|
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.
|
 Recycling progress report provides insights into trends
About 46 percent of the waste generated in the county was recycled or composted in 2015. The recycling rate has slowly and steadily increased in recent years, with recycling increasing 5 percent since 2010. However, we have a long way to go to reach our goal of recycling 75 percent of waste by 2030.
The 2015 Hennepin County Recycling Progress Report provides an update on progress being made toward the county’s recycling and waste diversion goals. The report also outlines strategies the county will pursue to encourage waste reduction and recycling. All of us - individuals, businesses and government – play a role in preventing waste and increasing recycling.
Programs to increase recycling
Hennepin County is committed to making recycling as convenient as possible and expanding opportunities to compost by:
You can help by working to improve recycling and reduce waste within your organization, promoting waste reduction and recycling to your audiences, and helping to promote the programs and services that are available.
 The Hennepin County drop-off facilities in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington now accept sharps and needles at no charge from residents. Safely managing and disposing of needles, lancets and syringes safely is important to prevent injury and disease transmission.
Sharps should be stored and transported in a rigid, puncture-resistant, plastic container with a screw-on lid. Examples include empty laundry detergent bottles with screw-on lids or a sharps disposable container purchased from a pharmacy. Glass containers should not be used.
|
Spread the word
The following resources are available to promote this program:
 Hennepin County’s 2016 Recycle Everywhere campaign will build on the success of the 2015 campaign by continuing to focus on tips and tricks to help people expand their recycling habits to recycle in every room.
The campaign will feature ads on TV, online radio, digital billboards, websites, and social media. Ads will run in July and August.
Resources and promotional materials available
The county is continuing to offer free resources, including recycling labels, bags for collecting recyclables and a recycling guide, to help expand recycling habits. These resources can be ordered online. Use them in your home, share with family and friends, or distribute at events, at work or in your community.
We also have a newsletter article, social media posts, logo, images, videos, and recycling tips factsheet available to help you spread the word.
|
 Scientists are finding that our health is affected by lower levels of air pollution than previously thought. As a result, state and federal air quality standards are tightening.
Air Aware gives businesses and organizations tools to empower their employees to improve air quality and protect their health. By taking the pledge, you'll receive ideas on how you and your employees can minimize air pollution to protect the health of your community through monthly e-newsletters and case studies.
Learn more about becoming an Air Aware Employer or contact Rebecca Place at rebecca.place@state.mn.us or 651-757-2807.
|
Printed copies of the following new and update literature can be ordered for free from the literature order form.
 New: Donation opportunities brochure
Donating usable items to charitable organizations is a great way to help your community. You’ll also save money and reduce waste. The new Donation Opportunities brochure (PDF) includes information about organizations that accept donations for a wide variety of items.
|
 Updated: Managing yard waste brochure
Yard waste – such as grass clippings, leaves and branches – is a valuable resource that can add nutrients into your yard or be recycled into compost. It is illegal to put this kind of waste in your household garbage. The updated Yard Waste brochure (PDF) includes information about managing yard waste, yard waste drop-off sites, protecting land and water, and ash tree waste removal.
|
 Updated: Medicine disposal flyer
The Golden Valley Police Department, in partnership with Hennepin County and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, recently opened a medicine drop box at their location at 7800 Golden Valley Rd in Golden Valley. The drop box is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Properly disposing of medicines is important to prevent poisoning and abuse and protect the environment. There are now nine medicine drop boxes located throughout the county. The medicine disposal flyer (PDF) has been updated with the new drop box location.
|
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:
-
Oh, the Places You’ll Recycle! (May): Summer is here, which means it’s time for summer vacations. Wherever you’re heading, have you thought about how you will get there, what you’ll bring and how you’ll recycle while you’re there? There are lots of ways to keep your commitment to reducing, reusing and recycling even when you are away from home.
-
The Great, Green Outdoors (June): Summer means warmer weather, more time spent out of the house and finding ways to recycle while away from home. It also means a variety of outdoor events including sporting events, trips, festivals, parties, weddings, and more. Whether you are hosting or attending an event, there are many ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.
See all of the articles available and
look for new articles on the first of each month.
Green Partners Networking Meeting
Thursday, July 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Learn about community gardens and they're being used to engage audiences in learning about the environment on a bus tour of local garden projects in Minneapolis. The bus will pick-up and drop-off at 701 4th Ave. S. downtown Minneapolis. Additional information will be posted to the Green Partners Networking Meeting web page soon.
