Green Notes June

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green notes

Schools use gardens and compost to teach students about the environment

Unique partnership brings pollinator garden to the Midtown Greenway

Pollinator garden on Midtown Greenway

In June, 125 students planted 15 honeycomb-shaped pollinator patch gardens at the county-owned Cepro site along the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis.

In addition to being a beautiful new resource along the greenway, the gardens will be a cornerstone for a new curriculum on the lifecycle of honeybees at Andersen United Community School.

Supported by a Hennepin County Green Partners environmental education grant, Pollinate Minnesota partnered with the county’s Midtown Community Works program and Andersen School to plant the new gardens. Other important partners in this collaboration included Harvest Moon Edible Landscapes, the City of Minneapolis COMB project, and Freewheel Midtown Bike Center. Be sure to check out the gardens on a bike ride this summer!

For more information, contact Crystal Myslajek, Midtown Community Works program manager, at midtowncw@hennepin.us or 612-348-4630.

Schools close the organics recycling loop

Throughout April and May, 39 schools participating in Hennepin County’s school organics recycling program closed the loop by planting gardens with compost made from food waste, napkins, and compostable products generated in their kitchens and cafeterias. The organic materials were collected in the fall and composted by The Mulch Store. By using compost in their flower, vegetable and pollinator gardens, students learn first-hand how their organics recycling efforts can replenish soils with vital nutrients.

West Education Center gardens

The ISD 287 West Education Center in Minnetonka used the compost in their on-site garden that supplies the cafeteria and student-run Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The garden produced more than 2 tons of fruits and vegetables in 2016, 1,400 pounds of which were served in the cafeteria and 2,800 pounds were distributed to staff and students through the CSA. The school also has an indoor aquaponics system and recently planted a fruit tree orchard.

For more information Kira Berglund at kira.berglund@hennepin.us or 612-596-1498.

New container-only option added to business recycling grants program

Business recycling bin set up

Hennepin County recently added a category to its business recycling grants program for businesses and organizations looking to make improvements to their recycling and organics recycling programs by getting new containers. Businesses and organizations can apply anytime for up to $2,500 to purchase containers, and the county provides a pre-approved list to make selecting containers easier.

This grant option helps businesses follow best practices for business recycling, including having color-coded, clearly labeled bins for recycling, organics recycling, and trash.

Business recycling grants awarded

The county recently awarded grants to 19 businesses and organizations to start or improve recycling and organics recycling programs. The grantees are a mix of apartment buildings, congregations, food production companies, grocery stores, hotels, non-profit organizations, office buildings, restaurants, and sports teams. See the list of recently awarded grants.

For more information, contact Andre Xiong at andre.x.xiong@hennepin.us or 612-543-1316.

We’re hiring contaminated lands specialists

Hennepin County is seeking two experienced environmental scientists to coordinate environmental assessment and cleanup activities at county project sites and provide administration and technical expertise for contaminated land cleanup grant and loan programs. The best qualified candidates will have a degree related to environmental science, health policy or engineering and at least five years of relevant experience. Applications will be accepted through July 5, 2017. Learn more and apply.

In the News

County programs and resources connect residents to the best disposal options for problematic household items

Hazardous waste drop-off event

Hennepin County provides a variety of resources and services to help residents find the best way to dispose of household items, including materials that contain hazardous materials. The county organizes collection events throughout the summer in addition to permanent drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park.

These services helped more than 106,000 people dispose of 6.2 million pounds of problem materials and hazardous waste in 2016. And resources like the Green Disposal Guide and green cleaning recipes booklet help residents find the best disposal options and reduce waste. Learn more in the Southwest Journal.

State program will use county model to fund cleanup of contaminated sites

When Project for Pride in Living was working to develop an old, unused industrial lot into an affordable housing complex in north Minneapolis, they used a $20,000 grant from Hennepin County to investigate potential environmental hazards on the site. The county’s grant program has been so successful at incentivizing businesses to redevelop brownfields sites that the state is modeling a new grant program supported by federal funding after the county’s program. The state aims to meet high demand for funding to assess and clean up contaminated property for redevelopment in historically underserved neighborhoods in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The funding will be available this fall. Read more in MinnPost.

