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Green Partners provides updates about environmental education resources, tools, programs, grants and events to our environmental education partners.
Hennepin County has the following free environmental education resources available to partners.
Hennepin County Environmental Education & Outreach Team
Angie Timmons
Alisa Reckinger
Angie Ziobro
Christina Schmitt
Jessica Arika
Mary Karius
Patience Caso
Please forward this email to interested individuals and encourage them to sign up.
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There are many environmentally friendly decisions that people can make when celebrating the holidays. To help spread the word, share these tips on your social media pages and communication channels.
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Choose products with green attributes, including those that are locally made, reused, made with recycled content, made with less-toxic ingredients, and minimally packaged.
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Support green businesses. Find businesses that sell used goods or offer repair services though the Choose to Reuse Directory, or shop at a business recognized as a Hennepin County Environmental Partner for their efforts to recycle and divert organic waste. Businesses recognized as Environmental Partners include grocery stores and caterers, restaurants, museums, bowling alleys, theaters, and retailers.
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Repair a favorite item. Small appliances, electronics, lamps, fans, toys, decorations, clothing and more can be repaired at a Fix-It Clinic, or look for a local businesses that offers repair services for specialty items like jewelry, shoes, electronics and more.
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Find information on the best way to recycle, reuse or dispose of items from your home such as strings of holiday lights, Christmas trees, gift wrap, food scraps and more in the recently updated Green Disposal Guide.
 Local government agencies and nonprofit organizations in Hennepin County can apply now for funding to implement projects that prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Eligible project activities include:
- Assessing the risk of AIS introduction and the resources available to respond.
- Broadening knowledge about and participation in early detection and rapid response.
- Managing existing AIS populations.
- Researching and addressing specific pathways of introduction.
- Increasing enforcement resources.
- Increasing public awareness and participation in prevention.
Applications are due by January 15, 2015. Learn more and apply. For more information, contact Tony Brough at tony.brough@hennepin.us or 612-348-4378.
 Many communities and organizations have a lot of enthusiasm around taking action on clean energy projects, but sometimes knowing where to start, who to involve, and how to get from an idea to a completed project seem like a daunting task. Organizations and local government agencies can get technical assistance through the Metro Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) Clean Energy Accelerator to make those it easier and faster to navigate.
Ideal participants are community-based organizations or groups that are committed to achieving one or more goals around energy efficiency or renewable energy. Participants include local governments, schools, neighborhoods, utilities, faith organizations, civic groups, and business associations.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental projects by youth in grades K through 12. Projects to promote environmental awareness developed by youth, school cases, summer camps, public interest groups and youth organizations are eligible. Winning projects in the past have covered a wide range of subject areas, including:
- Restoring native habitats
- Recycling in schools and communities
- Construction of nature preserves
- Tree planting
- Installing renewable energy projects
- Creating videos, skits and newsletters that focused on environmental issues
- Participating in many other creative sustainability efforts
Learn more and apply by December 31.
 To reduce waste during move out time at apartment buildings, condominiums and townhomes, Hennepin County has launched a reuse pilot program. The program provides an easy way to collect items like furniture, clothes and dishes for reuse, keeping them out of dumpsters.
Participating in the program is free, easy and hassle-free for both property managers and residents. Once a property is set up with a collection container, residents simply place unwanted household items at a property’s designated collection location, and the items are picked up by a partnering reuse retailer. Hennepin County and participating reuse retailers will provide a collection container, educational materials for residents, and any assistance needed to make the program successful.
Property owners can contact Kirsten Wahlberg at kirsten.wahlberg@hennepin.usto learn more about the program.
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Articles from Rethink Recycling
Rethink Recycling provides newsletter articles, blog posts and social media posts on monthly environmental topics for partners to share through their communication channels. The following new articles are available:
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December: It’s beginning to look a lot like…garbage? The holidays can mean lots of extra waste around the house but you can make environmentally-friendly decisions starting with the type of Christmas tree you buy and ending with how you dispose of it. Learn more and spread the word about reducing waste this holiday season.
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January: Resolve to stop wish cycling. Have you ever tossed something in your recycling bin or cart that you hoped but wasn’t sure was recyclable? You may be guilty of “wish cycling,” and you might need a refresher on what doesn’t go in the bin and why.
See all of the articles available.
Fix-It Clinics
 Gear up for winter season at an upcoming Fix-it Clinic, where you can get free, guided assistance from handy volunteers on repairing household items. Fix-It Clinics are a great opportunity to repair broken holiday decorations, mend winter clothing, and learn how to fix small household appliances, lamps, electronics, mobile devices and more.
Upcoming Fix-It Clinics are scheduled for:
- Saturday, January 9 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Armatage Rec Center in southwest Minneapolis
- Saturday, February 13 from noon to 4 p.m. at Waite Park in northeast Minneapolis
- Saturday, March 12 from noon to 4 p.m. at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rec Center in south Minneapolis
Promote the Fix-It Clinics by downloading a flyer or article and social media posts.
Volunteer fixers who have skills in electrical, mechanical or electronics repair, wood working, sewing or general tinkering are essential to making the clinics successful. For more information or to volunteer, contact Nancy Lo at nancy.lo@hennepin.us or 612-348-9195.
The following projects are being funded through the Green Partners Environmental Education Program. These groups have been busy engaging their audiences in taking action to protect the environment. For more information about Green Partners grants, contact Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.
Art Your Engine Introduces “Our River, Our Home” Project at Bancroft School
Art Your Engine introduced the “Our River, Our Home” project at Bancroft School in the Spring of 2015, connecting 240 third through fifth graders to the issues of water protection and conservation by cleaning out storm drains around the school, building a rain barrel and hosting a water booth at a Community Wellness Night. A core group of students are also designing and painting a water mural inside Bancroft School.
Project Sweetie Pie engages Compost Captains at community gardens in north Minneapolis
 Project Sweetie Pie trained eight “Compost Captains” and more than 20 youth on how to build compost bins from recycled materials and how to compost. Project Sweetie Pie also hosted a “State of the Garbage Compost Summit” at the Minneapolis Urban League in August, where Compost Captains, youth engaged in the project, Mayor Betsy Hodges and Congressman Keith Ellison spoke to the community about their waste reduction efforts.
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Minnesota African Women’s Association trains women to educate peers on environmental topics
 The Minnesota African Women’s Association trained six African women church group leaders on green cleaners, household hazardous waste and recycling. The trainees went on to educate 30 or more women each. Another group of leaders were trained in September and will educate their peers over the next few months on using less-toxic household cleaners, recycling more and setting a positive example in their communities.
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