- Reminder to attend the next Hennepin County environmental education network meeting.
- Job posting at Hennepin County and where to post job opportunities.
- Grant opportunities for environmental justice and energy efficiency
- Professional development and education opportunities including a social media webinar, environmental education guidelines for excellence training, aquatic invasive species training, Rivers Institute, and NAAEE call for presentations.
- Upcoming Green Partner grantee events hosted by Longfellow Community Council.
 Thursday, March 23 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Hear from a panel of organizations conducting adult environmental education programs. Learn about how their programs are structured (virtual, in-person, or hybrid), how they recruit adult participants, and success stories. There will also be time for attendees to ask panelists questions.
Panelists include:
- Alex Van Loh and Kris Meyer from Freshwater representing the Minnesota Water Stewards and Adopt-a-River
- Kaitlin Keller from Hennepin County representing Community Recycling Ambassadors
- Kate Hersey from the Minnesota Tool Library
We’re hiring: Conservation Specialist
Hennepin County is hiring a Conservation Specialist who will be responsible for helping to launch a new partnership between the county, numerous watershed organizations, and cities and then implementing water quality projects, water education programs, and community engagement opportunities.
Applications are being accepted through Thursday, March 23. Learn more and apply.
Share job opportunities in the Hennepin County environmental education Facebook group
We are entering the season where there will be a lot of hiring for seasonal and year-round positions in environmental education. Spread the word about positions at your organization, or find jobs to apply for, in the Hennepin County environmental education Facebook group.
U.S. EPA environmental justice collaborative problem-solving grants
Funding is available for projects that support community-based nonprofit organizations in their collaboration with other stakeholders to develop solutions that significantly address environmental or public health issues in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms.
Projects must address one of the following five broad categories:
- Community-led air and other pollution monitoring, prevention, and remediation, and investments in low- and zero-emission and resilient technologies and related infrastructure and workforce development that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants
- Mitigating climate and health risks from urban heat islands, extreme heat, wood heater emissions, and wildfire events
- Climate resiliency and adaptation
- Reducing indoor toxins and indoor air pollution
- Facilitating engagement of marginalized communities in local, state and federal public processes, such as advisory groups, workshops, and rulemakings
Applications are due April 14. Learn more and apply.
Financing available for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at commercial buildings
Commercial buildings can reduce their carbon footprint and improve their bottom line by making energy efficiency upgrades such as new windows, lights, or HVAC systems, or by investing in renewable energy.
Office buildings, buildings owned by nonprofit organizations, places of worship, manufacturing facilities, and multifamily housing properties are all eligible.
Hennepin County works with MinnPACE to offer an innovative financing tool that allows property owners to invest in energy efficiency and/or renewable energy upgrades with no upfront costs. Payments are rolled into a special tax assessment made payable twice a year for up to 20 years as part of the building owner’s property taxes. Utility savings exceed payment obligations, making investments cash-positive for property owners and tenants.
Learn more about how MinnPACE works and how to get a project started.
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Minnesota Materials Exchange
The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program has an online Materials Exchange that is open to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and institutions, including schools. This is a free service that links organizations that have reusable goods they no longer need to those who can use them. Items can be listed for free or for a fee.
Use the site to post items they no longer need and to source materials that would be useful. Learn more and sign up to use the Materials Exchange.
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More than a like: building your social media strategy webinar
Wednesday, March 22 from 2 to 3 p.m.
 Join the North American Association for Environmental Education for an interactive webinar about building your social media strategy. You will learn tips about creating engaging content, connecting with your community, and tracking and measuring the impact of your efforts. Learn more and register.
Environmental education guidelines for excellence training
Saturday, April 22 at Dodge Nature Center in St. Paul
 Join Bora Simmons, North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) director of National Project for Excellence, for a deep dive into NAAEE's Guidelines for Excellence in environmental education.This is a good fit if you implement or integrate environmental education programming with K-12 students or want to lead your own trainings. Cost per half day training ranges from $20 to $30.
Two half-day workshops available
- K-12 environmental education workshop (9 to 11:30 a.m.)
- Train-the-trainer workshop (1 to 5 p.m.)
Learn more and register.
Aquatic invasive species detectors training
 Hennepin County is hosting two free aquatic invasive species (AIS) detector course options this spring. The course is an introduction to AIS science, identification, and surveillance. You will learn how to identify and report invasive species, best practices for preventing the spread of AIS, relevant rules and regulations, and how to search for AIS on your own.
This course consists of two portions: a self-paced online course and an in-person workshop with the instructors. The self-paced online course takes approximately 8 hours to complete and must be completed prior to the in-person workshop.
In-person workshop options:
- Friday, May 5 in Minneapolis from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday, May 12 in Wayzata from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learn more and register.
NAAEE 2023 call for presentations
The call for presentations for the North American Association of Environmental Education’s 52nd Annual Conference in October is now open. The conference will be a virtual gathering with renewed emphasis on building connection and community across varying backgrounds, perspectives, and ideas. Together, we can build a sustainable future where everyone thrives.
The submission deadline is May 5. Learn more and submit proposals.
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2023 Rivers Institute
Join Hamline University's Center for Global Environmental Education in-person this summer for their acclaimed Rivers Institute: a free, three-day, field-based professional development opportunity for educators.
The Rivers Institute is designed to increase teachers' science content knowledge and investigation skills and help area educators translate their professional experiences into meaningful, engaging classroom investigations. Educators receive continuing education credits and have the option to purchase two graduate credits at a reduced rate.
The Mississippi River Institute will be held in Minneapolis and St. Paul from July 24 to 26. Additional institutes are planned in Duluth, MN and New Orleans, LA.
Learn more and apply to attend.
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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.
Longfellow Community Council reclaims the outdoors
Step one: Build benches
Saturday, March 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Build benches from recycled and reclaimed wood that will be installed in the greater Longfellow and Seward neighborhoods. Join in at Better Futures for the first part of this exciting project. Black, Indigenous, and people of color are highly encouraged to sign up, but all are welcome! Sign up to build a bench. |
Step two: Paint benches
Saturday, March 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Artists from Black Table Arts will lead participants through the bench painting process with an emphasis on telling stories of the Black, Indigenous, and people of color community through art. Two hours of painting will be required from each participant. These benches will be installed throughout our community. Sign up to paint a bench. |
Step three: Join a bird walk
April through June
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