Greetings from SEEK!
Each year at this time, I reflect on the things that I am thankful for - and that includes all of you - my SEEK family. Thank you to all of the SEEK Partners and teachers, naturalists, and environmental educators who share their time and talents to help make Minnesota a better (educated) place. Happy Thanksgiving!
Colleen
Don't forget to check out SEEK's Jobs, Internships, Volunteer Opportunities - and "Like" SEEK on Facebook for timely news.
In this issue:
 Eureka Recycling is the only organization in Minnesota that specializes in zero waste. Our mission is to demonstrate that waste is preventable, not inevitable. Our services, programs, and policy work present solutions to the social, environmental, and health problems caused by wasting. Eureka Recycling provides opportunities for everyone to achieve their own zero-waste goals through a wide range of initiatives designed to prevent the needless wasting of our discards through reuse, recycling, composting, waste reduction, producer responsibility and more.
Our website has many resources that residents, students, and teachers can use to learn more about these topics in depth. This month as we celebrate America Recycles Day, take a moment to learn how you can recycle more and waste less.
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November
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November 1: Environmental Education Cohort: Natural Connection of Art and Nature will be held in Bloomington
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November 1: Free Project Learning Tree K-8 Workshop will be held in Minneapolis
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November 5: Workshop: Connecting Diverse Communities to the Outdoors: Addressing Culture, Equity and Access will be held in Maplewood
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November 6: Green Teacher Webinar: Taking Kids to the Community
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November 11: Workshop: Completing the Circle: The Art of Facilitation from Framing to Celebrating - Part 1 of 2 will be held in St. Paul
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November 11: Free Teacher Training on in-classroom Climate and Energy Curriculum
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November 11: U.S. Department of Education Green Strides Webinar: Eco-Schools USA Dashboard: Goals, Metrics, Success!
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November 12: Conference: Minnesota 2014 Healthy Schools Conference: Take Action for Healthy Kids will be held in Minnetonka
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November 15: America Recycles Day
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November 15: Workshop: Completing the Circle: The Art of Facilitation from Framing to Celebrating - Part 2 of 2 will be held in St. Paul
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November 16-22: Geography Awareness Week: The Future of Food United States
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November 20: Our World Speaker Series: The Wildlife of Voyageurs National Park will be held in Apple Valley
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November 21-23: Conference: Minnesota Naturalists' Association (MNA): Plugged into Nature will be held in Sandstone
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November 22-23: Como Zoo Teacher Workshops: Cats in the Wild will be held in St. Paul
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November 22: Green Gifts Fair will be held in Minneapolis
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November 22: Workshop: The Wild Face of Climate Change will be held in Apple Valley
Visit the SEEK Calendar for more information about these events.
Elementary teachers are invited to participate in the Environmental Education Cohort series on November 1st
You are invited to join a dedicated group of elementary educators focused on integrating and embedding environmental education and outdoor instruction into everyday school instruction. This group typically meets the first Saturday of each month from 9:30-12:00 at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington. Come prepared to spend time outdoors at each session. Join us for one Saturday morning workshop or as many as you can! If you attend at least 3 sessions you're eligible to receive a classroom set of Jeffers Journals for your students. Please note: we will not be meeting in December, but will meet again in January.
The Natural Teacher, Back to School: 10 Ways You Can Add Vitamin "N" to the Classroom & Beyond
Richard Louv, co-founder of the Children & Nature Network, found that student teachers working at nature-based preschools loved what they were doing. However, they found the number of nature-based preschools to be relatively low. And universities typically do not offer programs or courses that teach people how to start their own nature-based preschools. Bringing more nature experiences to education will be a challenging task, and teachers can't do it alone. Higher education, businesses, families and the whole community must become involved. In this article, Louv offers 10 ways that educators can join or help lead the movement.
 Free Program for Schools to Reduce Waste and Cost in their Lunchrooms
The Jeffers Foundation and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency are promoting a FREE program to help you reduce waste in school lunchrooms. The Waste Reduction Awareness Program (WRAP) has an easy-to-use web-based guide that can help schools identify sensible opportunities to reduce waste and save money. The program includes a 30-question self-assessment, case studies of schools that have successfully implemented the WRAP, and resources for improving your program.
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How to Keep Young Hikers Happy: Nature Games and Other Strategies for More Fun on the Trail
This article by Heather Stephenson for the Children & Nature Network provides strategies to keep kids interested when out on the trail. Leading kids through the woods requires more than a map and compass. You also need enthusiasm and creativity to keep things fun for young hikers, whether they're preschoolers who tire easily or older children who claim they're bored.
Free Aprons Available for Reuse
Going....going....almost gone...In the name of reuse, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has 60 aprons available at no cost for an individual or group that can give them a new life and put them to use. The aprons are dark green, heavy duty, and have printing on the front but can be reversed and used plain or screen printed. First come, first serve.
