Happy Monday, everyone!  Here’s a quick recap of last week’s Sustainable Tuesdays and some details on tomorrow’s field trip to Lake Bemidji State Park’s Bog Walk.

Recap: Minnesota Food Charter Event

Last Tuesday, Jessica Saucedo and Simone Senogles hosted a session to gather input for Minnesota’s Food Charter.  Earlier in the year, Bemidji hosted the kickoff event for the Food Charter in the NW region, but this small-group session provided a much more interactive and dialogue-focused session on what we would like to see happening in the Bemidji area.

After learning about the background of the MN Food Charter and why it’s so critical for citizens to be involved in providing input, Simone and Jess distributed surveys for the group to take.  If you are interested in submitting your ideas for the food charter but couldn’t make this session, don’t worry!  You can still submit your ideas online through this link. 

The best part of the night came afterwards, when we got down to describing what the barriers are to healthy, sustainable food and brainstorming how Minnesota could work around those barriers.  The conversation really got flowing, and we would like to thank all those who came and participated in this lively discussion.  It left Jess and Simone with pages and pages of notes to submit to MN Food Charter — input that goes directly into shaping the document!  Way to go, everyone!

Tomorrow, Sustainable Tuesdays goes on a field trip!  We are getting a guided tour of Lake Bemidji State Park’s Bog Walk! 

The bog sees its peak season in June, so now is the time to come check out its beautiful wonders. Park Naturalist John Fylpaa will guide us through the bog to help us identify plants and share his knowledge of the bog’s unique characteristics.

How should you get there?  There are TWO options.

1. You can meet Simone and myself at the Rail River Folk School to join our carpool to the State Park.  We will be leaving very shortly after 5:30pm so please be on time!
2. You can meet us at the State Park Visitor Center for our tour, which will begin at 6pm. If you are driving yourself, please remember that a day pass or permit is required.

Here’s a photo of The Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) of the Orchidaceae (Orchid) Family, courtesy of Lake Bemidji State Park’s facebook page.  It’s the largest orchid in Minnesota and can be found at the bog walk!

Some of you may remember the last time that Sustainable Tuesdays tried to tour the bog walk—an evening that was unfortunately cut short!  I wasn’t around for that, but I heard that the big July storm started blowing through and put a damper on the evening’s plans.  No need to worry this year – the weather is looking great!

Can’t make it to the Bog Walk this week?  Don’t worry, you still have time to take advantage of the State Park’s Bog Watcher Sundays, which run through July 7^th.

Each Sunday from 11:30am to 2pm, a naturalist will be roving the boardwalk to help you locate the flowers of the bog. This is the time of the year that the bog is at its peak with a variety of orchids and insect-eating plants in bloom.

For more information, you can call 218-308-2300.

This week brings a lot of great community events at the Bemidji Public Library for their 2013 Book Festival!

They have a full week of events lined up, including a Poetry Slam tonight at the American Legion!  Check out the schedule here for more information, or go here to check out their festival poster.

Looking ahead:  Upcoming FREE Tour of Deep Portage Learning Center in Hackensack offered by CERTs (Clean Energy Resource Teams)!

The public is invited to a joint Northwest/Central CERTs Clean Energy tour of Deep Portage Learning Center in Hackensack on Tuesday, August 6th 9:30 am to 12:00pm.  You’ll see their energy efficiency, solar, wind, and biomass projects.

You can sign up for this free event online at http://certsdeepportage.eventbrite.com or call 612-626-0555.

The tour will visit Deep Portage’s clean energy installations, including:

• wood gasification
• solar PV – rooftop array
• solar thermal hot water
• solar furnace
• wind turbine
• energy efficiency

You can learn more about Deep Portage’s renewable energy projects at http://www.deep-portage.org/renewable-energy.html

This event is free and open to the public, so tell your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to register for this clean energy tour online at http://certsdeepportage.eventbrite.com or call 612-626-0555.

(via Clean Energy Resource Teams)

Another event to keep an eye out for:  The Indigenous Arts Festival on June 28^th and 29^th

This is a local indigenous art fest featuring traditional art demonstration, hands on workshops, and live performances!  It’s being hosted outdoors on North Lake Irving at the Rail River Folk School.

This is a wonderful and unique event that you don’t want to miss!  You can check out the event page here.

A few more tidbits before we wrap up:

• Here are some great resources if you’re looking for more tips on living green in Minnesota.  The “Do It Green, Minnesota” guide has a bunch of information on actions you can take, local and sustainable businesses you can support, and much more!  Check it out here.
• BSU’s Sustainability Office has been busy planting trees on campus!  If you are looking for ways to make your area a little more greener, check out this MPCA newsletter on trees and tree planting.

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As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn

Green Living Bemidji is back!  We missed our regular posting last week, but it’s good to be back – and we have a LOT of wonderful news to share with you!

First, a look back at this week’s Sustainable Tuesday event:

We were very excited to have Jessica Saucedo, co-owner of the Rail River Folk School, present for us!  While Jessica’s presentation was about sustainable food, it was clear that this topic connected so deeply to several aspects of Bemidji’s community, whether it be social, economic, or environmental.  She started her presentation by highlighting the difference between “food security” and “food sovereignty,” the former of which includes no best practices to protect health, and the latter which focuses on an equitable relationship.

Jessica also elaborated on the vision that the Rail River Folk School has for a healthier, more resilient community, and the role that they see coordinating and collaborating networks playing in fostering that resilience.  This portion of her presentation introduced us to a number of awesome organizations in the Bemidji area that are doing great work promoting not only food sovereignty and local food, but active living, environmental protection, and more.

Seeing all these wonderful partnerships come together at “the hub” of the Rail River Folk School was really, really cool — and connecting all of the issues back to sustainable food was enlightening, showing us that food really is at the heart of our existence.

We owe a huge thank you to Jessica for sharing such a wonderful and inspiring presentation with us!  Thank you, Jess, and thanks to all you who joined us on Tuesday.

Next week, we are hosting an input session for the Minnesota Food Charter!

The Minnesota Food Charter will ensure we have healthy, affordable and safe food, building a legacy of health for future generations. Come learn more about your role in shaping the Food Charter in this session hosted by Jessica Saucedo and Simone Senogles. Don’t miss this chance to share your input on how you’d like to see Minnesota’s food system become more sustainable!  Here’s the link to the event page for more details on the Food Charter.

Input sessions for the MN Food Charter continue to be held across the state of Minnesota.  Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to provide your support and input for local, healthy and sustainable food sources!  Hope to see you there.

When:  Tuesday, June 11^th from 5:30 to 7:30pm

Where:  Rail River Folk School, 303 Railroad St SW (across the Irvine bridge and to the left)

Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss this upcoming local documentary!

Sustainable Tuesday’s very own Simone Senogles has been working on a documentary entitled “Regaining Food Sovereignty,” which is about indigenous food sovereignty–exploring the causes and solutions regarding health, tradition, and culture around food. This documentary will air on Lakeland Public Television on July 20^th at 8:00pm.  Don’t miss it!

Congrats to Simone and all who were a part of this documentary’s production!  We’ll be sure to share more updates about it in the coming weeks.

More great news – Bemidji is going to be recognized as a Step 2 GreenStep City!

What on earth does that mean?!  Well, Bemidji joined the Minnesota GreenStep City program last February, which is a voluntary challenge, assistance, and recognition program that helps cities achieve their sustainability goals and initiatives.  The City of Bemidji has successfully accomplished 8 different “Best Practices” (each of which requires a number of actions to be completed) and made it Step 2 status.

This is a huge achievement for Bemidji!  One of the best parts about the MN GreenStep Cities program is that you can see what the other 56 GreenStep cities are doing to become more sustainable. Bemidji’s actions will be useful for guiding others cities in their own sustainability efforts.

