

Featured Speaker: Mack Kleiva (MES ’25), Metamimicry

Mack presenting on bioremediation

Our featured presentation came from Mack Kleiva (Evergreen MES ’25) of Metamimicry, who shared the organization’s story, vision, and deeply inspiring work.

Mack walked us through Metamimicry’s history and current projects, highlighting hands-on, place-based restoration happening literally in people’s backyards, alongside expanded bicoastal efforts in Florida, including bioswale work that supports ecological resilience in the face of climate pressures.

The stories and examples underscored how powerful grassroots stewardship can be — and how those efforts scale when relationships and shared values are centered.

If you’re curious to learn more:

Their work offers both practical tools and hopeful models for reciprocal relationships between land and humans.

Community Announcements & Opportunities 📣

As always, Green Drinks served as a hub for sharing what’s happening around our region. Here’s a roundup of announcements shared last night:

💼 Job Opportunities

🤝 Community Resiliency & Mutual Aid

  • Oly Whistles is hosting 3D printing parties to create anti-ICE whistles, printed with hotline numbers to call if someone witnesses ICE activity. These efforts support rapid response and community care. See this video for more info, or visit their central page!

🗣️ Call to Action: Chehalis Basin Developments

There are proposed developments in the Chehalis Basin with potentially significant budgetary and ecological impacts. Local government is actively seeking public input through both virtual and in-person sessions.

Take action:

Community voices matter — this is a critical moment to engage.

📰 Local News

  • DERT (Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team) shared that key updates, events, and opportunities are coming soon. If you’re not already subscribed to their newsletter or following them on social media, now’s a great time to plug in and stay informed about important local restoration work underway.

Upcoming Community Events 🌿📅

There’s no shortage of opportunities to learn, connect, and get involved in the coming weeks. Here are several upcoming events shared with us — check out the flyers for full details:

Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared announcements, and helped make this gathering such a vibrant start to the year. Green Drinks continues to thrive because of the curiosity, care, and commitment of this community — we can’t wait to see you at the next one!

If you want to catch even more community announcements, opportunities, and events (or share your own for the next month) either join the South Sound ECO Net, or email them to ClimateAction@evergreen.edu!