 The National Recycling Coalition (NRC) Updates the Definition of Recycling
America Recycles Day is coming up on November 15th! This year, the NRC will use an updated definition for recycling. In September, the NRC's Board of Directors met and discussed their definition of recycling to ensure that it remains relevant to the ever-changing recycling “industry”. Special guest, Bill McDonough (author of Cradle2Cradle) joined the Board for the discussion. After excellent dialogue, the updated definition adopted by NRC is: Recycling is a series of activities by which material that has reached the end of its current use is processed into material utilized in the production of new products.
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Volunteer with Saint Paul Public Schools through May 2015
This school year Saint Paul Public Schools is expanding its recycling program in cafeterias and classrooms to include a new sort line for waste disposal as well as milk carton recycling. Our program will help to protect the environment, conserve natural resources, save money and reduce waste. It will also show students how they can make a difference at school, at home and in their community. Volunteers are needed to monitor the new sort lines during lunch in each cafeteria and assist students with the correct placement of their leftover lunch items 10:30 am to 1:30 pm daily through May.
Many Parks will be Fee-Free on November 11th to Honor Veterans Day
Several federal land management agencies offer fee-free days for 2014, including Veterans Day on November 11. A fee-free day is when parks, refuges and rangelands offer free entry or waive the standard amenity fee for visitors. Veteran's Day is a free entrance day at Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service lands.
 Students in Grades 2-4 are Invited to Enter Wilderness Wonder Art Contest - Deadline: November 14
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies invites young scientists and artists in grades 2-4 to explore the wonders of the wilderness! This year's contest theme is Wilderness Wonder. 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act. This law protects nearly 110 million acres of wilderness areas from coast to coast. In honor of this, students are invited to take a walk in nature, observe, and express what they see through their artwork. Our annual science and art contest is designed to give teachers, parents, and children great flexibility in how they participate.
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Labels 101: How to Read Personal Care Product Labels
From toothpaste to shampoo, to shaving cream and make-up, personal care essentials are a ubiquitous part of life. The average American is said to use nine such products containing 126 different ingredients every day. More than 20 percent of personal care products contain chemicals that may contribute to cancer, and four out of five of their ingredients are typically contaminated with toxic byproducts. Healthy Child Healthy World offers these 4 easy steps to reading personal care product labels and empowering yourself.
Announcing the K-12 National Conservation Poster Contest: DIG DEEPER – Mysteries in the soil - Deadline: December 1
The annual National Conservation Poster Contest provides K-12 students an opportunity to convey their thoughts about soil, water and related natural resource issues through art. The 2014 Poster Contest theme is "DIG DEEPER: Mysteries in the Soil". The contest is open to public, private or home school students. The top two posters in each category will receive monetary prizes. First place winners will receive $100 and second place winners will receive $75.
Free Weekly Lecture Series: Frontiers in the Environment: Big Questions
Frontiers in the Environment lecture series explores the frontiers of knowledge in climate change, renewable energy, land use, food security and many other environmental hot topics. Our speakers provide the audience with a true understanding of the issue, its global significance and breakthroughs on the horizon. Join us Wednesdays from noon to 1:00pm through November 19th at the U of M's St. Paul Campus for a presentation and Q&A session, followed by a casual get-together in the IonE Commons. The lectures also air live on the Web via UMConnect.
Read more in SEEK's News section.
 Minnesota School Recycling Resources
The Recycle More Minnesota campaign is a joint effort between the Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, designed to increase recycling in Minnesota through increased awareness about the benefits of recycling and the opportunities available. They created a School Recycling Toolkit to help schools get a recycling program organized and operating successfully. The toolkit contains the best examples and recommendations for schools in our state.
In addition, professionals who assist schools in waste reduction and recycling projects often have additional resources to share. We've also created a Document sharing Google Site that contains (free) lesson plans, photos, grant application examples and presentations, and more! This is a place where county solid waste professionals and others who assist schools can share resources.
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 School Waste Reduction, Reuse, Recycling, and Composting
Through a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Services Solid Waste Management Grant, the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) provided technical assistance and training about waste reduction, recycling, and composting to rural schools in Connecticut, New York, and Delaware. Eight schools participated in the Waste Reduction and Recycling project over the course of two years.
As a result of this grant, several resources were developed to support waste reduction, recycling, and composting in the schools and have been made available on their website as free pdf documents. Posted resources include Case Studies, Tip Sheets on school waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting, Paper Use Reduction in Schools and School Cafeteria Waste Reduction, two PowerPoint presentations: Rural School Recycling Success and Composting at School, as well as presentations from NERC's school Webinars.
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 Zero Waste Campus Toolkit
Created by the University of Oregon Campus Zero Waste Program and the College and University Recycling Coalition, this 26 page toolkit is intended to be used by colleges and universities as a guide to creating a Zero Waste Campus. The toolkit contains resources on the concept of Zero Waste, how to initiate a Zero Waste program, Zero Waste management practices and a sample Zero Waste campus pledge and model policy. The toolkit also has 10 Zero Waste Business Principles that are the basis for evaluating the commitment of companies to achieve Zero Waste. The toolkit may be downloaded, printed, and distributed provided that (a) it is only for non-commercial purposes and (b) this copyright notice is not removed or obscured.