Bemidji will be receiving this award at the upcoming League of Minnesota Cities 2013 Annual Conference on June 20^th.  This award shows community members and other cities across MN that Bemidji is taking great steps in the direction of energy and resource conservation and innovation.

If you missed it last night, the City was mentioned during Lakeland News at 10!  You can catch it online here.

The Bemidji Sustainability Committee joins facebook with a new “Sustainable Bemidji” page – please like and share!

At the City of Bemidji’s Sustainability Committee meeting last night, we decided to make the jump to facebook! We have a lot of exciting events coming up in the future, like our Sustainable Homes Tour in July and an upcoming GreenStep City Celebration to highlight the city’s accomplishments with the MN GreenStep Cities program.

 This page will be a great way to keep up to date on those awesome community events, plus highlight the wonderful work that so many community organizations are doing to make Bemidji a more sustainable and resilient place.

You can also find the Green Living Bemidji blog posted on there each week.

Upcoming Opportunity for Farmers: On-Farm Food Safety Workshops in June

From University of Minnesota Extension: “Are you interested in learning more about Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) on your farm? Attend a workshop this summer to learn about how GAPs can help minimize food safety risks with fresh produce. New this year, workshops will be held on farms. Content will include both sit-down learning and hands-on demonstrations and tours of the packing, washing, and storage facilities to talk about food safety-related issues.

• Learn about the most recent food safety information including GAPs audits and the Food Safety Modernization Act and what it may mean for your farm
• Assistance with any GAPs-related questions you have on your own farm
• See food safety practices in action and discuss practical solutions
• Leave with templates for creating your own food safety plan and resources to help you learn more

One of these sessions is being held on the Kerr family’s farm in Clearbrook! There is no charge for the workshops, but you must RSVP to reserve your spot.  Go here to RSVP and get more details.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Mike and Malissa Kerr’s Farm 44424
Maplewood Road, Clearbrook, MN 56634
Time: 10:00 – 3:00 (light lunch included)*
*Additional support provided by the Bemidji Area Farmers Market, North Country – Polk – Norman – Mahnomen CTG cluster

Here are some interesting reads to wrap up this week!

• The MPCA has some great tips on how to conserve water in your garden and lawn this summer, which you can check out in their latest Living Green 365 article.
• It’s no secret – bees are facing a tough time!  Pesticide usage has been linked to the declining honey bee population.  You can do your part to help out the bees by planting a bee garden that will help support their population. This article has some great tips to get started. 
• Looking for things to do in Bemidji this summer?  Check out this great write-up in Midwest Weekends on “Things To Do in Bemidji” 
• Mission of Mercy is still looking for volunteers!  If you’re interested in helping out Minnesota Dental with this event, go here to sign up!  They need over a thousand volunteers on the weekend of June 14^th and 15^th!

That’s all for this week!  Enjoy the weekend and the beautiful weather!  If you don’t have plans on Saturday, be sure to check out the farmer’s markets and the 3^rd Annual Lot 6 Art Fair (on the corner of Irvine and 4^th in the lot near Harmony Coop).

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As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn

Happy Friday, friends!   I just recently changed the “theme” of our website to incorporate a more springtime look – our winter picture was definitely out of date!  I hope you enjoy it. Here’s an update on this week’s Sustainable Tuesday event and a look into next week and beyond!

Earlier this week: Sustainable Healthcare with Diane Pittman

What does your ideal clinic look like, feel like, smell like? How would you like your doctor’s visit to really go?

Diane started off our evening off with a mock doctor’s visit – where the doctor was running late, the patient frustrated and in a hurry to go pick up her kids, the doctor brushing off some of her concerns, and a patient who didn’t get all her questions answered.  It was an all-too-familiar scenario for many in the room.

Rochelle and Diane in the mock doctor’s visit

Diane is interested in changing this scenario, in creating a clinic that works for both doctors and patients.  With the current way that healthcare clinics are operating, both doctors and patients are unhappy.  How can we fix this? Diane shared some wonderful stories about Dr. Pamela Wible, who started her own “ideal clinic” and tailored it to the needs of her community. You can check out Dr. Wible’s website here, and also learn more about her book, Pet Goats and Pap Smears: 101 Medical Adventures to Open Your Heart and Mind.

Diane asked us some great questions and got the group brainstorming, envisioning what an ideal medical practice would look like for the Bemidji community.  Ideas really started to flow, from the way that patients can schedule appointments, to how much time they receive with the doctor, to the location of the clinic and the setup of the waiting room.  Nothing held us back in this brainstorming session – anything was possible!

An ideal clinic for Bemidji is not out of our reach!  If you would like to provide input or learn more about what Dr. Pittman is looking to do, please feel free to get in touch.

Next Tuesday: We’re planting the “We Digg It” Garden – a teaching and learning garden at the Rail River Folk School!

Help us make this teaching and learning garden a success!  Join us to help clean out the garden and get planting! This is a great opportunity to learn more about the gardening process and give back to the Rail River Folk School community.  This will be a fun, hands on, dig in the dirt event! We hope to see you there!

When: Tuesday, May 25^th from 5:30 to 7:30pm

Where: Rail River Folk School, 303 Railroad St SW, Bemidji, MN (across the Irvine bridge and to the left)

If that’s not enough gardening for you, check out the 2^nd Annual Gardening Summit at Leech Lake Tribal College!

Saturday June 1^st from 9am to 4pm

6945 Little Wolf Rd NW, Cass Lake, MN

This is a free event sponsored by Leech Lake Tribal College.  Please call 218-335-4244 for more information.  Here’s a brief schedule of events!

• 9AM Raised Garden Bed Building
• 10AM Kitchen Gardening
• 11AM Repotting 101
• Noon Lunch
• 1PM Fruit Trees and Grafting
• 2PM Canning

*Free soil testing, please bring a soil sample in a ziplock bag or cup marked with your name and phone number.

June’s Sustainable Tuesday schedule is set!  Check out our “Local and Wild Foods” line-up of events!

I am going to be out of town for a conference next week and will be unable to post the blog, so I wanted to give everyone a heads up on our June line-up! Here’s what we have coming up with our “Local and Wild Foods” month!

Tuesday, June 4th: Sustainable Food

• What does “sustainable food” even mean?  Where does it come from? How is it grown? Our current food system has distanced us from the food we eat in several ways.  Come join us for a presentation by Jessica Saucedo, co-owner of the Rail River Folk School, as she explores these questions with us and shares her vision of what sustainable food looks like for the Bemidji community.

Tuesday, June 11th: Minnesota Food Charter Event

• The Minnesota Food Charter will ensure we have healthy, affordable and safe food, building a legacy of health for future generations. Come learn more about your role in shaping the Food Charter in this session hosted by Jessica Saucedo and Simone Senogles. Don’t miss this chance to share your input on how you’d like to see Minnesota’s food system become more sustainable!

Tuesday, June 18th: Lake Bemidji State Park Bog Walk*

• Join Park Naturalist John Fylpaa for a guided tour along the Lake Bemidji State Park Bog Walk.  The bog will be in its peak season and John will help us identify plants and share his knowledge of the bog’s unique characteristics!  *We’ll carpool from the Rail River Folk School at 5:30pm, or you can meet at the State Park Visitor Center (day pass/permit required). Tour begins at 6:00 pm.

Tuesday, June 25th: Wild Edibles and Traditional Medicinal Plants

• Local historian Barry Babcock will teach us how to identify a wide variety of local plants, highlighting which are edible or helpful medicinally, while interspersing stories and lore from Ojibwe & early settler origins about the herbs and foliage in your backyard!

Mark your calendars!  Here’s a PDF copy of our poster – feel free to share it with your family, friends, and neighbors!

Enjoy your weekend and have a great Memorial Day!

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As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn

Hello again, Green Living Bemidji friends!  Here’s how this past Tuesday’s Sustainable Tuesday went, and some more details on next week’s presentation by Diane Pittman on “Sustainable Healthcare.”

