Recycle Smart - know what goes in your recycling cart

New campaign focuses on the most important items to keep out of your recycling cart

Recycling has been in the news a lot lately due to shifts in markets and international policy changes. This has left many Minnesotans wondering what is happening to the recycling placed in their bins, and what they can do now to support recycling.

First of all, know that your recycling is getting recycled. Most recycling collected in Minnesota is processed through local and regional markets, and overall Minnesotans are good recyclers with relatively low contamination rates (the amount of stuff placed in the recycling that can’t actually be recycled).

Recycle Smart – know what goes in your recycling cart

The best thing you can do to support recycling is to make sure know what can be recycled and keep stuff that isn’t accepted out.

To raise awareness about the importance of recycling the right stuff, Hennepin County, in partnership with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, has developed the a new Recycle Smart campaign. The campaign will focus on important items to keep out of your recycling cart, such as plastic bags, large plastic items, and random metal items.

Spread the word

We’ve got an article and social media posts and images to help you encourage your audiences to Recycle Smart.

Celebrate Arbor Day with these fantastic resources!

Books to help teach about trees

Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story From Africa, By: Jeanette Winter

This is the true story of Wangari Maathai, environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. This book shows a real example of environmental action and its impacts. It leads readers to explore questions about what they can do to protect the environment and explorations about the importance of trees.

• Digital book reading
  
  

The Giving Tree, By: Shel Silverstein

Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy. This story is of a tree and the different uses of trees by humans. It is also about relationships, and leads readers to explore questions about natural resource management and friendship.

• The Giving Tree Activity Booklet
• Discussion questions
• Animated book reading
  
  

The Lorax, By: Dr. Seuss

This rhyming story introduces readers to the impacts of consumerism, forest removal, and the importance of taking action to protect the environment. The light language and colorful illustrations present these heavy topics in an approachable format.

• Lorax film and book activities
• Lorax (original) film
• Digital book reading

Activities and curriculum about trees and Arbor Day 

A Teacher’s Guide Arbor Month by the Minnesota DNR  This guide makes it easier than ever to integrate knowledge about trees, shrubs, plants, and the natural world into your regular curriculum. Find the guide here.

Trees are Good educational activities by the International Society of Arboriculture

These activities include detailed write-ups for in the classroom, online resources, and activities for working within your community. Find the activities here.

Games and activities by The Arbor Day Foundation

These resources include digital resources touching on tree id, photosynthesis, tree lifecycles, and other tree-related topics. There are also printable activity sheets. Find the digital and printable resources here.

Arbor Day in the Classroom by The Morton Arboretum

This resource includes activities specialized by age group, with offerings for children grades Pre-K-12^th. Some activities include: tree planting, tree identification, language arts tree activities, and tree census. Find the activities here.

Join the Earth Action Challenge

Celebrate Earth Day by taking eight actions in eight days to protect the environment

The Earth Action Challenge started on Monday, April 15, but there’s still time to join! Every day in the week leading up to Earth Day, we’re focusing on an action that you can take to protect the environment and connect you with resources to help you take that action.

How to participate 

• Sign up at www.hennepin.us/earth-action-challenge
• You’ll receive a daily email with additional tips and links to helpful resources for taking action.
• Follow Hennepin County Environment’s Facebook and Twitter pages #EarthActionChallenge

Nation’s largest adopt-a-drain program launches in the Twin Cities

Residents in the metro area can help protect area lakes, rivers, and wetlands by adopting a local storm drain and committing to keep it clear of leaves, grass clippings, trash, and other debris through the changing seasons. The simple act of sweeping up around storm drains protects local lakes and rivers by preventing pollution from entering our shared waterways. The program is coordinated by Clean Water MN, a coalition of local agencies and organizations that Hennepin County is a member of working together to inspire people to take action to protect water. Sign up to adopt a storm drain at adopt-a-drain.org. Simply create an account with your name and address to claim your storm drain. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive tips on how to clean up safely.

Adopt-a-drain and stormwater runoff teaching resources

The protecting land and water section (PDF) of the Hennepin County environmental education activity guides includes numerous activities to teach your audiences about stormwater runoff and the importance of programs like adopt-a-drain.

Activities include:

• Where in the watershed: Identify your watershed and explore how water resources are all connected.
• Rain gauge monitoring: Collect data on the amount of rain that falls and report back to the State Office of Climatology
• Maintain your drain: Instructions for cleaning out storm drains
• Storm drain detectives: Explore how water flows over a landscape and into storm drains that flow directly into local bodies of water

Applications for environmental education grants due May 6

Applications for the 2019 round of Hennepin County environmental education grants are being accepted now through 3 p.m. on Monday, May 6.

Grantees receive funding and support to actively educate, engage and motivate residents to become environmental stewards and take environmentally friendly actions. Grants are awarded in two groups: adult environmental action and youth environmental education.

An in-person information session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, 2522 Marshall St NE in Minneapolis.

Learn more and apply.

For more information, contact Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.

