PNW Climate Week brings 50-plus events to Portland

Zoom in: Organizers worked to build a weeklong schedule that appeals to newcomers, longtime advocates and families alike, Portland city lead Audrey Desler tells Axios. Highlights include:

• A factory tour at the Oregon Natural Fiber Mill.
• A screening of the documentary "Future Council" followed by a youth panel discussion on accountability from a young person's perspective.
• A happy hour for the "climate curious" at the Midtown Beer Garden.

There are also climate-themed bike rides, a kid-friendly "tool petting zoo" for aspiring DIYers, yoga classes in Forest Park and dozens of panels, discussions and mixers.

• Find the full schedule here.

Zoom out: Portland is just one of several cities taking part — including Bend, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. — as the region looks to replicate popular climate weeks in San Francisco and New York.

Yes, but: Putting together Portland's lineup with an all-volunteer crew of 10 has been no easy task, Desler says, especially as federal climate funding and corporate sponsorship have declined.

• "It has been extremely hard to raise sponsorship dollars," Desler says. "Money just makes things happen, even if it's small organizing efforts at a local level."

The bottom line: As PNW Climate Week sees rapid expansion, Desler says she's looking forward to a future where "enough companies and municipalities see the value in it that we don't just have to depend on free labor to get things like this done."