May’s “Community Health” theme continued this week with a session about “Living Healthy on a Budget”

From food and meal planning to green cleaning and active living, we covered a whole range of healthy and sustainable living tips!

First up, we had Lisa Knights from Harmony Coop come speak to us about how we can be smart, conscious shoppers on a budget. She addressed the misconception that healthy, organic food has to be more expensive – it’s not true! When you buy pre-packaged food and rely on boxed meals, you pay a price for that packaging and all the steps that it took to get that food in that box. Plus, the nutrient value of a boxed meal pales in comparison to home-cooked food.

Photo from Harmony Coop

Lisa gave us some great tips on how to shop in Harmony Coop’s bulk section, where you can purchase as much or as little as you like of an ingredient (such as spices, flour, rice, granola, and SO much more!).  Harmony is also able to order other stocked items in bulk for you. Lisa has some really great tips for how to make your shopping experience at Harmony budget friendly and worthwhile, but if you’re hesitant or unused to shopping at a coop, do not fear!  You can call the store and schedule a walkthrough with Lisa, and she’ll explain how everything works.

Photo from Harmony Coop

You can learn more about Harmony Coop’s bulk section on their website.

We were also joined by Jamie Jacobsen from Bemidji Parks and Rec!  Jamie shared the new 2013 Summer and Fall program guide, which contains a host of free and low-cost activities for families and children of all ages to take part in.  You can check out the new guide here!

Jamie also told us about the new Wellness Routes in the downtown Bemidji area, which you may have seen marked.  Parks and Rec teamed up with Beltrami County’s Wellness Program to design and mark three wellness routes.  Each route is color coded, and you can see a map of them here.

If you’re looking for an easy way to get some exercise built into your schedule, check out the Summer Steps Walking Club program that Parks and Rec is offering!  It runs June 4^th through August 29^th and meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 to 9:00am.  Walk along the newly marked wellness trails and keep track of your miles or steps walked in the Walking Club log book.

Next, we talked about how you can save money and reduce the amount of toxic chemicals in your home by making your own green cleaning products.  There are simple products that you can mix up using basic ingredients like water, vinegar, and baking soda.  We made a big batch of all-purpose cleaner and sent everyone home with some full spray bottles.  We have a big jug of cleaner left over that we’re storing at the Rail River Folk School.  If you’re interested in trying some out, bring an empty container with you to Sustainable Tuesdays later this month and we can send you home with some too!

Here are some handouts that we shared on green cleaning:

• Vinegar Tips and Tricks – Vinegar is one of the most useful products out there, and you’d be surprised at all the stuff you can use it for!
• Green Cleaning Recipes – This handout (with recipes) also includes a useful chart that explains what each basic ingredient will do.  For example, baking soda can be used in mixtures to cut grease, deodorize, lift dirt, and whiten!
• Dirty Little Household Secrets– In addition to a whole page of recipes, this handout includes descriptions of the must-have items in your green cleaning kit, plus a list of harmful ingredients to avoid on commercial products you do purchase.

We had a fun night, and we wrapped up early so everyone could get out and enjoy the sunny weather!  Thank you to everyone who joined us, especially Lisa and Jamie, and we hope to see you all next week!

More Resources for Living Healthy on a Budget

If anyone is looking for more guides to living healthy and being a conscious, yet budget friendly shopper, check out this guide “Good Food on a Tight Budget” from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).  If your budget doesn’t allow for buying organic produce all the time, they’ve marked the “Dirty Dozen” or the fruits and veggies with the most pesticide residue, so you know what you can avoid or particular items that are worth buying organic.  They’ve also got the “Clean Fifteen” or produce items that have the least amount of pesticide residue.  You can check out their Shoppers Guide to Pesticides on Produce here.

EWG has a full list of consumer guides available (which you can access for free online), covering topics from food and farming to green cleaning to BPA in plastics to cosmetics and more!  They operate the Skin Deep Database, which provides product rankings and explanations of particularly harmful toxins or chemicals that are in skin-care products, so you can find the healthiest choice.  They offer the same service for green cleaning products, sunscreens, and more!  Check it out – I guarantee you will discover something surprising.

Next week, Sustainable Tuesdays is excited to welcome local practitioner Diane Pittman to present on “Sustainable Healthcare” – starting at 5:30pm at the Rail River Folk School!

What can health care systems learn from CSAs, cooperatives, collectives, and other local sustainability movements?  What does sustainable health care look like to both patients and healthcare workers?  Join us for a conversation with local practitioner Diane Pittman about community-oriented medical practice.

This is a great opportunity to share your visions about sustainable healthcare in our community!  Please join us for this community conversation.  We’ll see you there, 5:30pm at the Rail River Folk School!  (across the Irvine bridge and to the left, just past Shifting Gears)

Minnesota GreenCorps applications are due June 7^th!

Are you or someone you know looking to get some experience in an environmental related field?  Consider applying to be a part of the Minnesota GreenCorps, an AmeriCorps program offered through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.  There are MN GreenCorps members serving host sites all across the state of Minnesota, helping with Energy Conservation, Urban Forestry, Waste Prevention and Recycling, or Living Green.  Myself, and Brett Cease before me, are/were both Living Green members, whose work focuses on environmental education in the community.

There are opportunities to join this program all across the state of Minnesota, helping cities, schools, non-profits, and other community organizations accomplish the environmental initiatives they’ve set for the year. You can read more and find the application here. If you have questions about the MN GreenCorps, please don’t hesitate to contact me (cschuchhardt@bemidjistate.edu) about my own experiences with this awesome program!

Some quick things before we wrap up the blog for this week:

• Check out this awesome feature in the Pioneer on local couple Milt and Jamie Lee and all the wonderful work they’ve put in to help create the North Country Youth Radio Program!
• Don’t forget that May 18^h is Parks and Rec Day at Devotion Paintball.  Enjoy an afternoon of family fun playing laser tag and eating pizza! Registration deadline is tomorrow, the 17^th, and you can register by emailing parks.recreation@ci.bemidji.mn.us or call 218-333-1850.
• This weekend brings another roller derby bout at the John Glas Fieldhouse! There’s a Whistle Punks vs. Sioux Falls Killa Beez game at 5:30 PM  and then the Babe City Rollers All Stars vs. Sioux Falls Roller Dollz game at 7:00 PM. A portion of the night’s proceeds will be going to Backpack Buddies.  Entrance is $8 for adults, 5 and under FREE!

That’s all for now!  Enjoy the beautiful weather coming up!

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As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn

Greetings, Green Living Bemidji friends!  I was unable to post the blog last week because I was out of town, so here is a quick recap of last week’s event and details on tomorrow’s upcoming Sustainable Tuesday!

Sustainable Tuesdays goes for a ride!

We’d like to thank Josh Pearson and Kurt Wayne from Active Living Bemidji and Natalie Gille from BikeMN for hosting last week’s Sustainable Tuesday, kicking off Bemidji Bike and Walk Month!  After assembling at the Rail River Folk School and going over the great biking resources that Bemidji offers, plus some handy safety tips and need-to-know basics about biking, the group headed out for a group ride over the new Paul Bunyan Trail Bridge!  Check out this fantastic photo, courtesy of Natalie:

Unlike your average bicyclists, Sustainable Tuesday riders use their water bottle holders to transport young seedlings!  Here’s a tomato plant that Josh was carrying home on his bike:

Thanks so much for what looks like an awesome evening, everyone!  I’m really sad that I couldn’t be at this Sustainable Tuesday event in person, and I’m excited for when we can invite Active Living and BikeMN back again!  Thank you, Josh, Kurt, Natalie, and all who attended!

Speaking of bikes, May 13^th-17^th is Bike to Work Week!

