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Hennepin County offers tours at the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station for both adults and kids. During the 1.5-hour tour, participants will learn about how the transfer station manages waste, participate in fun and interactive activities, and get a behind-the-scenes walking tour of the facility. They will also learn about the importance of reducing waste, reusing items, and recycling to help protect the environment.
Tour requirements:
- Groups can range from 5 to 28 participants
- Participants must be 7 years of age or older
- One adult chaperone is required for every 5 youth in grades 2 to 8
- One adult chaperone is required for every 10 youth in grades 9 to 12
 Minnesota State Education Standards and additional activities
Youth tours have been linked with Minnesota State Education Standards for science, math, and social studies. Optional activities have been developed by Hennepin County for groups to do before and after their tours.
Transportation assistance available
Groups of 25 or more participants can request bus funding through Hennepin County to their tour. Complete the bus reservation request form to request transportation for your tour.
Virtual training: Funding your environmental education program
Thursday, February 23 from 3 to 4 p.m.
 Join the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for a virtual training to learn how to fund your environmental education programs. The presenter, Camille Zanoni, is an environmental educator with over 15 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, including major donor fundraising, planned giving, endowment building, and donor engagement. Register to attend.
Grants to purchase sports equipment and build or improve playgrounds or nature play areas
Funding is available to cities, park districts, and public school districts to create, expand, or improve athletic or recreational facilities and to purchase new equipment. The funds are part of the Hennepin Youth Sports Program and are administered through the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. All awards are via reimbursement. Applications are due by Friday, March 17. Learn more and apply.
Grants from Food and Farm Communications Fund
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These grants support the work of community organizations, strategists, and media makers who tell stories about the food justice movement. Organizations working on climate justice, racial equity, and food justice are encouraged to apply. Grants will range from $20,000 to $50,000 for one-year awards and up to $75,000 for two-year awards. Applications are due by Friday, March 10. Learn more and apply. |
Boost your organization’s recycling and organics efforts with free bins and compostable bags
 Hennepin County is offering free resources and support to small businesses and nonprofit organizations to start or enhance their recycling and organic waste recycling programs. Select up to $3,000 worth of containers and compostable bags from the county's product list to help you get started. Check out the grant guidelines (PDF) and flyer (PDF) for details on container and bag options.
Start the application process now!
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until Monday, November 13, 2023, or until funding is exhausted, whichever occurs first. Visit the business recycling web page to learn more begin the process to get your bins and compostable bags.
Fish art contest from the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer
Photo credit: Wildlife Forever
Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine, in partnership with Wildlife Forever, is hosting the Minnesota Fish Art Contest for students in grades K-12. Students should submit their entry by Tuesday, February 28. Contest details.
Schoolyard Gardens Conference
Friday, March 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska
School gardens provide an incomparable, hands-on opportunity for students to meet academic standards, engage with community partners, learn about agriculture and healthy eating, and connect with natural systems. Whether you are a beginner or schoolyard garden veteran, attend this in person conference to learn innovative strategies for building, sustaining, and engaging everyone in a thriving schoolyard garden. Learn more and register.
Cost: $100 to 115 and includes Arboretum admission and lunch.
Practical water wisdom: a virtual learning series
First Thursday of every month from noon to 1 p.m. through November 2023
Join this free monthly lunch hour series offered by Itasca Waters to learn from experts in their field and hear about actions you can bring back to your classroom to encourage your students to protect water.
Register for upcoming trainings.
Maadagindan! Ojibwe book club for young readers
This online book club is for parents, teachers, educators, and anyone who loves to read to children. All the children’s literature featured focuses on the Great Lakes and Ojibwe culture. A discussion guide and virtual discussion opportunity is included with each book.
Upcoming meetings:
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- Wednesday, March 15: Keeshig & the Ojibwe Pterodactyls
- Wednesday, April 12: We Are Water Protectors
- Wednesday, May 10: Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults
Learn more and register for an upcoming meeting.
Climate concepts fit for your classroom
Wednesday, April 12 from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m.
 This online workshop offered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is for high school science teachers, college faculty, and anyone who wants to better understand the science behind climate change. Learn about changes in the Earth’s climate, how our activities affect climate change, the responsibility we have to act, and ways you can bring this knowledge into your classroom.
Workshop facilitators will demonstrate how to use climate science concepts as a context for the topics already in your courses. Participants will explore how incorporating climate science in your classroom extends to community effects. Attendees will receive a certificate of completion.
Learn more and register for this free training.
The following organizations received a Hennepin County Green Partners grant. The grants provide training, support, and funding to organizations to implement projects that engage residents to learn about, protect, and improve the environment.
Altlawns Richfield-Bloomington winter seed sowing workshop
Saturday, February 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oak Grove Lutheran Church, 7045 Lyndale Ave S, Richfield
Learn how to grow native plants (including vegetables) from seed in the winter. Get ready to add habitat for birds, bees, and other beneficial insects to your yard this spring by starting your seeds now! This workshop will also teach you how having native plants can increase the yield of your vegetable garden by attracting pollinators. This is a hands-on and family-friendly class.
Spanish interpretation will be available during the event. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be available if requested in advance. Email altlawns@gmail.com to request ASL interpretation.
Learn more and register.
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Beloved community youth supply drive with Organic Oneness
Saturday, February 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bahá’í Center, 3644 Chicago Avenue S, Minneapolis
Meet the south Minneapolis youth from Organic Oneness and drop off supplies to fuel their work in the community. As part of their Green Partners project, the youth have been tending beehives, planting pollinator-friendly flowers, bushes, and trees, learning about local food systems through organic gardening, and beautifying streets and alleyways through planting gardens and cleaning out storm drains.
What supplies are most needed?
- Non-perishable snacks
- Canning jars
- Children and teen books
Youth Climate Justice Summit at the State Capitol with Climate Generation
Thursday, March 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, St Paul
Join high schoolers from Climate Generation’s YEA! MN at the Minnesota State Capitol for a day of action, learning, and a chance to participate directly in government. This event is led by youth, for youth! The summit is designed for high school students, but all ages are welcome to attend. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with climate justice activists from across Minnesota and discuss how to make change in your community.
Learn more and register.
Michael Chaney of Project Sweetie Pie receives Climate Justice Leadership award
Congratulations to Michael Chaney of Project Sweetie Pie for winning the Climate Justice Leadership award from the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership! Chaney founded Project Sweetie Pie to engage stakeholders in grassroots initiatives to address issues of structural racism and equity, advocate for community-led green restorative development, and coordinate youth-led/youth-fed green initiatives and other gardening and urban farming operations.
The Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership Award celebrates exceptional achievements in leadership, education, research, policies, and practices that improve resilience or climate justice through the development, advancement, or implementation of climate adaptation strategies. The award celebrates the success and showcases the actions and leadership of our peers to help accelerate climate adaptation across Minnesota.
Congrats, Michael!
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Learn more
hennepin.us/environmentaleducation
Environmental education network Facebook group
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