Events

Explore innovative ways to grow trees on a gravel-bed nursery tour

Gravel bed nursery trees

Gravel-bed nurseries can be a cost-effective way to grow trees that have a better survival rate when transplanted than conventional nursery trees, and they can be implemented at varying scales. For example, Hennepin County's gravel-bed nursery can hold 1,500 trees that are planted along road and at facilities throughout the county, while the county has also worked with North High School to construct a gravel bed that holds 30 trees that students help plant on school grounds.

Learn from Hennepin County foresters about this innovative and cost-effective way of growing trees during a tour of the county's gravel-bed nursery on July 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Parker's Lake Golf Center in Plymouth. Topics covered will include how to construct a gravel-bed nursery, irrigation and watering needs, plant location, shady versus sunny sites, size of trees, and replanting trees out of gravel beds.

Everyone is welcome to attend, especially those from cities, watersheds, agencies and organizations involved with or interested in natural resources management and protection.

Carpooling is encouraged due to limited parking. You must RSVP for the tour by contacting Stacey Lijewski at stacey.lijewski@hennepin.us or 612-348-9938.

Hazardous waste collection events in July and August

Hennepin County will be hosting three hazardous waste collection events in July and August to provide residents a convenient opportunity to get rid of a variety of household hazardous wastes. Materials accepted include mercury-containing items, auto and fuel wastes, aerosols, paint, and more.

Events are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on:

  • Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29 at the Jenny Lind Elementary School, 5025 Bryant Ave N in Minneapolis (enter off Dupont Ave)
  • Friday, August 11 and Saturday, August 12 at the Anthony Middle School, 5757 Irving Ave N in Minneapolis (enter off Sunrise Drive)
  • Friday, August 18 and Saturday, August 19 at South High School, 3131 19th Ave S in Minneapolis (enter off 21st Ave S)

Field day: managing horse stables to protect water quality and animal health

The University of Minnesota Extension and Hennepin County are holding a free field day for horse enthusiasts to learn about designing and improving horse stables, manure handling and pasture facilities to reduce polluted runoff and make horse facility management easier. The event will be held at a horse stable where a number of projects - including clean water diversions, gutters, tiled waterway and composting facility - have been installed to improve drainage.

Join the learning, discussion and networking opportunity on Saturday, August 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Foxwood Farm, 15120 S Diamond Lake Rd in Dayton.

RSVP by July 31 to Karl Hakanson at khakanso@umn or 612.624.7948.

Green Tip: Continue your green habits during your red, white and blue celebrations

A change in routines, like taking some time to relax and enjoy the 4th of July with family and friends, doesn’t have to mean forgetting your efforts to go green. Here are some ways to protect the environment this holiday weekend.

Prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species

Aquatic invasive species action signs

If you’re spending time at a lake, remember to take steps to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species like zebra mussels and Eurasian watermilfoil. Clean all visible plants, insects and animals from boats, trailers, docks, and other water-related equipment before leaving the water access or shore. Drain water-related equipment such as motors and portable bait containers, and remove drain plugs to drain bilge, livewell and baitwell water. Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.

Buy firewood where you plan to burn it

If your plans require firewood, remember to buy or get firewood when you arrive at your destination. Invasive tree pests like the emerald ash borer can spread more rapidly when infested wood is transported.

Host a green gathering

With all the food, packaging, decorations and giveaways, celebrations of any size can generate a lot of waste. But fortunately there are a lot of easy steps you can take to make your summer picnic or party low-waste. Consider eliminating as many disposable items as possible, carefully planning your menu and what you’ll do with leftovers, finding decorations you can reuse, and making sure you have well-labeled recycling containers for guests. See the green party checklist for more ideas.

Plan a low-waste camping trip

Low-waste camping

Whether you’re going to be car camping or taking an extended backpacking trip, plan ahead to reduce waste at every step. Find tips to reduce packaging waste, prevent food waste, and use reusables instead of disposables.

Contact us

612-348-3777

environment@hennepin.us

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