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ABOUT GREEN NOTES
GreenNotes covers environmental news, programs and events from Hennepin County.
Please take a few moments to read our stories. Share your feedback and ideas for protecting the environment.
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Email Hennepin Environment
Please forward this email to interested individuals and encourage them to sign up.
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Register now for the fall 2016 class
 Join fellow waste reduction enthusiasts and become an advocate for the three Rs in your community as a Hennepin County Master Recycler/Composter. Master Recycler/Composters are trained volunteers who work to reduce waste generation and increase public awareness of opportunities to recycle and compost.
The fall course will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8:30 p.m. starting October 5 at the Edina Senior Center. An optional field trip will be held on Friday, October 14.
Learn more and apply.
For more information, contact Carolyn Collopy at carolyn.collopy@hennepin.us or call 612-596-0993.
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 Hennepin County recently recognized 5 businesses for their successful recycling programs. The newest members of the Hennepin County Environmental Partners program all recycle materials like paper, metal, plastics and glass, and several reduce food waste by donating food, participating in food-to-animals programs, or diverting food scraps to composting.
The additional businesses represent a variety of industries:
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- Restaurants and food retailers: Du Nord Craft Spirits, Market Bar-B-Que, Roastery 7
- Office and retail buildings: The Colonnade
- Congregations: Trinity Lutheran Church
See all of the participating businesses on the Environmental Partners map. If you know of a business that deserves recognition for their recycling, waste reduction or organics recycling efforts, encourage them to become an Environmental Partner.
For more information, contact Amy Maas at amy.maas@hennepin.us or 612-348-6848.
 Hennepin County is continuing its partnership with the NetWork for Better Futures to reuse and recycle construction and demolition waste. Using deconstruction techniques will divert 162 tons of material for reuse and 4,000 tons to recycling from 25 projects. The NetWork will also partially deconstruct 30 commercial and residential buildings, saving 90 reusable tons of material. The NetWork hires men with a history of incarceration, poverty, and other challenges and uses deconstruction projects to provide job training.
For more information contact Carolyn Collopy at carolyn.collopy@hennepin.us or call 612-596-0993.
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Funding available to clean up contaminated properties
Grants are available for the assessment and cleanup of contaminated sites through the Environmental Response Fund. The grants are used for a variety of activities that provide community benefit, including assessment and cleanup of groundwater and contaminated soil, and evaluation and abatement of asbestos and lead-based paint. Priority is placed on locations that establish affordable and moderately priced housing, are intended as public or green spaces, and promote economic development. Applications are due November 1. Learn more and apply.
For more information, contact John Evans at john.evans@hennepin.us or 612-348-4046.
Recycling grants available for businesses and organizations
Hennepin County has grants of up to $50,000 for businesses to start or improve programs to divert recyclables and organics (food and non-recyclable paper) from the trash. Most businesses and non-profits in the county — from large office buildings to small churches, restaurants and apartment buildings — are eligible to apply. These grants can help with the purchase and installation of containers and equipment, hauling service charges, and minor improvements to loading docks and waste enclosures. Learn more and apply.
Boston Scientific used a Hennepin County
business recycling grant to start an organics recycling program in the
cafeteria at their complex in Maple Grove. The company sees this program, along with its other efforts to go
green, as a way to both reduce the company’s impact and attract talent. Learn
more on Channel
12.
For more information, contact Andre
Xiong at andre.x.xiong@hennepin.us or 612-543-1316.
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Environmental education grants awarded
 Hennepin County recently awarded Green Partners environmental education grants to 14 organizations to engage more than 4,250 residents in learning about and taking actions to project the environment. Grants were awarded to a variety of non-profit organizations, schools, early childhood family education programs, community groups, and more. Nine projects will engage underserved and hard-to-reach communities, and 11 projects will engage youth.
The grantees will be working with their groups to reduce waste, increase recycling, conserve energy protect land and water and explore natural areas by conducting workshops, coordinating youth mentorship programs, taking field trips, providing internships, incorporating activities into their existing programs, and more. Learn about the grants awarded.
For more information, contact Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.
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Gravel-bed nursery helps Hennepin County deal with loss of ash trees
 Trees grown in Hennepin County’s gravel-bed nursery at the adult corrections facility in Plymouth give the county access to healthy, diverse and cost-effective trees to use on county projects and properties. The nursery was established last year as part of the county’s efforts to prepare for the loss of about 1 million ash trees to the emerald ash borer. Learn more in the Star Tribune.
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Discussing environmental education for youth and actions we can take to protect the environment
Why is the county interested in improving environmental education for youth? How are we doing with recycling, and what can you do to protect water? Listen to Alisa Reckinger from Hennepin County Environment and Energy answer these questions and more on WCCO radio.