Events and training opportunities

Hennepin County environmental education network training:

Integrating behavior change into environmental education programs

• Thursday, May 9
• 1 to 3:00 p.m.
• Washburn Library, meeting room, 5244 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419 (Map)

Learn how to plan programs around proven approaches to get your partners and participants to change their actions. This will be a deep dive into barriers, strategies, and the journey of behavior change. Hear examples of how Hennepin County environmental education and outreach staff have been using the psychology of behavior change to meet environmental, program and outreach goals. Come ready to participate, learn, start to plan applications for your work, and have fun networking with others working in environmental education in the county.

RSVP

Networking meetings are open to the public. Please fill out our RSVP form by May 6 to reserve your spot at the meeting. 

Earth Day and Arbor Day events

To help you celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day, we’ve compiled a list of about 60 events happening throughout Hennepin County in April and May. First up is the Minneapolis Earth Day Cleanup on Saturday, April 20. There’s also cleanup events happening in Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Crystal, Eden Prairie, Hopkins, St. Louis Park. Arbor Day celebrations are being held in Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Minneapolis, Richfield, and St. Louis Park. The events wrap up with Hennepin County’s spring tree planting along Hiawatha Avenue on Saturday, May 18. Find an event near you.

National Environmental Education Week 

Join the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) in the nation's largest celebration of environmental education - National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) - from April 22 through April 26. This year, NEEF is launching the “Greening STEM” toolkit, which teaches educators how to use the natural environment and real-world challenges to engage learners and deliver high-quality STEM education. Visit NEEFusa.org/EEWeek and register to get updated educational EE resources, toolkits and reading lists.

Natural resources partnership forum featuring an interactive display on the Mississippi River

The next Hennepin Natural Resources Partnership Forum will be Tuesday, April 23 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Ridgedale Library.

The forum will feature a presentation on an interactive education display developed by Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education that tells the story of culture and conservation on the Mississippi River from the headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico. Get an overview of the tool and see firsthand how easy it is to collect user data, then explore other ways this tool could be used. Learn more and RSVP.

2019 hazardous waste collection events

Hennepin County hosts collection events across the county throughout the spring and fall to provide residents with a convenient option to get rid of household hazardous waste. A variety of items are accepted at collection events including paint, aerosols, cleaners, mercury thermostats, and much more. There are six collection events scheduled in 2019 throughout Hennepin County from May to September. Each event is held on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Spread the word: article and social media posts (DOCX); events flyer (PDF); images: box of hazardous waste (JPG), hazardous products on a shelf (JPG), man looking at hazardous products on shelf (JPG)

City cleanup events

This spring, cities across Hennepin County are holding cleanup events to make spring cleaning more convenient. City cleanup events offer residents a chance to get rid of hard-to-dispose items such as old furniture, exercise equipment, appliances, electronics, and more.

Cities offer either curbside service or drop-off sites. See if your city is holding a clean-up event, and be sure to check with your city for details about what’s accepted and other guidelines.

Citizen scientists needed to monitor wetlands

Want to wade in, learn how to monitor plants and bugs and do something for the environment? Volunteer with the Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP). Join us for a WHEP information night Monday, May 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Hennepin County Library—Ridgedale, Minnetonka. Attendance is required to register as a 2019 WHEP volunteer. Questions? Contact Mary Karius, Hennepin County WHEP coordinator, mary.karius@hennepin.us or go to the find out more here.

Help plant trees on Hiawatha Avenue

Help beautify the Hiawatha corridor! Join us for a community tree planting to plant more than 100 trees along the bike path. The tree planting will take place on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to noon on Hiawatha Avenue between 38th Street and 46th Street in Minneapolis. No experience is necessary. Hennepin County foresters will provide all the tools and instruction on how to plant trees. This is a family friendly event. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. RSVP to Shane DeGroy at shane.degroy@hennepin.us or by calling 612-543-3697.

City Nature Challenge on the Refuge

Saturday, April 27 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bloomington Education and Visitor Center 3815 American Blvd. East, Bloomington 55425 From April 26 - 29, more than 70 cities around the world will compete in the annual City Nature Challenge to prove that their area has the most nature - and the most nature-loving residents.  Of course, the Twin Cities wants to win. Drop in at the Bloomington Visitor Center between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to get help recording and identifying all the cool things you see on refuge trails to add to our Twin Cities records. For questions, contact Biologist Nicole Menard at Nicole_Menard@fws.gov or 952-858-0716.

St. Louis Park Gardener's Swap

Monday, May 6, 2019
5 to 7 p.m.
Municipal Service Center
7305 Oxford St. St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55426

Looking to add variety to your perennial garden? Have extra vegetable seedlings you don’t have space for? Realize you’ll never use all those trowels? Join the City of St. Louis Park for the first Gardener’s Swap! The event is free and open to all.

For more information, view the city calendar.

Robbinsdale ECFE Earth Day kids' stuff garage sale

Saturday, April 27, 2019 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. New Hope Learning Center 8301 47th Ave N, New Hope, MN 55428

•  Large-selection of baby/kid items--clothing, toys, books, games, baby furniture, strollers, swings, outdoor play equipment, maternity.
•  $3/adult suggested donation at the door goes directly to the Scholarship Fund supported by Early Childhood.
•  Activities include planting, bug exploration, sorting, and more!
•  Sellers are families from surrounding communities.

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