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In this issue
Welcome
to the April issue of the NextStep e-newsletter.
We
also are continuing to post and update resources on the NextStep web
site in an ongoing manner, and welcome your suggestions and inquiries.
To contact us, please send messages to nextstep@state.mn.us (instead of replying to this message)
Thanks for your interest!
-- Erin Barnes-Driscoll and Paul Moss, NextStep newsletter co-editors
While the Living Green Expo is not being held in 2013, there are a number of other events that will provide opportunities for those interested in the environment and sustainability to meet with exhibitors and to learn about environment-related topics (see http://www.livinggreenexpo.mn/the-expo/ for links to some of these events)
MN Goes Green is a free event being held on May 18, 2013 at the Union Depot in downtown St. Paul.
To learn more about MN Goes Green, see http://www.mngoesgreen.com/ or read the text below which is adapted from this web site:
Don’t miss MN Goes Green, a free event created to educate the public on how to incorporate simple, practical, sustainable and fun ideas into your everyday life. Filled with interactive entertainment and educational activities for young and old, MN Goes Green has something for everyone as we strive for a greener tomorrow.
* Learn how to buy and eat local
* Engage with sustainable fashion pioneers
* Create and demonstrate your “green” invention
* Discover new transportation options – electric cars and more
* Gardening tips to maximize your yield and minimize your impact on our earth
* See and buy eco-friendly products and services
Saturday, May 18, 2013
9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The Saint Paul Union Depot
214 4th St East in downtown Saint Paul
Sponsored by Xcel Energy, Innovative Energy Solutions, Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op, Metro Transit, Sol Inspirations, CounterCouture, University of Minnesota College of Design, Fixity and the St. Paul Farmer’s Market.
www.pca.state.mn.us/mngreencorps
The following text is adapted from a MPCA press release:
Minnesota GreenCorps is now recruiting hosts
and Americorp members for the upcoming program year.
Minnesota GreenCorps is an AmeriCorps program that the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA) started in 2009. AmeriCorps is a national service program
that helps communities with a wide variety of challenges.
Goals of the Minnesota GreenCorps program include reducing solid waste and
increasing recycling in communities; reducing greenhouse gases and other air
pollutants; reducing stormwater runoff and improving water quality; and
training new environmental professionals.
In the first four years of the Minnesota GreenCorps program, over 100
AmeriCorps members were placed in positions with cities, counties, school
districts, universities and nonprofit organizations. These AmeriCorps members
successfully increased recycling and reduced waste at participating sites and
K-12 schools, benchmarked energy data and implemented energy-saving measures in
government-owned buildings, and educated citizens on ways to reduce their
impact on the environment. They also mobilized hundreds of volunteers in
community service projects that helped improve or protect the environment.
Whether they are just out of college or contemplating a career change,
Minnesota GreenCorps presents opportunities for individuals to gain experience
in the environmental field.
Luke Hanson, a Living Green Outreach member with Cycles for Change in St.
Paul, said, “Through GreenCorps, I am able to directly impact the communities I
live and serve in, empowering them to become more ecologically and economically
sustainable. I am able to connect with neighborhood organizations and local
community members, and build professional relationships that are as educational
as they are purposeful.”
The next Minnesota GreenCorps program year will begin this September and lasts for 11 months.
Available positions are in the areas of: energy conservation, waste prevention,
living green (including local foods, living green outreach, and active transportation/air quality), and green infrastructure (including stormwater and urban forestry).
Applications to be a host site are due
May 6, and applications to become a GreenCorps member are due June 7, 2013.
Members receive a living stipend, offer of health insurance, and receive an education award after they complete their 11 month service.
For more information on Minnesota GreenCorps, see the web site above or email the MPCA’s Karen Solas, Minnesota GreenCorps Coordinator,
at karen.solas@state.mn.us
http://metrocouncil.org/News-Events/Planning/Events/Thrive-MSP-2040-Roundtable-Meetings-begin-in-April.aspx
The following text is adapted from the Metropolitan Council web site above:
Thrive MSP 2040 is the Twin Cities
region’s long-range planning effort. This plan will provide a regional
vision for the 7-county metropolitan area for the next 30 years.
In 2012, more than 1,100 people attended Thrive
MSP meetings to share their visions and ideas about how our region
should develop over the next 30 years.
The Council is now seeking additional input from community leaders, elected officials, and the general public on four key areas:
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Regionally Significant Economic Places
-
Water Supply
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Land Use and Transit
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Affordable Housing
Community members are invited to join in roundtable discussion to examine these issues. Attendees at
each meeting will have the opportunity to discuss two of the four issue
areas in small groups. Join in to discuss whichever issues you're
passionate about. Bring your unique perspective to the table.