Here’s the latest scoop from Active Living Bemidji:

“Where can bicyclists go during Bike to Work Week to receive FREE gifts just for biking to work? Ride your bike to an Energizer Station between 8AM – Noon and show your helmet to receive a free gift!

What is an Energizer Station?  Energizer Stations are designated locations set up throughout Bemidji during Bike to Work Week, May 13-17, 2012, for bicyclists to stop at during their bike commute and receive a FREE snack, beverage or other gifts.

Energizer Station locations 8AM -Noon

• Monday, May 13: Harmony Foods Co-op
• Tuesday, May 14: The Cabin Coffeehouse and Café
• Wednesday, May 15: Chamber of Commerce/Tourist Information Center
• Thursday, May 16: Bemidji City Hall
• Friday, May 17: The Bike Guys Ski and Bicycle Shop; Northern Cycle Bike Shop

FREE gifts at the Energizer Stations during Bike to Work Week (varies by location)

• Coffee, tea, or fountain soda, and fruit
• Athletic bags, water bottles, and t-shirts
• Energy Chews and Energy Bars
• Share the Road information and MN cycling law wallet version

Local sponsors of Bemidji Bike Month include: The Cabin Coffeehouse and Café, City of Bemidji, The Bike Guy Ski and Bicycle Shop, Shifting Gears, Active Living Bemidji, Northern Cycle Bike Shop, and Harmony Foods Co-op”

Tomorrow’s Sustainable Tuesdays is “Living Healthy on a Budget” – 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Rail River Folk School!

Eating healthy and shopping with an eco-friendly mindset doesn’t have to be hard on your budget. Join us for presentations by community members, including Lisa Knight from Harmony Coop, to learn how you can make the most out of your grocery shopping experience.  We’ll also have some tips for how you can utilize low-cost, healthy, non-toxic green cleaning methods in your home!

What are some ways that you live healthy without having to break the bank?  We’ll be sharing some tips of our own, but we’d love to hear what you do!  Bring some ideas to share with the group!

We hope to see you there!  Tuesday, May 14^th from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Rail River Folk School!

That’s all for this quick update!  Enjoy your week, everyone!

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As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn

Free E-Waste Recycling TODAY!  1-6pm at Paul and Babe!

Have old electronics that don’t work anymore?  Save yourself a trip to the transfer station and bring them to Paul and Babe (Paul Bunyan Park) TODAY (Thursday, May 2nd), anytime from 1-6pm!

5R Processors, Ltd, based in Ladysmith, WI, will be collecting this electronic waste and taking it back to their facility in Wisconsin to process.  BSU students will be volunteering to help you unload your electronics and heavier items.

Click here for a list of acceptable items.

This event is open to EVERYONE, community members or local businesses! We’d really like to fill up the truck this year, so please tell your friends about today’s event.

Earlier this week, Sustainable Tuesdays wrapped up our April line-up with a session on Backyard Composting!

We were joined by local resident Scott Merschman, who uses both hot and cold compost systems at his home and has had great success with them. Scott’s hot compost system can have compost ready in just three weeks, but requires regular turning.  His cold compost system takes around a year to create compost, but allows you to add food scraps and other compostables as you have them, while the hot compost system requires that you add them all at once.

Click here for a really handy article by Fine Gardening that explains the differences between hot and cold composting.

Scott also showed us a simple and low-cost way of creating a backyard compost bin with wooden pallets.  These are handy because the slats in the wood allow for great aeration.  If you’re thinking of making a bin yourself, here are some ideas for materials and size:

Materials. Bins can be built from scrap lumber, old pallets, snow fence, chicken wire, or concrete blocks. Typically, several types of composting bins are sold at hardware or lawn and garden stores.

Size. A pile or bin that is 1 cubic yard (3 feet high, 3 feet wide, 3 feet long) is small enough to be easily turned, but big enough to retain heat through most of the year. In the coldest part of the winter, the composting process may stop, but will start up again as soon as it warms up. Home compost piles shouldn’t be larger than 5′ x 5′ x 5′.

What can you compost in your bin?  The better question is: what CAN’T you compost?

The list of compostable materials is a mile long, and you’ll find that you can divert the majority of your household’s waste with a compost pile.  The Leech Lake Green Team has put together a fantastic list of compostable materials you’re likely to find in your home; check it out here!

Remember your “greens” and “browns”! Maintaining the right balance of green materials (nitrogen-rich, wet materials) and brown materials (carbon-rich, dry materials) will help you avoid any smell issues and make your compost pile break down even faster. Here’s a short list of examples:

Greens: food scraps, grass clippings, garden trimmings, fresh manure (only from herbivores like horses, cows, chickens, etc — no dog or cat manure!)

Browns: dry leaves, straw, sawdust, wood chips, shredded paper, cardboard, dryer lint

Looking for more resources?

• EPA’s Backyard Composting Guide (this is one of the handouts we had available on Tuesday)
• Start Composting in Your Backyard (tips and instructions from the MPCA, plus links to more great resources)
• Here’s The Dirt: A Backyard Composting Guide (a very handy printable brochure with step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting guide)
• U of M Extension’s Guide to Composting and Mulching (very detailed for those interested in the exact science)

Goodbye April, hello May!  May’s Sustainable Tuesday line-up is all about Community Health!  Click here for a PDF of our poster! 

When: Every Tuesday in May from 5:30 to 7:30pm

Where: Rail River Folk School (303 Railroad St SW, across the Irvine overpass and to left)

Tuesday, May 7^th: All About Bicycling + Community Bike Ride!

• May is National Bike Month!  To kick off the month, we’ll be joined by Active Living Bemidji and BikeMN.  Come learn about these great organizations and how they’ve improved biking and walking in the Bemidji area. Then, get to know your bike with some “Need to Know” biking tips before we take a spin on the trail!  Bring your bike and helmet if you’d like to join us for a bike ride!  There will be a tire pump if your tires need some air.

Tuesday, May 14^th: Living Healthy on a Budget

• Eating healthy and shopping with an eco-friendly mindset doesn’t have to be hard on your budget.  Join us for presentations by different community members on how to live healthy on a budget. Learn how to make the most out of your grocery shopping experience, plan healthy meals for the week, take advantage of the free activities the Bemidji area has to offer, and more!

Tuesday, May 21^st: Sustainable Healthcare

• What can health care systems learn from CSAs, cooperatives, collectives, and other local sustainability movements?  What does sustainable health care look like to both patients and healthcare workers?  Join us for a conversation with local practitioner Diane Pittman about community-oriented medical practice.  This is a great opportunity to share your visions about sustainable healthcare in our community!

Tuesday, May 28^th: Help Plant the “We Digg It!” Garden

• It’s time to plant those seedlings!  Join us at the Rail River Folk School’s “We Digg It!” community and learning garden to dig in the dirt and plant some delicious veggies. If you’re new to gardening and want to get in on the action, this is the session for you!

We’re really excited for May’s line up, and we hope you are too!  If you have any questions about our events this month, or ideas for events you’d like to see this summer, please contact me (Caitlyn) at 755-3765 or Simone at 751-4967.

Next week: All About Bicycles + Community Bike Ride!

Spring is here, and that means it’s time to dust off your bike and get ready to ride!  Join us at the Rail River Folk School on Tuesday, May 7^th at 5:30pm for a night all about biking!  We’ll be joined by Josh Pearson and Kurt Wayne from Active Living Bemidji and Natalie Gille from BikeMN.  We’ll start off the evening by learning about what these organizations have done to improve biking and walking in the Bemidji area, take a closer look at our own bikes and review some bike safety, and then hit the trails for a ride!

Natalie Gille of BikeMN is going to show us some “Need to Know” bike basics before we go on our ride.  Bring your helmets to learn how to properly fit them.  Bring your bike and learn how to conduct an “ABC Quick Check” on your bike before the ride.  We’ll also learn more about these great tips!