Purchase a compost bin
 Interested in backyard composting but don’t have a compost bin? Now is the time to get one! Hennepin County is selling compost bins to help you start composting your fruit and vegetable scraps and yard waste in your backyard. Bins are 3’ x 3’ x 3’, made of cedar and wire mesh, and cost $45.
Pre-order a compost bin for pick up at a distribution event. The final distribution event of 2016 is scheduled for Tuesday, September 20 from 5 - 7 p.m. at the Harvest Moon Co-op in Long Lake.
Compost bins are also for sale at the Hennepin County Drop-off Facility in Brooklyn Park during regular facility hours; no pre-order needed.
For more information, contact Kira Berglund at kira.berglund@hennepin.us or 612-596-1498.
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Join the conversation: envisioning the future of environmental education for youth
 Connecting youth to the natural world, helping them learn about environmental issues, and working with them to develop solutions is critical to prepare them for a world with increasingly complex environmental challenges.
Help Hennepin County understand how we can best support youth development and environmental education efforts by joining in a conversation to uncover the benefits of, barriers to, and effective strategies for engaging youth in environmental education.
Anyone interested in providing programs or services to youth, preparing them for the future, or protecting the environment is encouraged to attend.
Meetings are scheduled for:
- Thursday, September 15 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, 2522 Marshall St NE in Minneapolis
- Thursday, September 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brookdale Library in Brooklyn Center
- Thursday, September 29 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Brookdale Library in Brooklyn Center
Learn more and RSVP. Contact Alisa Reckinger at alisa.reckinger@hennepin.us or 612-348-4788 with any questions.
Minneapolis Zero Waste Plan: provide your input
The City of Minneapolis will be developing a Zero Waste Plan in 2016 focused on a set of strategies to move the city toward zero waste. The city is holding a series of meetings to get input, perspectives, ideas, and concerns from residents that will help inform the plan.
Meetings will be held:
- Single family households: Saturday, September 17 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth Ave N in Minneapolis
- Multifamily properties: Thursday, September 22 from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. at the Sabathani Community Center, 310 38th Street East in Minneapolis
- Commercial sector: Wednesday, September 28 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis
Learn more and RSVP. Contact Meleah Houseknecht at 612-334-3388 ext. 8104 with questions.
Fix-it Clinics
 Get free, guided assistance from handy volunteers on disassembling, troubleshooting and repairing small household appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and more at an upcoming Fix-It Clinic.
Upcoming Fix-It Clinics are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
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- Saturday, September 10 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Whittier Rec Center in Minneapolis
- Saturday, October 8, from noon to 4 p.m. at the St. Louis Park Rec Center
- Saturday, November 12, from noon to 4 p.m. at Wayzata City Hall
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.
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Collection events are held Thursday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. The final 2016 collection events are scheduled for:
- September 15 – 17 at the Public Works Garage in Minneapolis
- October 13 – 15 at the Public Works Site in Shorewood
Learn more about the event locations and materials accepted.
Minneapolis organics recycling training
Get your questions answered about the City of Minneapolis' organics recycling program at an upcoming training. The training will feature hands-on learning, demonstrations, and tips that make organics recycling easy. You can also learn about the city’s new recycling block leader program and get a free kitchen organics collection container. |
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Training sessions are scheduled for:
- Tuesday, September 27 from 6 – 8p.m. at Longfellow Park, 3435 36th Ave S
- Thursday, October 13 from 6 – 8 p.m. at Windom Park Northeast, 2251 Hayes St
RSVP is encouraged. Contact Laura Horner at laura.horner@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-3318 with questions.
Back to school is a great time to think about educating others about environmental issues and actions we can take to protect the environment. Hennepin County offers the following programs and resources to help people teach others about the environment.
Visit environmental education displays at Hennepin County libraries
 Two environmental education displays are rotating through various Hennepin County libraries. Displays focus on “wish-cycling” and protecting water.
The wish-cycling display will be at the Golden Valley Library until September 29 and at the Plymouth Library from September 29 – November 10.
The water quality display will be at the Nokomis Library until September 15, the Brooklyn Park Library from September 15 – October 20, and the Minneapolis Central Library from October 20 – November 17.
Teach others using the environmental education activity guides
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 Recently updated environmental education activity guides are now available on a variety of topics. Use the activity guides to become familiar with the environmental issues and engage others in taking action.
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Tour the Brooklyn Park Drop-off Facility
 The visitor center at the Brooklyn Park Drop-off Facility has been revamped to include interactive displays and informational posters. Tour curriculum has been created to teach to state education standards, offer different topics of concentration, and include more experiential components for visitors’ tours. Learn more and plan a tour.
Choose to Reuse for you back-to-school shopping
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 Hennepin County has partnered with 50 reuse retailers to offer Choose to Reuse coupons with discounts through October. Choosing to reuse is a great way to protect the environment while supporting local businesses and getting deals on quality back to school items.
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Go on an environmental education field trip
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