Please RSVP at the web site above if you plan to attend. Those who can't join one of the meetings are invited to join the online discussion at the Your Ideas website at http://yourideas.metrocouncil.org/
Remaining meetings are:
Eagan: April 30, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
St. Paul: May 4, 10 a.m. to noon
Shoreview: May 9, 6 to 8 p.m.
Minneapolis: May 16, 6 to 8 p.m.
For more details, see the web site above.
http://landstewardshipproject.org/stewardshipfood/csa
The following text is adapted from the Land Stewardship Project web site above:
At their most fundamental level, Community Supported Agriculture farms provide a weekly delivery of sustainably grown produce to consumers during the growing season (approximately June to October). Those consumers, in turn, pay a subscription fee. But CSA consumers don’t so much “buy” food from particular farms as become “members” of those farms. CSA operations provide more than just food; they offer ways for eaters to become involved in the ecological and human community that supports the farm.
The farms listed in this directory have paid a fee to the Land Stewardship Project to be included. The Land Stewardship Project is not a certification agency for Community Supported Agriculture farms and does not guarantee customer satisfaction.
To download a free PDF copy of the approximately 88-page 2013 Edition of the Twin Cities, Minnesota & Western Wisconsin Region Community Supported Agriculture Farm Directory - which lists dozens of CSA farms, see the web site above.
This web site also contains a web-based listing of CSA farms.
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/duyxcyy
The following text is modified from a MPCA press release at the web site above:
Do you live near a lake or stream in Minnesota, or visit one regularly?
If so, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) needs your help. Join more than 1,400 Minnesotans who track the health of their favorite lake or stream through the Citizen Lake Monitoring Program or the Citizen Stream Monitoring Program.
These volunteers measure water clarity in their lake or stream weekly throughout the summer months, using simple equipment provided by the MPCA. Water clarity, or transparency, is an important indicator of the health of a lake or stream. The MPCA uses water clarity data to track water quality trends and to make decisions on watershed protection and restoration. For some lakes and streams, data collected by volunteers are the only data available, making this work very valuable.
Some volunteers have participated in the MPCA’s water monitoring program for over 35 years. Long-term volunteers report that monitoring has given them a new way of learning about the lake or stream they love, and volunteers enjoy sharing their knowledge with neighbors who also care about clean water.
To become a volunteer or learn more about the programs, visit the MPCA’s Volunteer surface water monitoring webpage at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/hqzq8f1 or call 651-296-6300 (in the Twin Cities) or 800-657-3864 (outside the Twin Cities metro area).
http://www.epa.gov/aging/resources/thesenseofwonder/index.htm
The following text is modified from the web site above:
The 7th Annual Sense of Wonder Contest invites entries by Monday, June 10, 2013.
The U.S. EPA, Generations United, the Dance Exchange, Rachel Carson Council, Inc., the Legacy Project and the National Center for Creative Aging announce a poetry, essay, photo, dance and songwriting contest.
Entries must be from an intergenerational team of two or more persons that are not the same age-- a young person and an older person.
The entry should express your sense of wonder about capturing the essence of the natural environment –the sea, streams, the mountains and prairies, a sunrise or moonlight, flowers, leaves, wildlife in its habitat.
"The team should share their love for nature through a creative project that tells a story about our precious earth. Capture what you hear, see, feel and taste as you explore and study the natural beauty."
For more details about the contest and to download entry forms, see the web site above.
http://www.greenbiz.com/research/report/2013/02/state-green-business-report-2013
The following text is modified from the web site above:
This sixth annual edition of research has been expanded to include
data on 1,600 companies worldwide, as well as on the U.S.-based S&P
500.
This year's 90-page report, available for free download upon request from the web site above, looks at where the world of sustainable business is headed -- the
leading indicators of future progress.
The top 10 sustainable business trends for 2013 described in this report include:
*Natural Capital
* Risk & Resilience
* Corporate Reporting
* The Sharing Economy
* Commerce
* M2M (machine to machine)
* Sustainable Apps
* Materiality
* Company Goals
* Peak Sustainability
See the web site above to request a download of the report.
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/rsdp/statewide/assess-your-tourism-potential/
The following text is adapted from the University of Minnesota web site above:
The University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and the University of Minnesota Tourism Center are seeking five communities to participate in special tourism assessment project over the next 18 months.
This project will help small communities across Minnesota discover opportunities to develop community assets for sustainable tourism. Why? Expanding regional assets can attract more visitors or keep them longer in your region.
Communities participating in this project will gain a deeper understanding of their tourism potential and will discover ways to develop opportunities. The program will help community teams consider their tourism potential from several perspectives - from tourism experts, visitors and self-assessment. Using this information, communities can develop these opportunities and create action steps to move forward.