• Practice bike handling skills to better control your bike
•  Wear a helmet fitted correctly
•  Perform ABC Quick Check on your bike before each ride
• Ride on the right and obey all traffic control devices
• Ride predictably; be visible at all times
• Scan for traffic; signal lane changes and turns
• Drink before you are thirsty; eat before you are hungry

This is a fun opportunity for the whole family, and a great way to kick off Bemidj Bike and Walk Month! Please bring your bike and helmet if you’d like to join us for the ride.

Should there be bad weather, we will STILL meet to learn more about biking , but will skip the actual ride.

Hope to see you there!  Tuesday, May 7^th at the Rail River Folk School from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

National Bike Month in Bemidji is more than just about bicycling!  Bemidji is declaring it to be “Bemidji Bike and Walk Month,” to recognize all the ways that our city supports bicyclists and pedestrians. 

Check out the different ways you can participate:

• Mayor Albrecht will be signing a proclamation declaring May as Bemidji Bike and Walk Month at the May 6^th Council Meeting at 7pm – all are welcome to join and show your support!
• Bike to Work Week is May 13^th through May 17th
  • Give biking a try!  Many commuters find it difficult to change their morning routine, but during this week we’re challenging you to ditch the car, save some gas, and get some exercise by biking to work!
  • There will be “Energizer Stations” located throughout town, where you can stop and get a nice reward for biking to work.
  • You’ll be surprised at how healthy you’ll feel when you get that nice, morning exercise and dose of fresh air.
  • Try timing your commute!  Bicyclists often get you to work faster than your car could, plus there’s no searching for a parking spot.
  • Worried about getting sweaty?  What about carrying your stuff?  Bring a backpack with anything you need for work, including a quick change of clothes.
• Bemidji Police Department’s Bike Auction on May 7^th– 5:00pm at the Police Training Center on Rako Street
  • Looking for a cheap bike?  Stop by the auction and see what the city has available.  This event starts at 5:00, and you can follow it with a trip over to Sustainable Tuesdays!

That’s all for this week!  Next week is supposed to bring some warmer weather (fingers crossed!). Enjoy the rest of the week, and don’t forget to drop off your old electronics to be recycled at Paul and Babe today!

—

As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn

Greetings, Bemidji friends!  Here’s our weekly update with a bunch of new events to keep an eye out for.

Earlier this week, Sustainable Tuesdays took part in Bemidji State’s Earth Week events and hosted a GMO Labeling panel on BSU’s campus! 

We had a fabulous line-up of panelists who came together to share their perspectives on issues surrounding genetically modified foods.

Trevor Smith and Zane Hensel are two Bemidji State Students who joined the panel.  Trevor and Zane are part of a group of students on campus who are advocating for the labeling of GMO foods. They support H.F. 850 and S.F. 821, two bills in Minnesota’s legislature which would require the labeling of genetically modified food in Minnesota. They spoke to why college students should care about GMO labeling, and about the campaign they are currently a part of.  You can support their efforts by signing their petition “Support GMO Labeling in Minnesota” on SignOn.org – click here to sign and then share with your friends!

You can also “like” their facebook page, Right To Know: MN Colleges for GMO Labeling.

Lisa Weiskopf, the Fresh Foods Manager at Harmony Coop, also spoke about Harmony’s experiences as a retailer and how GMO labeling would be beneficial for businesses.  Lisa also talked about what she’s noticed shoppers looking for when they come to Harmony, and has definitely seen a trend in people who are becoming more conscious about what they are putting into their bodies.

Cheryl Krystosek, a certified organic farmer and owner of Chill Creek Ridge CSA, and Michael Kerr, whose family practices organic farming, both shared their thoughts on how GMOs impact farmers.  They commented on the dangers of GMO crops cross pollinating with organic crops, the lack of biodiversity in what we’re able to grow today, and the lack of support and resources provided to small, organic farms.

Wendy Greenberg, a Biology professor with a background in soil science, provided the more technical description for us about what genetic modification is and how it impacts crops and the soil.  We owe Wendy a HUGE thank you for having to sum all that up for us in just a few minutes!

Jessica Saucedo, co-owner of the Rail River Folk School, has done a lot of recent work with supporting Minnesota’s Food Charter.  Jess provided us with great insights into the health of our community, the importance of education about our food system, and so much more!

This brief description can’t even sum up all the great comments and discussion that came out of this panel.  But good news – we did have the panel filmed so you can watch it the footage if you missed it!  This will be coming soon; we will post it as soon as it’s available.

Thank you again to all our panelists and to the students and community members who came out to support this event!

Next week’s Sustainable Tuesdays is Backyard Composting with Scott Merschman! 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Rail River Folk School.

Earlier this month we made vermiculture bins to help you reduce your household’s food waste. But if you have the space in your backyard, you could also create a backyard composting bin for your extra food waste AND yard waste. This is another great system to help you create great compost for your garden.

Scott Merschman will be hosting next week’s event – he’s been composting for awhile now and has developed a quick and efficient system that he’ll be sharing with us.  He’ll show us how to assemble a simple compost bin for a backyard space and field all of your compost-related questions!

Are you curious about what to add to your compost pile? Need help finding that balance of “browns” and “greens”?  Want to go home with some tips and tricks to make your pile produce compost faster?  This is the workshop for you!

When: Tuesday, April 30^th from 5:30 to 7:30pm

Where: Rail River Folk School, 303 Railroad St SW (across the Irvine bridge and to the left)

Community Connect Forum this Saturday!  FREE Registration ends TODAY!

Check out the newsletter here for more details: http://und.edu/centers/community-engagement/newsroom/2013-newsletter.pdf

From the newsletter: “Communities in North Dakota and Minnesota are working hard to make themselves sustainable into the future by reinventing their leadership roles, pioneering new business models, and going green. You are invited to talk about these and other strategies for sustainability at a community university forum Saturday, April 27.

The annual Community Connect Forum, coordinated by the University of North Dakota Center for Community Engagement, will be hosted this year by Warren, Minn., a 30 mile drive from Grand Forks. Community members, faculty, and students from around the region will gather for this year’s theme of “Sustainable Communities.” Forum participants are sure to come away with ideas, knowledge, and connections from panelists, workshops, and exhibits.”

Registration for this event is completely FREE, but today is the last day to register! Follow this link to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1K3F0FMq_SJyf6zzjFDoiw2AkR8zRCADrEXQ9vR-Wu0U/viewform

NOTE: If you’re interested in attending and would like to carpool, Erika Bailey-Johnson, Bemidji State’s Sustainability Coordinator, will be leaving from Bemidji on Saturday morning at 7:30am and leaving to return from Warren around 3:00pm!  She has room in her vehicle for three more people.  Please contact her at ebaileyjohnson@bemidjistate.edu or 218-755-2560 if you are interested in joining!

FREE E-Waste Collection Event on Thursday, May 2^nd from 1-6pm at Paul and Babe!

Have old electronics that don’t work anymore?  Save yourself a trip to the transfer station and bring them to Paul and Babe next Thursday!

5R Processors, Ltd, based in Ladysmith, WI, will be collecting this electronic waste and taking it back to their facility in Wisconsin to process. BSU students will be volunteering to help you unload your electronics and heavier items.

Click here for a list of acceptable items.

This event is open to EVERYONE, community members or local businesses! We’d really like to fill up the truck this year, so please tell your friends about this event.

City of Bemidji’s Sustainability Committee meeting next week!

The Sustainability Committee meets on the first Wednesday of every month from 6:30 to 8:30pm!  Join us in the conference room at City Hall.  These meetings are always open to the public.  We’ll be discussing the latest updates on the MN GreenStep Cities program and our upcoming Sustainable Homes Tour!  And speaking of that …

2^nd Annual Sustainable Homes Tour – A Call for Homes!

The Sustainability Committee is putting out a call for homes!  We are organizing the 2^nd Annual Sustainable Homes Tour this July 27^th and are still looking for a few more houses to feature!

