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The Minnesota Environmental Fund is so thankful to everyone who came out and shopped at Ten Thousand Villages last night. We greatly appreciate everyone who came out to support us and fair trade. Have a safe and happy holiday season!

The Holiday Season is upon us and as you go Holiday shopping, make sure to save your Fair Trade holiday shopping
night until December 2nd. This way you'll not only be able to support
Fair Trade but 20% of the night's sales will go the Minnesota
Environmental Fund.
Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade
retailer of artisan-crafted home decor, personal accessories and gift
items from across the globe. For more information on Ten Thousand
Villages and products that they sell go to http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/home.php
The
Minnesota Environmental Fund is the workplace giving federation devoted
to supporting organizations who protect, conserve and restore
Minnesota's environment. To learn more about the Minnesota
Environmental Fund and its 21 member organizations go to http://www.mnenvirofund.org
We hope to see you there!
A
short film about sulfide mining from the Friends of the Boundary Waters
Wilderness
“Precious Waters” takes a hard look at the sulfide mining industry’s
history of failed predictions and the threats new mines pose to
northeastern Minnesota’s lakes, rivers and streams and sustainable
economy, as told through the voices of citizens, scientists and
advocates.
We hope you will join us for the premiere and a discussion afterward
with the filmmaker and several individuals featured in the film. A
reception will follow.
The screening will take place at John B. Davis Lecture Hall, Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center Macalester College, 1600 Grand Ave, St. Paul starting at 7:00pm.
The film will also be available online and as a free DVD in early
November. Please think about people or groups that you think might want
to watch it. Stay tuned for more information.
We hope you can join us on Nov. 11! Please call us at 612-332-9630 or
send us an e-mail at info@friends-bwca.org if you have any questions.
A screening of the movie Fresh will air at Southwest High School on October 23, 2009 at 6:00 pm.
FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across
America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the
rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and
confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental
pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging
healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for
a future of our food and our planet.
Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and
activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award;
sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by
Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner,
David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy. For more information on the movie go to http://www.freshthemovie.com/ A
suggested donation of $10 per person will be accepted. For details,
contact Jennifer Hedberg of Southwest's Quality Education Campaign by
calling 612-964-3023.
We plan to celebrate the bounty, the
joys and the journey of this season, in a relaxing atmosphere for
families and friends. Please come on out to the farm and celebrate with
us.
We will have Organic Pig Roast, Potluck Dinner, Live Music by
“Light of the Moon”, Draft Horse-drawn Hayrides, Celebratory Bonfire,
Walks around the farm and more.
This will be a potluck event, so please
bring something to share for the potluck if you can. THE PARTY IS FREE.
It is our gift to our members, donors, friends, and supporters.
However, free will donations in any amounts will be accepted at the
door. Please bring your family and friends. All are welcome. So, please
come out and enjoy an Autumn Saturday afternoon and evening with us!
Bring extra warm clothes just in case! We are located in the Wilder
Forest, just off Norell Avenue (Hwy 55), off Square Lake Trail (Hwy 7),
in the Washington County.
For more information or detailed directions,
or to volunteer at the event, please call our office (651 – 433 – 3676)
or check www.mnfoodassociation.org. We look forward to seeing you.
Come learn about the environmental benefits of composting and how you
can easily reduce waste at home! This workshop has tips for maintaining
a healthy compost pile no matter what type of composter you are. **Residents of Frogtown neighborhood - Join us for a workshop in your neighborhood!!**
Saturday, October 3 - 10:00am
- Frogtown neighborhood - Residents of Thomas-Dale/Frogtown
neighborhood in Saint Paul get first priority, but call us and if
there is still room, we'll let you know!
Monday, November 9 - 6:00pm - Palace Recreation Center - 781 Palace Ave, Saint Paul
Saturday, December 12 - 10:00am - Hillcrest Recreation Center - 1974 Ford Pkwy, Saint Paul
*Additional workshops will be added throughout 2009, so check back for more options or call our hotline.
Registration Required:
Please call Eureka Recycling at (651) 222-7678 to register or inquire
about additional workshop dates. Workshop cost: $5 (a limited number of
scholarships are available. Please call for details). Workshop
participants will be eligible to purchase a backyard compost bin for $45.
Backyard composting is easy! A few
inexpensive supplies are all you need to set up a compost pile in your
own backyard. A backyard compost bin provides a convenient place to get
rid of weeds, leaves and other yard waste, as well as organic kitchen
scraps. Our backyard composting fact sheet explains
how and why to compost, including the different types of bins you can
use, how to maintain your compost pile, and how to use the finished
compost to benefit your garden.
Getting a Backyard Compost Bin
If you are ready to get started on backyard composting and need a bin, here are you options:
Option 1: Attend a
Backyard Composting Workshop. Supplies are available along with some
information to help you successfully get your bin started. Workshops
cost $5.00 and a bin can be purchased and picked-up at the workshop for
$45.00.
Option 2: Build your
own backyard composting bin. Compost Bins are generally very simple to
construct. Information on how to build one can be found in the
attached Backyard Composting Fact-Sheet or at http://www.reduce.org/
Option 3: Join Eureka
Recycling’s bulk purchase of backyard compost bins! (For a limited
time—ACT NOW!) Manufactured by Norseman, The Earth Machine
specifications can be found here. The cost for these bins is $75.00.
