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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
Patience Caso
Mary Karius
Please forward this email to interested individuals and encourage them to sign up.
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Join us for the summer Green Partners Quarterly Networking Meeting on June 26, 2013, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Eden Prairie Library, 565 Prairie Center Dr.
The meeting will be an opportunity to:
- Learn about environmental education and engagement projects implemented by Green Partners grantees. Groups will share project successes and discuss lessons learned.
- Collaborate and network with organizations and fellow environmental educators from across the county.
- Share ideas about project successes and challenges.
Light refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP by June 24 to Patience Caso at patience.caso@co.hennepin.mn.us or 612-348-9352.
 Hennepin County has nearly 150 Master Recycler/Composter volunteers that are trained in waste reduction, recycling and composting. Volunteers are available to assist with design and implementation of waste reduction and recycling plans, staff booths at events, and create educational resources and displays. If you have a project or event that could use Master Recycler/Composter volunteers, email the Master Recycler/Composter Program Coordinator or call 612-596-0993.
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 Make the next event in your organization or community low-waste with free resources and planning assistance from Hennepin County. County staff can help you create waste reduction plans, educate vendors, train volunteers and provide collection options. The county also has portable recycling containers that can be borrowed for free to collect recycling and organics at events.
For more information, email Carolyn Collopy or call 612-596-0993.
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 On June 11, Hennepin County awarded more than $87,000 through the School Recycling Assistance Program to six public school districts, two public charter schools and two non-public schools for projects that will improve recycling, reduce waste or implement organics recycling. These projects will engage a total of 13,900 students and additional parents and staff.
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Grants were awarded to the following schools:
- Benilde-St. Margaret School in St. Louis Park
- Hopkins Public Schools
- Mary Queen of Peace Catholic School in Rogers
- Noble Academy in Minneapolis
- Partnership Academy in Richfield
- Richfield Public Schools
- Rockford Area Schools
- South Education Center, ISD 287 in Richfield
- St. Louis Park Public Schools
- Wayzata Public Schools
For more information about implementing recycling in schools, including resources and assistance available from Hennepin County, email Andre Xiong or call 612-543-1316.
 At Fix-It Clinics, residents with broken household goods or clothing in need of repair get free, guided assistance on disassembling, troubleshooting and fixing their items.
Fix-It Clinics are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
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- Saturday, July 20 from noon to 4 p.m. at the North Commons Community Rec Center in Minneapolis
- Saturday, August 10 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Eden Prairie Senior Center
- Saturday, September 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at the University of Minnesota ReUse Warehouse
A special Mend-It Clinic, in which volunteers with sewing skills will help repair or alter clothing and other soft goods, is scheduled for Saturday, June 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the East Lake Library in Minneapolis.
Volunteer fixers who have skills in soldering, electronics repair, electrical repair, sewing, wood working and general tinkering are needed to make this initiative a success. Get updated promotional materials, including a newsletter article, social media posts and flyer.
For more information, email Nancy Lo or call 612-348-9195.
 Hennepin County partners with more than 80 reuse retailers annually to promote reuse by offering discounts during October and November.
We still have openings for local reuse businesses to participate in the 2013 Choose to Reuse Coupon Book. If you know a reuse retailer that would be interested in participating, encourage them to sign up now!
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 Rethink Recycling is encouraging people to recycle their cartons through a new advertising campaign in partnership with the Carton Council. With changes made to curbside recycling programs over the past year, empty milk cartons, juice boxes, soup, broth and wine cartons can now be recycled in curbside programs. A carton recycling video, advertisements and sample promotional email are available at www.swmcb.org.
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New articles available
Rethink Recycling also develops newsletter articles and social media posts monthly on residential recycling topics. New articles available include:
Check out the 2013 communications calendar to find out what articles will be available this year.
Five organizations in Hennepin County have been awarded funding through the Community POWER (Partners on Waste Education and Reduction) program for projects that will educate and actively engage residents in reducing waste, reusing and properly disposing of hazardous waste.
Funding was awarded to the following organizations:
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Center School, Inc. will have students analyze the content of cleaning products used at school and home to determine toxicity levels and possible health and environmental consequences. Students will investigate alternative cleaning products and make their own.
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The Camden Promise will train, educate and engage youth and adults in the 3Rs through by incorporating activities into their programs.
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The Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota will educate community members about disposing of and reducing household hazardous waste by training Lao leaders to conduct community workshops.
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EMERGE Community Development will train six youth leaders to educate 60 North Minneapolis youth on how plastics can be recycled/reused in their homes and community.
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Minneapolis Public Schools - Green Central Community Education will engage first graders in their summer program to explore gardening, composting and organic waste management. Students will also plan a green party.
For more information, contact Laurie Gustafson at CommunityPOWER@RethinkRecycling.com or 651-252-1487.
High school students proved their natural resources expertise while competing in the Metro Area Envirothon on May 2 at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska. During the event, teams of five students complete hands-on visit activities and give presentations on current environmental issues. Hennepin County staff helps with planning and judging at the event.
A team from Hopkins High School won the Metro Area Envirothon and placed third at the Minnesota State Envirothon on May 20. The winning team at the State Envirothon advances to the National Envirothon in July, where they compete for college scholarships.
If you know of a school interested in participating in the Envirothon, email Stacey Lijewski or call 612-348-9938 for more information.
The Waite House Community Center, a Green Partners Branch grantee, is seeking 2-liter plastic bottles of any color. The bottles will be used to build a greenhouse and educate youth about reducing and recycling plastic. Bottles can be dropped off through June 24 at the Waite House, 2323 11th Avenue South in Minneapolis. Call 612-455-0365 or email gravesj@puc-mn.org for more information.
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