Have an energy-efficient project you’ve installed in your home?  Have you incorporated sustainable architecture or green building in your home’s design?  Would you like to share your knowledge with community members who are interested in doing the same?

Contact me about featuring your home on our tour and get some more details!  Please email me at cschuchhardt@bemidjistate.edu or call 218-755-3765.

That’s all for this week!  Rumor has it that it’s going to be sunny and warm the next few days – fingers crossed!

—

As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn

Hello, Green Living Bemidji followers!    We’ve got an exciting week coming up. Next week is Earth Week, which brings you a jam-packed schedule of events at Bemidji State.  Many of these are open to the public, so don’t miss these great opportunities to learn more about climate change, where your trash goes, being a vegetarian, Minnesota’s Food Charter, GMO labeling, and electronic waste disposal!   Yeah – that’s a LOT of topics.  The full schedule of events will be posted further below on the blog, but first I wanted to highlight the AMAZING workshop we had last Tuesday!

This past Tuesday, over 25 families went home with worm bins! 

A full house!

What a night!  What a crowd!  I could not have imagined a better turnout for this event.  We packed the Rail River Folk School for this “Vermiculture 101” presentation.  Josh Burnham, of Headwaters Worm Castings, and Rochelle Quick, an experienced vermiculture bin-maker, joined us and told us all about the power of worms and worm poop!  It sounds crazy, but it’s a wonderful way to reduce the food waste in your kitchen and create beautiful, nutrient-rich dirt for your garden or plants.

Rochelle shows off the inside of her worm bin

For those of you who went home with worm bins, here are some fantastic resources to consult for more information about your worms.  We ran out of our vermiculture handouts last night, but that same information on the handout is located on this site, with thanks to the MPCA: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/living-green/living-green-citizen/compost/composting-food-scraps-indoors.html

Participants drill holes to create their worm bins

How are your worms doing?  I heard that some people had worms trying to escape the first night – do not panic!  This is totally normal.  If you found your worms trying to get out of your bin, it is likely because they haven’t adjusted to their new environment. If this is still happening, remember to keep your worm bin in a lighted room (or keep a lamp next to your bin).  Worms do not like direct light, so they will stay inside the bin if there’s a light source outside.  They should be used to their new bin within a few days.  If you are still experiencing issues, it may be that your bin is either too wet or too dry – worms will try and escape conditions that they don’t like, so if you find them trying to crawl away in the future, it is a sign that something might be up.

Also, here’s a quick, basic guideline of what you can and can’t feed your worms:

YES:

• Vegetable & fruit waste (citrus fruit should be added in moderation, if at all – they make the bin too acidic for the worms)
• Starchy materials – bread, pasta, rice, potatoes – all in moderation (beginners may want to avoid these altogether initially until your worms adjust)
• Shredded newspaper, used paper towels (unbleached), cardboard (worms really love cardboard!)
• Egg shells (best if ground up and in moderation)
• Coffee grounds
• Tea bags

NO:

• Meat or dairy products
• Oily or greasy food
• Human/pet waste
• Non biodegradable materials
• Harsh chemicals

As Rochelle suggested, it works well to store your food scraps in a container in the fridge or freezer, then use those scraps to feed your worms (once or twice a week, depending on how much food waste your family produces).

Every time you feed your worms, it’s a good idea to cover the food waste with bedding materials – shredded cardboard or newspaper makes great bedding for this.  It’s a great way to use up those empty toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls, too!

Remember:  We want to make sure that you and your worms are happy and healthy.  If you have questions about maintaining your worm bin, please don’t hesitate to contact Josh, Rochelle, or myself.  We want this to be a great experience for you, and these first few weeks of “learning” about the worm bin may be a little confusing.  Please let us know your questions — email me at cschuchhardt@bemidjistate.edu.

And most importantly:  If at any point you decide that you no longer want your worms, please do not dispose of them.  Contact us and we will find them a new home!

Some of our youngest attendees learning about red wiggler worms

Next week’s Sustainable Tuesdays is a part of BSU’s Earth Week!  Join us on Bemidji State’s campus for panel discussion on GMO Labeling! 

What exactly are GMOs, or genetically modified organisms?  How do they affect the health of our families, our farmers, and our land?  How would labeling GMOs affect consumers?

If you find yourself asking these questions, then this is the panel for you. Being an informed consumer and being able to make informed choices about what you put into your body is critical.  When it comes to the health of people and the environment, consumers need to know where their products are coming from and what is going into them — especially when it comes to food.

We are hosting a panel discussion on the labeling of genetically modified foods, with the hopes of creating community-based conversation about the issues surrounding GMOs.  This is especially relevant considering the current legislation in Minnesota’s House and Senate right now–H.F. 850 and S.F. 821, which would require the labeling of genetically modified foods.

We are not out to “take sides” on this issue, but want to foster a conversation that brings together different perspectives. At this event, we’ll have students, grocers, farmers, teachers, and consumers to talk about their perspective on GMOs and labeling.  Here’s our line-up of panelists:

• Trevor Smith and Zane Hensel:  Trevor and Zane are two BSU students who are part of a student-led campaign to support GMO labeling.  They have been working with Right to Know Minnesota to help inform college students about their right to know what’s in their food.  You can check out this student group’s facebook page at Right To Know: MN Colleges for GMO Labeling.
• Lisa Weiskopf: Lisa is the Fresh Foods Manager and Community Kitchen Coordinator at Harmony Foods Co-op.  She’s been employed there for 18 years and also represents the Co-op on Headwaters Food Sovereignty Council.
• Cheryl Krystosek: Cheryl and her husband operate Chill Creek Ridge, a certified organic CSA.
• Michael Kerr:  Michael and his family operate an organic farm and are a part of the local farmer’s market.
• Wendy Greenberg: Wendy is a Biology professor and soil scientist at BSU
• Jessica Saucedo:  Jessica is the co-owner of the Rail River Folk School and a consumer who likes to make informed decisions about her purchases for the health of her family.

Please join us for this panel discussion, which will take place on BSU’s campus in Hagg-Sauer 112 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.   The closest parking lot (available for public use after 5pm) is in the American Indian Resource Center lot (the round building near the football field).  Hagg-Sauer, if you haven’t been on campus before, is the building closest to the lake and next to the football field.  From the AIRC lot, follow the road to the lake and you will run right into Hagg-Sauer!  Room 112 is on the first floor.

Hope to see you there!

If you are interested in supporting clean energy, this upcoming event might be for you!  Please note that there is FREE transportation to and from the cities (all on Monday), with lunch included!

Monday, April 22^nd is not only Earth Day, but a day that many citizens in Minnesota are gathering to rally for clean energy and jobs.  To learn more about the Clean Energy and Jobs Day of Action, please visit www.cleanenergyjobs.mn.

Thousands of people will be rallying at the Capitol, and if you are interested in riding a free bus to St. Paul to join them, please RSVP to lukejohnson@mepartnership.org.  Title your email “Bemidji Bus RSVP” and provide your name, phone number, and preferred time of leaving Bemdiji.  The bus is tentatively schedule to leave Bemidji at 7:30am and can stop at several places in and around town.  It will return Monday night to the John Glas Fieldhouse parking lot at BSU.

If you have questions about this event, contact Luke Johnson or Matt Norton at Minnesota Environmental Partnership: 651-290-0154.

Next week is Earth Week at BSU and there are a LOT of opportunities to get involved!

• Saturday is the String into Spring 5K/10K Run/Walk!  9am at the Rec Center.  You could win $100 towards a pair of shoes just for plugging along!  Registration forms are available at the Rec Center or the BSU Sustainability Office.  First 100 registrants are guaranteed a t-shirt!