Non-metro communities or townships in Minnesota with a population under 1500 or a group of 2-3 small communities (each under 1500) may apply. Groups of communities must be in geographic proximity with a shared sense of place; and be willing to or have experience working together.
Applications are due by May 15, 2013.
See the web site above for more details or to download the application form.
http://www.breakthroughideas.org/
The following text is adapted from a press release at the web site above:
Have the next great business idea? The ninth annual Minnesota Cup competition — the largest statewide new venture competition in the country — opened for entries on March 25.
The Minnesota Cup supports and accelerates the development of breakthrough business ideas from across the state to build the vibrancy of Minnesota’s business community. Minnesota residents have until May 17 to submit entries on the Minnesota Cup website to compete for $200,000 in prize money.
The competition is free to enter and encourages entries from a wide range of businesses, entrepreneurs and inventors in six divisions — Energy/Clean Tech, General, High Tech, Life Science/Health IT, Social Entrepreneur and Student. Entrepreneurs advancing in the competition will have the opportunity to advance business ideas, gain exposure, learn about resources available to entrepreneurs, be paired with mentors, meet members of the Cup’s review board — and win cash prizes if their idea is judged to be among the best entries.
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http://www2.cleantechopen.org/overview/
The following text is adapted from the web site above:
The Cleantech Open runs the world’s largest cleantech accelerator. Our mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges.
The Cleantech Open provides entrepreneurs and technologists the resources needed to launch and create successful and sustainable clean technology companies. We do this through our accelerator programs which provide participants with training, mentoring, infrastructure, relationships and funding opportunities to help grow them into world-class cleantech companies.
Since its inception in 2006, the Cleantech Open has awarded over $6 million in cash and services to support cleantech growth companies. The 727 participating companies in the Cleantech Open’s accelerator programs have raised more than $800 million in external capital.
The Cleantech Open application deadline has been extended to Saturday, May 4, 11:59PM, EDT
For more details, or to apply, see the web site above.
http://www.epa.gov/tri/university/
The following text is modified from the US EPA web site above:
Every year, thousands of U.S. manufacturing facilities submit reports on their waste management practices of certain toxic chemicals, including the release of those chemicals into the environment. EPA's TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) Program makes these data available to everyone through a variety of online reports, search tools and applications.
EPA is now challenging the academic community to find innovative and creative uses of TRI data and related information to promote more informed decision-making and action on the part of communities, manufacturers, and government.
EPA is looking to academic institutions to help build a diverse portfolio of practical and replicable projects that benefit communities, the environment, academic institutions, and the TRI Program.
Anyone who is affiliated with an accredited college or university is welcome to apply. Proposed projects may range from one semester to multi-year research or coursework.
Partners will receive direct support from EPA TRI staff experts to answer questions and assist you with TRI tools and data analysis. In addition, partners can expect to:
* Receive national recognition and promotion for your university, students and project activities by being featured on the TRI University Challenge website, and offered opportunities to speak at conferences and events.
* Collaborate with EPA and peers to advance TRI-related research and knowledge.
* Participate in special networking events and webinars.
* Engage students to understand and solve problems relevant to their communities.
* Help students gain practical experience working on environmental issues with EPA.
While no major funding is available for these projects, existing EPA grant programs may be leveraged by participants.
The deadline to submit applications will be May 13, 2013. By mid-June, 2013, EPA intends to select five or more new partners to participate in the TRI University Challenge
For more details and the Partner Application Form, see the web site above.
http://www.envisionmn.org/our-news/
The following is adapted from the Envision Minnesota press release at the web site above:
Northfield, MN took a stand last year for streets that work for all our residents. Now that policy is being recognized by a national coalition of Complete Streets advocates.
The National Complete Streets Coalition, based in Washington, DC, helps towns and cities across the country design streets with all users in mind, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or wheelchair user, bus rider or shopkeeper.
In April 2013, the Coalition released its Top 10 Complete Streets policies of 2012. Number 5 on the list was Northfield’s Complete Streets Policy.
"Northfield’s Complete Streets policy will help make getting around the city safer and more convenient for everyone,” said Lee Helgen, executive director of Envision Minnesota. “It’s an important issue, and this recognition shows we did it right. Everyone who was involved in passing this policy should be very proud today.”
“Community collaboration over 2011 and 2012 created Northfield’s policy,” said Betsey Buckheit, former City Council member. "Then college seniors Ben Hellerstein (Carleton College) and Sean Hayford O’Leary (St. Olaf College) were instrumental in organizing a college-community group which solicited letters of support from local groups including the school district, bike trail supporters, and others to ask the City to develop a policy. The Council appointed a task force of Council members, city staff, and members of the City’s Planning and Environmental Quality Commission to draft the policy which was adopted unanimously by the Council on July 17, 2012."
