Through the Resident-led Green Team, RoseVilla demonstrates how Residents can take an active role in shaping eco-friendly practices and strengthening community resiliency and sustainability.
Known for its environmental consciousness and forward-thinking spirit, Portland provides a natural home for communities that value resilience, innovation, and eco-friendly practices. As a leader in this movement, RoseVilla Senior Living is redefining what it means to live with purpose and environmental responsibility.
One of the strongest drivers behind RoseVilla’s sustainability efforts is the Green Team, a Resident group that provides leadership and collaboration to promote sustainable policies and practices that connect our community.
The Formation of the Green Team
Our Residents’ sustainability movement goes back almost two decades. In 2007, 17 Residents came together to form the Green Committee, a group dedicated to educating and advancing eco-friendly practices at RoseVilla. The committee met regularly and shared minutes with interested Residents to create a culture of environmental stewardship.
Over time, the Green Committee evolved into the Green Team, now a standing committee of the Resident Council led by Residents and Co-Leaders Paula Wiiken and Bob Sack. What began with 17 passionate Residents has grown into a thriving community-wide effort. The Green Team now includes 125 Residents and has become central to life at RoseVilla.
The RoseVilla Green Team Mission
The Green Team’s mission is to encourage and oversee Resident-led action that supports sustainability, resilience, climate change awareness, and environmental stewardship. The team offers both structure and inspiration for Residents who want to make a difference and make sustainability and resilience a part of everyday life.
Residents on the Green Team have formed a group that focuses on learning about and striving for sustainability. They interface with our Leadership Team to actively search and implement ways to reduce RoseVilla’s carbon footprint.
The RoseVilla Green Team is active in numerous impactful initiatives including presentations that bring in experts to speak on sustainability efforts, education on eco-friendly practices, The Naturescaping Project, and Green Team Consortium, as well as participation in the Senior Stewards Acting for the Environment (SSAFE), a national organization that supports the development of RoseVilla’s Sustainability Action Plan.
Green Team Educational Programs: Learning and Leading Toward a Sustainable Future
Education is a key part of the Green Team’s mission. One of its ongoing initiatives is hosting presentations to help Residents stay informed about emerging energy and sustainability topics.
“My main role as cochair of the Green Team has been to recruit speakers about alternative energy projects in Oregon,” said Sack, who has brought leading experts in renewable energy, climate science, and sustainability to share their insights with the RoseVilla community.
Some recent Green Team presentations include:
- Pump It Up: Pushing Water Uphill to Store Green Energy featuring Erik Steimle, Chief Development Officer at Rye Development. This session explored a $2 billion+ pumped hydro energy storage project near Goldendale, WA, designed to store energy for 12 hours and generate 1,200 megawatts of clean electricity, which is enough to power a city the size of Seattle.
- The Future of Forests and Our Lives Connected to Them, a reading and discussion with Lauren E. Oakes, author of Treekeepers: The Race for a Forested Future and an adjunct professor at Stanford University.
- Nuclear Power in the Pacific NW Energy Mix with a Q&A with James L. Conca, Ph.D., professor at Washington State University and consultant on nuclear energy strategy for the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Turning Ocean Waves into Electricity, presented by Dr. Burke Hales, professor at Oregon State University and chief scientist for the $80 million PacWave project off the Oregon Coast.
- An Expanded and Upgraded Electrical Grid on Oregon’s electrical grid with Angus Duncan, consultant to the Natural Resources Defense Council and former chair of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, and Mark F. Gamba, state representative and former mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon. This presentation is set for Nov. 20.
The team is also developing a presentation on geothermal energy scheduled for February 2026.
Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling: Everyday Actions at RoseVilla That Make a Difference
The Green Team’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond large-scale initiatives to include everyday actions that reduce waste and promote eco-friendly practices.
One of the Green Team’s successful ongoing programs is its Clear Plastic Recycling and Bottle/Can Redemption, which raised more than $3,500 last year. The funds directly support Green Team projects and sustainability efforts across campus.
In partnership with the Milwaukie Environmental Stewards Group, the team also hosted a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Fair that provided Residents with hands-on learning opportunities to explore new ways to minimize waste and make sustainable changes in daily life.
To further reduce single-use plastic on campus, the Green Team donated 120 USA-made wine glasses for use at community gatherings. The reusable glasses have replaced disposable plastic cocktail cups at many events, so even social gatherings can contribute to a greener future.
The Naturescaping Project for a Native Habitat
The Green Team is leading the charge to “go native” by embracing plants and trees that naturally belong in Oregon’s landscape. The Green Team has two landscape committees, one for trees and one for plants. With the goal of climate-conscious gardening, Residents work with the RoseVilla Grounds Team to plant native species that attract local wildlife, adapt to regional weather, and require less maintenance.
Resident volunteers and the Grounds Team collaborate to design, plant, and maintain native gardens across campus. Wiiken said volunteers planted about 100 native plants and 13 native trees in 2024. More than 600 new trees have been planted throughout RoseVilla since 2017, when the Green Team began tracking the campus’s tree canopy. This year, the work continues with additional native plantings and Resident education programs focused on pollinators, habitat, and canopy growth.
The work also includes volunteering at Rosebud Preschool, where Green Team members educate young learners about native plants and help them participate in planting projects.
“Our goal is to add more biodiverse native habitat on campus, mainly through our active planting initiatives, but education is also an important part of our mission,” Wiiken said, adding, “Best of all, we have fun planting.”