• Learn more about climate change by watching the new documentary, Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science (http://thiniceclimate.org) at 7pm on Monday, April 22^nd in Hagg-Sauer 100.  Here’s a brief synopsis from the website: “In recent years climate science has come under increasing attack, so geologist Simon Lamb took his camera to find out what is really going on from his climate science colleagues.”

• If you’re interested in learning more about genetically modified foods and GMO labeling, come to Sustainable Tuesday’s panel presentation from 5:30 to 7:30pm in Hagg-Sauer 112! 

• On Wednesday at 7pm in Hagg-Sauer 100, check out the documentary “Garbage Island” and enjoy some free popcorn!  Here’s a snippet: “Located between North America and Asia lies an island the size of Texas. This island is made up completely of human garbage: a sludge of plastic, metal, and decapitated Barbie dolls – and the island is growing. First predicted in the late 1980′s, “Garbage Island” has become a reality. An area of the Pacific Ocean has become so choked with floating garbage that ice breaker ships are often needed to travel through the area. As the human population continues to grow and expend more and more of the Earth’s resources, so too grows Garbage Island. VICE has created a fantastic documentary about the dirtiest island in history – and perhaps humanity’s legacy?”

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

• Thursday, April 25^th from 5:30 to 7:30pm, learn more about being a vegetarian!   Watch the documentary “Vegucated,” sample vegetarian food, and listen to a panel of students talk about their experiences being vegetarian on a budget.

• The following week, on Monday, April 29^th from 4-5pm in Hagg-Sauer 112, is another opportunity to be a part of the Minnesota Food Charter!  You’ll learn what the Food Charter is, provide your input on food-related matters in MN, and have the opportunity to connect with others interested in the future of MN’s food system! (http://mnfoodcharter.com/get-involved/events/minnesota-food-charter-session-at-bemidji-state-university/)

• Do you have old electronics you don’t need anymore?  Bring them to the E-Waste Collection event on Thursday, May 2^nd from 1-6pm at Paul and Babe!  There will be a large semi-trailer and a group of BSU volunteers to help take your electronic waste off your hands, completely free of charge!  Stop by any time between 1-6pm and save yourself a trip to the transfer station.

Also coming up is a training workshop for volunteers interested in teaching others about aquatic invasive species, a special workshop offered by the DNR!

“Are you interested in becoming an Aquatic Invasive Species Volunteer? The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Northwest Region is offering volunteer training workshops for citizens interested in informing the public about aquatic invasive species (AIS) and how to slow their spread.  The training session for Bemidji has been scheduled for Saturday, April 27, 9 a.m.-noon, Northern Town Hall, 445 Town Hall Road NW, Bemidji.

Training sessions must have a minimum of 20 attendees. Anyone interested in attending a training session should contact Nathan Olson, 218-739-7576, ext. 259, or nathan.olson@state.mn.us and include contact information in case of cancellations.

Minnesota’s water resources are threatened by numerous aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and spiny waterfleas. These species could be easily spread within the state if citizens, businesses and visitors don’t take steps to contain them. It is illegal to transport any aquatic plants, zebra mussels, New Zealand mudsnails or other prohibited invasive species, or to launch a boat or trailer with these species attached.”

For more information on invasive species, visit http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais_volunteer.html

That’s all for now!  I hope that you take advantage of this weekend’s great opportunities, despite this weird snowy weather.  Don’t forget about tonight’s Pecha Kucha at the Sanford Center at 6:30pm.  There’s a big indoor garage sale happening at the Sanford Center this weekend too, and the Babe City Rollers are having a bout on Saturday night at the John Glas Fieldhouse, starting at 5pm!  Have fun!

—

As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn

Greetings, Green Living Bemidji friends!  We got a little taste of something “green” during this week’s Sustainable Tuesdays seed starting workshop.  The weather has yet to respond in kind, but that’s okay.  Spring will be on its way soon, and we’ll be ready for it!

Lots and lots of great events are coming our way!  But first, a look back at last week’s Seed Starting Workshop:

What a wonderful night!  We were so grateful to have both Jessica Saucedo, co-owner of the Rail River Folk School, and Cheryl Krystosek, of Chill Creek Ridge (an organic certified CSA), joining us for this workshop. Jessica and Cheryl both gave short presentations, introducing us to the basics of seed starting, some tips and tricks for success, and so much more!  There were a lot of creative ideas floating around the room, so thank you to all that participated and shared your knowledge!

If you missed this event and are looking for some resources for seed starting, check out these great links, courtesy of Jessica!

• Guide to Companion Planting (PDF)
• Garden Planner for Traditional Garden Plot 
• Garden Planner for Kitchen Gardens
• Advanced Technical Planting ie: frost dates, moon cycles, etc..

Once again, thanks to all that participated in our seed starting workshop.  We had a blast and it was so rejuvenating to dig in the dirt and get that little connection to spring.  Thanks to those who participated, to Jessica and Cheryl for sharing their knowledge, and to those who donated seeds and containers to make this event happen! 

Next week’s is our Vermiculture Workshop!  Come make your own worm bin on Tuesday, April 16^th from 5:30 to 7:30pm!

We’re equipping you with one of the easiest ways to harvest some of the most powerful fertilizer out there: worm poop!  No, we’re not kidding.  We are going to be making vermiculture bins (worm bins) that will not only help you divert food waste from your kitchen, but also be a source of nutrient-rich vermicompost (worm castings), that are SO helpful and good for your garden and plants!

We are really excited to have Rochelle Quick, a local vermiculture enthusiast, and Josh Burnham, from Headwaters Worm Castings, at this workshop to tell us all about worms and the amazing things they can do. We will learn how to make our own worm bins (and then take them home!), what food can or can’t go in your worm bin, how to harvest the worm castings from your bin, and more.

Come join this great hands on event and take home a simple, incredibly easy to use and maintain worm bin! The workshop itself is free to attend, but if you’d like to take one of our provided bins home (worms and bedding material included), PLEASE email me at cschuchhardt@bemidjistate.edu to reserve a bin by THIS SATURDAY at 5pm. The cost is $20, due when you arrive at the workshop.

If you’d like to provide your own bin for the worms, you can feel free to bring your own (you’ll need TWO totes, opaque in color and preferably 10-gallon sized) and we will set you up with worms and bedding material for half the price.

Also, if you plan on attending this workshop and have an extra drill or two (and a 1/16^th size drill bit), we could use as many as possible to speed up the bin-making process.

Hope to see you there!

When: Tuesday, April 16^th from 5:30 to 7:30pm

Where: Rail River Folk School (303 Railroad St SW, across the Irvine bridge and to the left)

There are a lot of awesome events happening this weekend and next week!

Don’t forget that this weekend is the 40^th Annual Traditional Powwow sponsored by the Bemidji State University Council of Indian Students!

The event is April 12-14, with grand entries at 7:00 pm Friday, 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm Saturday, and again at 1:00 on Sunday.  People of all cultures are welcome to come watch the musical and artistic talent of the first people on the land in motion!

There is a film screening of “Island President” at 6:00pm in Hagg-Sauer 100, the first event of BSU’s “Earth Week” events! This is part of a national screening and will feature an online web discussion with the director after the event! 

Click here to watch the trailer and learn about the Maldives’ desperate struggle against climate change. And the tough decisions their President has been faced with.

From the website: “After bringing democracy to the Maldives after thirty years of despotic rule, Nasheed is now faced with an even greater challenge: as one of the most low-lying countries in the world, a rise of three feet in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands of the Maldives enough to make them uninhabitable.”

This is a great opportunity learn about how climate changes is affecting countries around the world.  Hope see you there!

And if you’re interested in a full schedule of all the awesome Earth Week events coming up at Bemidji State, check out the Sustainabilty Office’s calendar here!

This coming Thursday, April 18^th is the next Pechu Kucha!