RSVP to Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.
Minnesota Association of Environmental Education conference registration open
Registration is now open for the 2016 Minnesota Association for Environmental Education (MAEE) conference “Grow in the Open” August 5 and 6 at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. The conference aims to nurture the growth of environmental educators in Minnesota through concurrent sessions, field trips, and a keynote presentation. The registration deadline is July 15. Scholarships are available.
For more information, contact Angela Ziobro at angela.ziobro@hennepin.us or 612-348-9850.
Fix-It Clinics
 Fix-It Clinics provide an opportunity to receive free, guided assistance from handy volunteers on disassembling, troubleshooting and repairing small household appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and more.
Upcoming Fix-It Clinics are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
|
- Saturday, July 16 from noon to 4 p.m. at Minneapolis Community & Technical College in the H Building (Helland Center)
-
Sunday, August 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Champlin Ice Forum
-
Saturday, September 10 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Whittier Rec Center in Minneapolis
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.
Hazardous waste collection events
 Hennepin County organizes collection events to give residents more convenient local options for disposing of household hazardous wastes. Materials accepted include unwanted automotive wastes, household, lawn and garden products, batteries, mercury-containing items and more.
Collection events are held Thursday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Upcoming hazardous waste collection events are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
- July 7 – 9 at Jenny Lind School in Minneapolis
- August 4 – 6 at Anthony Middle School in Minneapolis
- August 18 – 20 at 340 27th Ave NE in Minneapolis
Spread the word: Download a flyer, social media posts, newsletter article and images to promote the hazardous waste collection events - find resources under current campaigns.
|
Natural Resources Partnership meeting
Tuesday, June 28 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Ridgedale Library
Learn about stormwater collection and reuse practices at the next Hennepin Natural Resources Partnership meeting. Speakers from Emmons and Oliver Resources, the City of Hugo, and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization will provide an overview of practices and highlight example projects.
The Hennepin Natural Resources Partnership provides a forum for a holistic and collaborative approach to managing and protecting our land and water. Everyone is welcome to attend, especially those from cities, watersheds, agencies and organizations involved with or interested in natural resources management and protection.
RSVP to Stacey Lijewski at stacey.lijewski@hennepin.us or 612-348-9938.
Minnehaha Creek cleanup
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is holding its 10th annual clean up this year on Sunday, July 24, and volunteers now have three cleanup locations to choose from - Minnetonka, St. Louis Park and Lake Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis. The expansion to Minnetonka provides opportunities to clean the creek all the way from the creek’s headwaters near the Gray’s Bay Dam to Minnehaha Falls 22 miles downstream. This year’s goal is to collect 4 tons of trash. Learn more and register to volunteer.
 In May, high school and middle school teams competed in regional Envirothons, which are a natural resources competitions that test students’ knowledge of aquatics, forestry, soils and wildlife. A team from Hopkins High School advanced from the regional competition to the Minnesota State Envirothon and finished in third place at the state level. Hennepin County provided transportation funding for the Hopkins High School team to attend the regional competition.
Hopkins has been competing in the Envirothon since 2008 and has had teams advance to the state competition every year since 2009. After the metro-area Envirothon was cancelled this year, the dedicated teams traveled to Spicer, Minnesota to compete in the regional competition. Congratulations!
|
The following projects are being funded through the Green Partners Environmental Education program. These groups have been busy engaging 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.
Alliance for Sustainability
 Alliance for Sustainability recently wrapped up a project engaging members of congregations in protecting water quality. Activities included a summer rain garden tour for congregations, congregation workshops on stormwater and rain gardens, and providing tools to protect water – like leaf collection bags and sample Fescue Grass seed packets - for congregants at events.
|
Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
 Phyllis Wheatley Community Center is engaging youth in waste reduction and recycling. Youth participated in a tour of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center and workshops on recycling and waste reduction and reuse. Youth are training others in the community about what they learned to help increase recycling in the community.
|
Rogers Elementary School
 Students at Rogers Elementary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) School engaged in environmental education by installing school gardens this year. They planted vegetables and flowers to attract pollinators in the new raised garden beds and observed the plants from seeds. Students learned to pull the weeds out by their roots, made observations about the parts of a plant and used iPads to document their experience.
|
|
