Although gratitude should grace our lives on a regular basis, we are more formally reminded to celebrate gratitude with the holiday of Thanksgiving.

Scholar and systems thinker Joanna Macy once said that gratitude is subversive: it reminds us of our satisfaction with what we have. Or, in the words of a Swedish proverb: "Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; love more, and good things will be yours."

We also can be grateful for the many activities available to us to appreciate and care for the wonderful planet we live on. Here's this month's sampling:

• Native Plant Sale: November through January 2010. Place your order before Jan. 22. Pick up your plants Feb. 6. Download the order form at www.bentonswcd.org/projects/treesale/. Contact 753-7208 for more information. Sponsored by the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District.

• Creating Sustainable Landscapes: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Nov. 3 through Dec. 8, Avery House Nature Center, 1200 S.W. Avery Park Lane. This course costs $84. Call Anne at 753-9211; e-mail is info@corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org. Sponsored by the Corvallis Environmental Center and Sandrock Sustainable Landscapes.

• Fish, Bees, Bridges and Roads - Green Paths for Benton County: 7 p.m. today, Nov. 5, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library main meeting room, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Topics include recycled bridges and roads, how to have a salmon-friendly yard and bugs. Contact Laurie Starha at 766-6002. Sponsored by the Benton County Environmental Issues Advisory Committee. Free.

• Neighborhood Tree Plantings: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, Nov. 7 (Franklin Park) and Nov. 14 (Sixth Street and Jefferson Avenue). Free. Come and help our city increase our urban forest. Contact Dave Eckert at deckert @willmettewatershed.com. Sponsored by the Marys Peak Group Sierra Club, City of Corvallis and the Jobs Addition Neighborhood Association.

• Natural Areas in Our Community: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, free. Contact Louise Marquering at corvallismatters@aol.com. Sponsored by Corvallis Matters.

• Educating Tailgaters About Recycling: Time to be announced, as game time is subject to change, Nov. 14. Meet in front of the LaSells Stewart Center, 875 S.W. 26th St. Contact Andrea at Andrea.Norris@oregonstate.edu or 737-5398. Sponsored by Campus Recycling.

• Neighborhood Naturalist Adventure: 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 15. Meet at Avery Park rose garden, 1210 S.W. Avery Drive, Corvallis. Bring hat, rain gear and shoes that can get muddy. Contact Don, 753-7689 or bouchdon@peak .org.

• New 4-H Wildlife Stewards Orientation: 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 18. This orientation is required for all new 4-H Wildlife Stewards applicants. To register, call the OSU Extension Service at 766-6750 or see the Web site at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/benton. Sponsored by OSU Extension Service, Benton County.

• Alien Invasion: Plants on the Move: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5. Learn how invasive plants impact Oregon's forests, prairies, and wetlands. Explore hands-on lessons and learn how to engage students in learning about local invasive species and related issues. Registration is required. See workshop calendar online at www.cof.orst.edu/onrep to register. Mail $10 check payable to "OSU Extension" to: 4-H Wildlife Stewards, OSU Extension Service, Benton County, 1849 N.W. Ninth St., Corvallis, OR 97330. Call 766-6750 for more information.

• Climate Masters Course: 6 to 8:45 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 5 through March 18. Eleven-week class held at Peavy Hall on Oregon State University campus. Topics include: Home energy, food, transportation, yard and waste. Modeled after the popular master gardener and master recycler programs. Fee: $66; discount for second household member. Contact Linn-Benton Community College at 541-757-8944, Ext. 5105. Sponsors: Linn-Benton Community College, OSU Extension-Benton County and Climate Leadership Initiative.

Maureen Beezhold is a volunteer with the Corvallis branch of the Northwest Earth Institute