Option 4: Purchase a
bin from a local retailer. There are several different styles and
brands of backyard composting bins available on the market. A list of
local retailers that sell backyard composting bins can be found on our
website at:
Click here to find out where you can purchase a compost bin in the twin cities area.
The University of Minnesota Bell Museum of Natural History continues
its celebration of the U.S. National Park System and its “America’s
Best Idea” exhibit with an exclusive premiere of the upcoming public
television special, “Minnesota’s National Park Legacy” with filmmaker
and producer Steve Spencer. The event, set for 7 p.m. Thursday,
Sept. 24 at the Bell Museum, 10 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, will
feature a screening of the Twin Cities Public Television (tpt) special,
followed by an informal question-and-answer discussion with Spencer. The
30-minute television special, set to air on tpt at 6:30 p.m. Sunday,
Oct. 4 explores the natural and cultural legacy of Minnesota’s six
national park sites: Grand Portage National Monument, Mississippi
National River and Recreation Area, North Country National Scenic
Trail, Pipestone National Monument, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
and Voyageurs National Park, as well as projects completed by the
National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance
Program. The film, produced by tpt and the
national park sites, will also air on tpt’s statewide Minnesota Channel
(tptMN in the Twin Cities) at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. The
film presents Minnesota’s national parks and historic sites as dynamic,
living, evolving places with important histories and vibrant futures,”
said Spencer. “They were places set aside for citizens by citizens,
which also means that citizen stewardship is critical to their
preservation for generations to come.” The
screening event will conclude with a self-guided tour of the museum’s
“America’s Best Idea.” The exhibit showcases stunning, color-drenched
panoramic prints of America’s national parks by famed landscape
photographer Stan Jorstad, one of only a handful of American artists to
photograph all of the country’s 58 national parks. Also,
through September 30, visitors to the museum’s web site can vote for
their favorite U.S. National Park and be entered to win a one-year
vehicle pass to all U.S. National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands.
Visit www.bellmuseum.org for contest details. The
event, made possible by Voyageurs National Park Association, St. Croix
River Association, Fredrikson & Byron P.A and the Mississippi River
Fund, is free with regular museum admission. The
Bell Museum, which reaches half a million Minnesotans each year through
exhibits, events, adult and youth programming, in-class curriculum and
television productions, is part of the university's College of Food,
Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and is located at 10 Church
St. S.E. in Minneapolis.
On Saturday, September 26, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is hosting a day of Outdoor Family Fun, and you’re invited!
Get hands-on instructions in a variety of activities: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Ft. Snelling State park
- Test your aim at the laser shooting range
- Learn to paddle a canoe on Snelling Lake
- See live fish and learn how to catch
- them from shore
- Experience a high-tech treasure hunt
- (geocaching)
- Learn to set up a tent, start a fire and
- camp in the woods
- Hike with a naturalist and learn about
- local plants and animals
All events free, but a $5 vehicle sticker is needed to enter park Sponsored by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with Embrace Open Space, the National Park Service, Midwest Mountaineering, Wilderness Inquiry, the Minnesota Geocaching Association, the Minnesota Master Naturalist Program NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY ALL EQUIPMENT PROVIDED There’s a world of fun and adventure awaiting you and your family at Ft. Snelling State Park. You don’t need to drive far, spend a lot of money, or be an expert outdoorsman....and more!
For more information: michele.hanson@dnr.state.mn.usor 651-259-5785 Download Day OFF FSSP-1
Adult 1st Place
Photo by Rebecca Field
Adult 2nd Place
Photo by Don Deckert
Adult 3rd Place
Photo by Erin Tatge
Honorable Mention Photos Photo by Carlie Bulow
Photo by Don Deckert

Photo by Karen Eckman
Youth 1st Place
Photo by Kevin Zheng
Youth 2nd Place
Photo by Rachel Knoll
Youth 3rd Place
Photo by Kevin Zheng
Youth Honorable Mention
Photo by Kevin Zheng
Please join us as we celebrate Minnesota's
environment and those that are working to protect, conserve and restore the
places where we live, work and play.
Minnesota Environmental Fund's 10,000 Reasons Why Photo Contest Awards
Event
Thursday, August 13, 2009, 5:30 - 8:00pm
Where: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation,451 Lexington Parkway North, St. Paul, MN
Building Tours 5:30-6:00pm
Brief program at 7:00pm
Light local foods will be served starting at 6:00pm
In addition to photographers, we will be honoring campaign partners for Outstanding Achievement:
- HealthPartners
- Imation Corporation
- Meyer,
Scherer Rockcastle, ltd
- University
of Minnesota- Twin Cities
Tours of the
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation's LEED Gold Certified building will begin at
5:30.Tour the new Wilder Center
and learn how they
are able to achieve:
45% reduction in energy
costs,
42% reduction in water use,
and
- 200% improvement in
recycling.
We hope to see you there and thank you for being a great friend to Minnesota's
environment. To RSVP go to http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/MAVAQLSZRYZFMSQQGHEM/10000ReasonsWhy
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