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Who we are

The Worthy Garden Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization based in Bend, Oregon. Founded in 2015, we are a collective of business owners, entrepreneurs, energy specialists, agriculturists, scientists, and astronomers working together to teach our community to respect and protect the beauty of our planet. Through ties with educational institutions and local environmental groups, we are able to participate in important natural science research and deliver those results to the public. Our mission is to showcase the wonders of the planet (and beyond) while emphasizing the need to protect this special place we call home.

What we do

The garden club operates with two arms - one on the ground and one in the sky.
Our greenhouse and hop yard serve as a base for all garden-related activities, hosting monthly activities during the summer to discuss everything from growing hops to bee keeping to composting to native landscaping.
Our small but mighty observatory brings the beauty of the cosmos to the public's eye, raising science literacy through tours, educational programs, informal lectures, and night sky and solar viewings.
Together, we highlight sustainable life practices that help conserve our planet's resources.

How to get involved

All of our events, unless indicated, are open to the public and free to attend.  Registration may be required. See our homepage for details and enter your email address below to subscribe to our mailing list. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more goodies!

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Our Board of Directors

Roger Worthington, President

Jim Solberg, Vice President and co-founder of Indie Hops

Lisa Sanco, Executive Director, Secretary, and Program Coordinator

Jake Polvi, Center of Sustainability

Dr. Larry Gilbert, Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas

Dr. Shaun Townsend, Professor of Hop Breeding and Genetics at Oregon State University

Dr. Scott Fisher, Astronomy Lecturer at University of Oregon

Bruce McCandless III, Superior Health Plan

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Our Proud Partners

"Inspire present and future generations to cherish and understand our natural world." The Oregon Observatory at Sunriver has been a valuable partner since the earliest stages of the Hopservatory's construction. Their highly trained staff was instrumental in providing technical astronomy and equipment support, and they helped lay the foundation for our educational programs. We are excited to partner with an observatory that has such strong roots in the Pacific Northwest.

We are proud to partner with Pine Mountain Observatory to bring space science education to our community. Our board of directors features Dr. Scott Fisher, director of the PMO, director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Physics at the University of Oregon, and astronomy lecturer. Prior to his appointment at U of O, Dr. Fisher was a permanent member of the staff of the Gemini Observatory, the fifth-largest telescope in the world. He's led many science and astronomy talks for the Garden Club, and we're always looking for opportunities to bring him to back to Central Oregon.

Lights Out Bend is a volunteer-operated education and advocacy program that encourages community action against light pollution, which disrupts natural wildlife cycles, harms human health, wastes energy and money, and brightens the night sky (obscuring our vision of the cosmos).

The Sisters Astronomy Club is a group of passionate amateur astronomers and educators in Sisters, Oregon. The SAC provides monthly night sky viewings with telescopes for local schools and science fairs.

​NASA’s Museum Alliance provides museums and informal education organizations access to NASA resources and professional development. The Museum Alliance network hosts 1,900 professionals at over 900 U.S. and 100 international museums, science centers, planetariums, NASA Visitor Centers, Challenger Centers, observatory and park visitor centers, nature centers, zoos, aquariums, libraries, camps, and youth-serving organizations.

​​WORTHY GARDEN CLUB IS A 503(C)(3) NON-PROFIT
TAX ID# 46-2310732
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​​The Hopservatory is operated by the Worthy Garden Club. All proceeds directly benefit Worthy Garden Club natural science literacy programs.

​​Program Coordinator | Lisa Sanco | lisa@worthygardenclub.com
Hopservatory Manager | Grant Tandy | grant@worthygardenclub.com

​​​(541) 647-6970 ext 220

​​ABOUT WORTHY GARDEN CLUB
​#WORTHYGARDENCLUB  |  #HOPSERVATORY