Minnesota GreenCorps March Monthly News

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PROGRAM UPDATE

It’s time for mid-term performance evaluations! Evaluations are a mutual exchange of information, highlighting member strengths and identifying areas for improvement. Members should complete the self-assessment and supervisors should complete the performance evaluation and submit by the end of the month.

The 2022-2023 MN GreenCorps host site application closes on March 22! Please continue spreading the word with eligible organizations including public entities, educational institutions, tribal nations, and nonprofits. The MN GreenCorps host site application and associated materials are available on the Minnesota GreenCorps website. Please direct questions to mngreencorps.pca@state.mn.us.

MEMBER PROJECTS

Air Pollutant Reduction, Abby Hornberger: Great Plains Institute (Minneapolis)
Project: Provide research, create resources, and conduct outreach, education, and technical assistance to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, working to reduce barriers for rural communities, lower-income communities, and people of color.
When not serving, “I enjoy going on hikes, volunteering and organizing, going to concerts, finding local plant based eats, and exercising.”

Community Readiness & Outreach, Sydney Stock: Concordia College (Moorhead)
Project: Increase community commitment to environmental sustainability and climate resilience by enabling Concordia College to contribute to the work of the Moorhead Community Resilience Project and collaborate more deeply with the city of Moorhead.
When not serving, “I'm either painting, playing Minecraft, or bee bopping around downtown Fargo.”

Green infrastructure Improvements, Alanna Elder: Mississippi Park Connection (St. Paul)
Project: Develop relationships with land managing partners, perform surveys and tree inventories, help develop educational curriculum, and engage volunteers in urban forestry initiatives within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.
When not serving, “I love exploring the biking/hiking trails around the Twin Cities, trying new recipes, and watching the cat do her thing. I also help mix audio for a radio show on Wyoming Public Radio.”

Waste Reduction, Recycling, and Organics Management, Trygg Sponheim: City of Morris
Project: Help create a sustainable and efficient organics waste collection program by increasing local participation.
When not serving, “I spend my free time baking, watching birds, playing games, and reading whatever the featured article is on Wikipedia.”

UPCOMING TRAININGS

March 18, 1:00-2:00pm: Supporting Youths Involvement in Environmental Education - Virtual, Free
Learn about the role young people can play in environmental education and conservation with Laurene Hamilton, CEO of the Greening Youth Foundation.

March 19, 10:00am-2:00pm: A Social Justice Teach-In on Abolition and Environmental Justice - Virtual, Free
Find out how you can promote social justice in your service by attending this year's Liberation Lab event, hosted by the Interreligious Task Force on Central America.

March 24, 8:00am-4:00pm: Wild Rivers Forestry Conference - Virtual, $40
Join this all-day conference to learn about sustainable forest management, soil regeneration, diversity and inclusion, and more!

March 30, 2:00-3:00pm: MPCA March Air Issues Seminar – Virtual, Free
Life and Breath update from David Bael and Kathy Raleigh with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

March 31, 7:00pm: Organics Recycling Made Easy - Virtual, Free
Learn tips and tricks for organics recycling at home that you can share with your community!

AMERICORPS UPDATES 

AmeriCorps Week (March 13-19) is a celebration of all things AmeriCorps – from the programs and organizations that make this national service initiative possible in communities across the country, to the members who have pledged to “Get Things Done.” Join us as we celebrate the impact of our programs!

Ways to celebrate AmeriCorps week:

• Celebrate members! Say, ‘thank you’ to an AmeriCorps member and/or give an #AmeriThanks to an AmeriCorps member or alum on social media.
• Share videos, photos, and posts on your personal or host site social media about your service during AmeriCorps week and throughout the month of March.
• Share videos, photos, posts, quotes or testimonials with the communications committee to broadcast via MN GreenCorps social media.
• Spread the word about AmeriCorps. Encourage your networks to learn more and share ways they can get involved in national service.

AmeriCorps released the 2022 National Service Reports showing the scope of AmeriCorps’ presence throughout the nation with programs in more than 40,000 locations spanning urban, rural, and tribal communities. We are delighted that Minnesota made the top five states, receiving the fourth most AmeriCorps funding in 2021! Last year, more than 14,100 Americans united to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and expand opportunity through service in Minnesota. AmeriCorps members served at more than 2,400 locations across the state, helping communities impacted by COVID-19, connecting veterans to services, fighting the opioid epidemic, helping seniors live independently, rebuilding communities after disasters, and leading conservation and climate change efforts.

MN GREENCORPS HAPPENINGS

MN GreenCorps member George has been helping the City of Duluth research where in the community green infrastructure would be most effective at improving water quality and increasing community resilience. George is utilizing a geospatial approach to identify over 17-million square feet of potential sites to install green infrastructure. This mapping project will allow the city to envision specific green and gray infrastructure improvement projects to enhance community stormwater resilience. “The City of Duluth and the beautiful North Shore of Lake Superior hold a very essential place in my heart.” George said, “I have greatly appreciated the chance to contribute my technical knowledge for the purpose of improving water quality in the greatest Great Lake in the world.” An illustration of this process near Duluth’s Irving Park is pictured.

The Watershed, a weekly podcast featuring stories from We Are Water MN, is now available. The podcast is created by MN GreenCorps member Megan, serving at the MPCA. In her episodes, Megan highlights themes found in the stories collected by We Are Water MN during the 2020/2021 tour and poses interesting questions for listeners to consider about their own relationship with water. Find it wherever you find your podcasts. Subscribe and follow along!

Congratulations to MN GreenCorps host site supervisor and City of Minneapolis Recycling Coordinator Kellie Kish for being named US Composting Council Volunteer of the Year. Kish is the founder of the Minnesota Composting Council and has served on its board since its foundation in 2012. She also serves as a co-chair of the USCC Target Organics Committee, is a member of the USCC Strategic Alliance Committee, and is a BPI Composter and Municipality Member.

RANDOM FACTOID

Words have power, and that power can inspire action. If you are searching for the right words to inspire action, check out these 40 inspirational quotes about the importance of volunteerism, including this gem from Gandhi.

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