Green Team members and Residents Corinna Campbell-Sack and Carol Bauman have also helped lead the efforts to promote native planting projects across the RoseVilla campus by coordinating with neighbors to increase native plant populations in personal garden spaces. Using Green Team funds, they provide plants and assistance and have helped nine Residents enhance their gardens this year alone.
Fundraising plays a key role in supporting these initiatives. In the past year, the Green Team raised $2,770 for native plant projects. A portion of the funds came from the sale of Birds of RoseVilla, a pocket field guide created by Residents Ed McFarlane, Bill Scheible, and Campbell-Sack. The guide celebrates local bird life with proceeds directly benefiting native tree and plant initiatives.
Each April, the Green Team also hosts Earth Week events with activities such as hourly bird walks and talks, postcard writing for environmental change, a Green Team Bake Sale, environmental film screenings, a Volunteer Fair, and climate crisis education. The annual Earth Day Bake Sale has raised more than $1,000 for future plantings.
The Green Team Consortium: Advancing Sustainability Through Collaboration
The Green Team has spearheaded a regional collaboration among Portland-area Continuing Care retirement Communities (CCRCs) focused on sustainability and climate action. The effort began in 2018 with conversations between RoseVilla and Willamette View Residents and Team Members and sustainability advocate Steve Higgs, who serves as Executive Director of Senior Advocates for Generational Equality (SAGE).
The initiative quickly spread to six campuses with the Green Team helping lead two conferences in the next year on best practices, environmental challenges, and collective solutions in areas such as energy, food systems, transportation, biodiversity, and waste reduction.
Building on this momentum, the consortium created a “Best Practices” document in 2021 that was later shared at the 2022 LeadingAge Oregon Conference, which featured CEO panelists from several member communities. The following year, the document was published by the National Continuing Care Residents Association (NaCCRA) and expanded participation to additional campuses in Oregon and beyond.
The Green Team continues to collaborate with regional partners to advance their mission for a sustainable future.
SSAFE and Sustainability Action Planning
SSAFE chapters educate and partner with their community as well as other chapters and senior living communities with the goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.
At RoseVilla, SSAFE member Residents are working with Team Leaders to help develop the campus-wide Sustainability Action Plan. The plan outlines sustainability efforts that will positively impact the community and the environment.
Bottomline: RoseVilla Residents Are Leaders in Sustainability and Resilience
At RoseVilla, sustainability is more than an aspiration. It is a way of life. Residents are working together and making meaningful progress toward a greener future.
The Green Team’s initiatives, from recycling programs to energy innovation to native plantings, demonstrate how actions can create a lasting impact, encourage environmental stewardship, and inspire others in the community. The team has helped RoseVilla become a leader in sustainability and resilience.
Learn more about how RoseVilla and our Residents are shaping a better future.
FAQs: RoseVilla and the Green Team
When and how did the RoseVilla Green Team begin?
The Green Team traces its roots back to 2007, when 17 RoseVilla Residents formed The Green Committee. The group met regularly and encouraged Resident participation in sustainability conversations and practices. Over the years, the committee evolved into today’s Green Team with more than 125 Residents.
What is the mission of the RoseVilla Green Team?
The Green Team’s mission is to promote environmental stewardship, resilience, and sustainability across the RoseVilla community. Its members collaborate with fellow Residents, Team Members, and Team Leaders to develop and implement eco-friendly practices that protect natural resources, reduce waste, and prepare the campus for a sustainable future.
Who can join or participate in the Green Team?
All Residents are welcome to participate. The Green Team thrives on inclusion and collaboration.
What kinds of projects does the Green Team lead?
The Green Team spearheads a wide variety of initiatives, including composting and recycling programs, sustainability education events, energy and water conservation campaigns, and planting native plants and trees.
The team also leads collaborations with other Portland-area senior living communities to share best practices and strengthen regional sustainability efforts.
How is RoseVilla a leader in sustainable and resilient senior living?
RoseVilla stands out as a leader in sustainability and resiliency through the collaboration of the Resident-led Green Team, Resident-led Ready Force, Team Members, and Team Leaders who help drive the mission of eco-friendly initiatives and practices.
RoseVilla has become a model for Portland sustainable senior living with planning and practices focusing on sustainability and resilience. This includes the design of eco-friendly buildings, net-zero energy neighborhoods, and energy-efficient practices.
Energy-Efficient Practices
Sustainable living extends beyond building design to include how the grounds are maintained, how energy is used, and how waste is reduced. Recent upgrades highlight this commitment with water-saving drip irrigation systems, a zero-emissions transportation fleet, and expanded access to electric vehicle charging. RoseVilla, in partnership with PGE, added 12 new EV chargers this year and replaced inefficient lighting.
A major milestone in this effort is the completion of RoseVilla’s first ROSE Port, a net-zero-energy carport that produces and stores 100 percent of its own solar power and potable water. Built to withstand major earthquakes, the ROSE Port will also serve as an emergency hub for Residents in times of need.
RoseVilla also has implemented ROSIE (Recycled Organic Stuff is Everywhere) a Greywater Reclamation System, which saves more than 300,000 gallons of potable water annually by filtering and repurposing water used for washing and bathing.
Through these forward-thinking initiatives, RoseVilla continues to reduce emissions, save water and energy, limit noise pollution, and demonstrate what sustainable, resilient living looks like in action, making RoseVilla a leader in sustainability and resilience.