"Northfield’s Complete Streets policy is one of the best in the country,” said Stefanie Seskin, Deputy Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition. “We want to recognize Northfield’s leadership in this field, and also to show other cities across the country what a great Complete Streets policy looks like. Northfield has done that extremely well.”
The Top 10 Complete Streets policies of 2012 was released on April 8, 2013 as part of the 2012 Complete Streets Policy Analysis. For more information, and to download the report, see: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets-2012-analysis
To learn more about Northfield's Complete Streets Policy, see the City's web site at http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=732
http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/wetlands/2013_WB_RFP.html
The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is accepting
applications for wetland restoration projects through a conservation
easement sign-up and a request for proposal process. BWSR has
approximately $5 million to restore wetlands and their adjacent uplands
in targeted areas of the state. The application period begins Mar. 12
and continues through May 13, 2013.
For more details, see the BWSR web site above.
See www.nextstep.state.mn.us/jobs.cfm for the following jobs, among others:
Fresh Energy: Communications Associate (deadline May 1)
Eureka Recycling: Co-Director of Communications
The Stratford Companies: Environmental Procurement Business Analyst Internship (deadline May 3)
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District: Education Assistant (deadline May 13)
Caponi Art Park: Arts and Cultural Event Intern (unpaid) (deadline May 2)
St. Paul - Ramsey County Public Health, Environmental Health Section: Environmental Health Paid Internships (application review begins May 10)
University of Minnesota Extension's Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs): Local Government (Energy) Efficiency Financing Coordinator (open until filled)
See www.nextstep.state.mn.us/calendar.cfm for the events below, among many others:
Energy for Defense II,
May 1, Minneapolis, MN, $50
Cooked: An Evening with
Michael Pollan, May 2, St. Louis Park, MN, $60
Healthy by Design: Bringing
LIFE to Communities and Communities to LIFE, May 3, Minnetonka, MN, $135
Living Streets Workshop for
Metro Environmental Commissions, May 14, St. Paul, MN, Free
MN Goes Green, May 18,
St. Paul, M, Free
Poetry of Place Workshop,
May 18, Belle Plaine, MN, $45
River People: North Shore
Stream Stewardship Conference, May 18, Finland, MN, $10
Solar Boat Regatta, May
18, St. Paul, MN, Free
Coming Awake, Coming Home:
Reclaiming Our Callings and Connection with the Earth, May 19, Belle
Plaine, MN, $45
Sustaining Healthy, Greener
Communities Through Best Planting Practices, May 21, Cloquet, MN, $60
Water Conservation Workshop
for Cities, May 21, St. Paul, MN, Free
Neighborhoods, USA 38th
Annual Conference on Neighborhood Concerns, May 22 – 25, Minneapolis, MN,
$300
Environmental Initiative
Awards, May 23, Minneapolis, MN, $110 (some discounts available)
WaterFest 2013, June 1,
St. Paul, MN, Free
Sustainable infrastructure
- calculating costs, evaluating returns, making decisions, June 5, Eagan,
MN, $80
Not Just for Scientists
Anymore: Why the Public Should Care About the Connection Between Groundwater
and Lake, Streams and Wetlands, June 6 (rescheduled), St. Paul, MN, Free
Summer Institute for Energy
Education, June 16 – 18, Sandstone, MN, $70
This
email newsletter is sent today to 3,441 sustainability professionals
and others interested in building sustainable communities, most of whom
live in Minnesota. It was prepared by staff in the Sustainable
Development Unit of the Resource Management and Assistance Division at
the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
We
hope that you find this information useful; please send us an e-mail at
nextstep@state.mn.us if you need help using the resources presented
here. (We will not receive replies sent to this e-mail message.) You
are encouraged to enter events and jobs directly onto the NextStep web
site.
The
NextStep web site has an on-line directory of those who would like to
post their contact information, sustainability interests and expertise
and then subscribe to the newsletter. To add yourself to the directory,
visit http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us/join.cfm
We
welcome your participation there as part of the Minnesota Sustainable
Communities Network (MnSCN). The goal of MnSCN and NextStep is to
encourage networking, information exchange, and better access to
assistance. This network consists of an even mix of over 3,000
individuals, many of whom are affiliated with local governments,
non-profit organizations, businesses, and educational institutions in
Minnesota (and bordering areas) who are interested in moving toward
sustainability.
For further information and questions about MnSCN, see
http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us/article.cfm?articleid=3.
Receiving this message forwarded from someone else? To directly receive the NextStep e-newsletter, sign up at http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us/join.cfm.
Contact the NextStep Newsletter editors, Erin Barnes-Driscoll and Paul Moss, at nextstep@state.mn.us
To unsubscribe, to set subscriber preferences, or to subscribe to other MPCA e-newsletters, see the links below.
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