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Find additional resources for your environmental education programs in SEEK's Browse Resources section.
Air and Waste Management Association Scholarships & Awards - Deadlines: November 3 & January 12
Each year, the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) recognizes outstanding students who are pursuing courses of study and research leading to careers in air quality, waste management, environmental management / policy / law, and sustainability. This includes student scholarships, thesis/dissertation awards, and awards for best student paper and poster at the Association’s Annual Conference & Exhibition.
 Annie’s Grants for Gardens - Deadline: December 2
Annie’s offers grants to school gardens that connect children directly to real food. These funds can be used to buy gardening tools, seeds or other needed supplies. Two types of grants are awarded: $500 to start a new program or $1500 to improve an existing program. Eligible entities include schools and nonprofit organizations that focus on school and community gardens or sustainable agriculture.
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Youth Garden Grants - Deadline: December 5
The 2015 Youth Garden Grant supports school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for students and their communities. Any nonprofit, school, or youth program with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18 may apply. 20 schools or youth programs will receive a $500 gift certificate to the Gardening with Kids online store. Each program will also receive a tool package from Ames, plant starts from Bonnie Plants, a raised bed from Rustic Cedar and a generous seed donation from High Mowing Seeds.
 Grants for Water Quality Projects:
Action Grants and Planning Grants – Deadline: December 8
Mini Grants – Deadline: December 15
The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization's (MWMO) Stewardship Fund Grants support community-led projects and education efforts that meet one of more of the following: 1) Develop partnerships with community organizations 2) Protect or improve the quality of water, habitat and natural resources or 3) Build community understanding, knowledge and initiative related to water, habitat and natural resource issues and solutions. Mini Grants up to $3,000, Planning Grants are up to $10,000 and Action Grants up to $50,000 are available.
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Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program - Deadline: December 10
The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program provides support for independent graduate-level studies in oceanography, marine biology, or maritime archaeology (including all science, engineering, social science and resource management of ocean and coastal areas), and encourages women and minorities to apply. Scholarships provide yearly support of up to $42,000 per student and up to $10,000 of support for a 4-6 week program collaboration at a NOAA facility.
 Schoolyard Garden Grant – Deadline: December 15
The U of M’s Schoolyard Ecology Exploration’s garden grant program invites educators to apply for funds to plant a new schoolyard garden or enhance the use of an existing garden. Preference will be given to graduates of our summer professional development programs who have received training in ways to use schoolyards as a resource for science teaching. We will fund non-participants as we are able.
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 EPA's P3 (People, Prosperity & the Planet) Design Competition for Sustainability – Deadline: December 16
EPA's P3 – People, Prosperity, and the Planet—Program is a unique college competition that inspires solutions for a sustainable future. P3 offers quality hands-on experience that brings classroom learning to life. For the first phase of the competition, teams are awarded a $15,000 grant to develop their idea. Teams then compete in the National Sustainable Design Expo in Washington, DC for the P3 Award and a $90,000 grant to turn their design into a real world application.
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John Muir Conservation Awards – Deadline: December 31
The John Muir Association honors those who continue John Muir's legacy of environmental preservation. They are currently accepting applications for the John Muir Conservation Award in four categories: Conservationist of the Year, Environmental Education Conservation Award, Nonprofit or Public Agency Conservation Award and the Business Conservation Award. Deserving individuals, nonprofit organizations, businesses, public agency's or educational institutions are all eligible for recognition. Self-nominations are accepted.
Walmart's Community Grant Program - Deadline: December 31
The Walmart Foundation provides grants of $250 to $2,500 to programs that address their four core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Women's Economic Empowerment, and Career Opportunity. Eligible applicants including nonprofits, K-12 schools, faith-based organizations, and government entities.
Ramsey County Public Entity Innovation Grant - Deadline: December 31
This program provides financial assistance to public entities to create and implement innovative programs that increase waste reduction and residential recycling efforts, initiate residential organic management programs, expand public space recycling and address bulky waste management. Eligible applicants include municipalities, Independent School Districts, park boards, watershed districts, libraries and other public entities in Ramsey County. Public entities with creative ideas are encouraged to apply!
School Recycling Bin Grant for Ramsey County Schools - Deadline: December 31
This program provides recycling bins and containers to increasing recycling in public K-12 schools in Ramsey County. Benefits from this program include increased opportunities for waste reduction, recycling and organics management in schools. It will also create greater efficiency and potential cost savings for schools by developing a resource management approach to waste and recycling.
Find additional grants and funding resources in SEEK.
SEEK stands for Sharing
Environmental Education Knowledge and is the online home of Minnesota's
environmental education resources.
For further information visit
the SEEK website or Facebook page or contact Colleen Schoenecker,
SEEK Coordinator, at seek.pca@state.mn.us or 651.757.2700 or
800.657.3864
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