At the George W. Neilson Convention Center (GATE 4: The Sanford Center)
Doors open at 6 p.m. Presentations begin at 6:30 p.m.
Free & Open to the Public

“You know what Pecha Kucha Night is, right? If you don’t, here’s the gist: each pecha kucha (or “20×20”) is a fresh, locally harvested presentation. Speakers take turns giving six-minute-forty-second presentations, which are made up of exactly 20 slides shown for exactly 20 seconds. Presenters can talk about any topic, but they must keep it brief. In the spirit of sharing stories and talents, local artists also put their work on display! You can meet the artists and admire their creations before the event or during intermission.”

What an awesome way to support community members and hear their stories!  Check out the local website for more info! http://www.pechakucha.org/cities/bemidji

Also coming up on the 18^th is the Kids Bike Rodeo!

Thursday, April 18 from 3:30pm – 7:30pm at Nymore Arena, 200 Pershing Ave SE

“Youth ages 3 to 16 are invited to this free event. Rain or shine this indoor event will be fun for all with safety checks, skills stations, prizes, and the famous bicycle blender. Youth will learn and practice basic bike skills, such as starting and stopping, hand signals, and how to safely avoid obstacles. We will be doing safety checks and basic mechanical inspections. Free helmets will be available while they last. Bikes and helmets are required to participate. There will be a limited number of kids bikes given away on a first come first served basis. These are used bikes that have been donated by members of the community and repaired into working condition by Shifting Gears. Parents must be present.

More info: 218-308-0294 or email pitdi@paulbunyan.net

Register for next weekend’s Stride into Spring 5K/10K on April 20^th at 9:00am!

The more people run, the faster the snow will melt, right?

Pick up a registration form at the Gillett Recreation Fitness Center front desk or the BSU Sustainability Office.  There are some great shoe-related prizes for students and non-students, courtesy of Herington Shoes in downtown Bemidji, plus some awesome t-shirts available!

I’m crossing my fingers that we won’t be running in snow!

That’s all for this week. Have a great weekend, everyone, and try to stay warm with this next bout of predicted snow.  Here’s to hoping spring is on its way!

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As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn

Hello, Green Living Bemidji friends!  The end of the week is almost here, and we’ve got the dish on the latest sustainability-related events coming up soon!

But first, a look at this week’s sugar bush adventure!

Sustainable Tuesdays took a field trip out to Leech Lake Tribal College to learn all about sugar bush camps, how to tap trees, and how to boil down sap to make syrup!  I went into this class knowing next to nothing about this topic and left with a wealth of knowledge!  A HUGE thank you to Jody DeVault and Shirley Nordrum for sharing their knowledge about sugar bushing and creating this opportunity to get hands-on experience!

They’ve set up a sugar bush camp near Bena for those interested in learning more about the process – you can go out there and help them tap trees and keep the camp going during the next few weeks (the sap really started to get flowing just the other day!) .  And when they’ve collected all that sap, there will be three boiling days to show people how that process works.  This is a great opportunity to learn firsthand about sugar bushing and the maple syrup making process.  If you’d like to be connected with class and learn more about how to get involved in this sugar bush, contact Jody at (218) 820-4482.

Thanks again to Jody and Shirley!  We really enjoyed listening to you both as you explained the important connection to nature that sugar bushing has and talked about your personal growth from participating in this tradition.  Thanks for all you do!

Next Sustainable Tuesday is our Seed Starting Workshop on April 9^th from 5:30 to 7:30pm!

There’s no need to register for this event – it’s free and open to everyone!  We’ll have some seeds available, but you can of course bring your own. We’ll also provide soil and some containers.  If you have extra containers that you’re willing to share with the group, we’d appreciate if you’d bring them!  We will certainly put them to good use!

We  are really excited to get planting!  We’ll have some experienced gardeners to share tips and tricks with us – Jessica Saucedo and Cheryl Krystosek will be helping host this workshop and answer your seed starting questions.

Hope to see you Tuesday!  5:30 to 7:30pm at the Rail River Folk School (303 Railroad St SW, across the Irvine bridge and to the left).

A special note about our vermiculture workshop on April 16^th!

I’ve had a couple questions about our upcoming vermiculture workshop and wanted to address some confusing points – I should have been clearer in the details I provided, oops!

•  The workshop itself is free to attend – anyone is welcome to come learn how to make a homemade vermiculture bin.

• BUT if you want you leave on Tuesday night with a new worm bin of or your own, please bring $20 to assist in covering material costs.  We will provide bins, worms, and bedding material – but you must let me know if you want to reserve bins from us by emailing me at cschuchhardt@bemidjistate.edu.  Please let me know by Saturday, April 13th!

• We will be providing 10 gallon-sized OPAQUE (not see-through) bins – worms don’t like light, so the bins must be opaque!  If you want to bring your own bins, they can be whatever brand you want, though we will be drilling holes in them and thin, hard plastic will crack easily.  We recommend a Rubbermaid or equivalent style of bin (sturdier plastic, less likely to crack when drilled through)

• We are constructing our worm bins with a two-bin system (one bin sitting inside another, allowing for drainage).  If you bring your own materials, you will need to bring TWO bins (of the same size).  If you bring your own, you can get worms and bedding for a reduced price.

SPECIAL REQUEST:  We are looking for some extra drills to share with the group!  If you are coming to the workshop and have an extra drill and a 1/16 drill bit you would be willing to share for the duration of the workshop, that would be greatly appreciated!  Part of the bin making process requires that we drill holes in the bin, and this goes much faster with the more drills we have!

Don’t forget about the other exciting garden-related events this month!

• I mentioned this last week as well, but just another shout out that the Master Gardeners are hosting a Garden Party and Workshop on April 13^th – they’ve got a great line-up of workshops and speakers, including the University of Minnesota’s Climatologist Dr. Mark Seeley, who will be speaking about “How Our Minnesota Weather is Changing.”   Registration at the door is $15, but does not include lunch.

• The Bemidji Public Library is also hosting a Gardening Program Lecture Series, with upcoming presentations on April 11^th and April 25^th.  These programs are at 12pm at the library and are presented in collaboration with the Friends of Bemidji Public Library and the Beltrami County Master Gardeners!

Coming up this weekend is the Home Sport and Travel Show!  April 5-7^th at the Sanford Center!

There are some great opportunities to learn about sustainability, active living, and healthy food at this event!  Here is just a small sampling of the sessions being offered – check out the full list on the Home Sport and Travel Show facebook event page!

11 AM Sustainable Backyard Makeover
Keith Kinnen, PLA 
Karvakko Engineering

• We will explore different ways to turn that back yard into the oasis you have always wanted with sustainable practices. We will review the importance of sustainability and the benefits, look at examples and talk about how to implement them into your own landscape!

1 PM Bicycle Maintenance Seminar
Sam Smith, Owner
Itasca Sports, Inc.

• Get ready for spring with an informational bicycle seminar hosted by Sam, The Bikesmith. Learn how to fit your bicycle properly, fix a flat, do on-the-spot adjustments, brake and derailleur adjustment, tool use and techniques, and basic maintenance. Sam Smith, owner of Itasca Sports in Itasca State Park, has been a bicycle mechanic for more than 16 years. Sam maintains the largest bicycle rental fleet in Minnesota, with more than 150 bicycles, along with the many private bikes he repairs each year. If cycling peaks your interest, this seminar is a perfect fit!

4 PM Easy, Healthful Foods for an Active Lifestyle
Lisa Knights, Manager of Supplements, Bulk Spices & Educational Departments
Harmony Co-op

• Join Lisa as she shares with you how you can spend more time doing the things you love such as hiking, biking, or being on the water and spend less time cooking! You can still eat healthy using easy whole foods from a few staple ingredients.

And if you’re out and about at the Home Sport and Travel Show, keep an eye out for our Sustainable Homes Tour posters – you can find them at Zetah Construction booth and Karvakko Engineering!

Speaking of which … it’s time to SAVE THE DATE!  Saturday, July 27^th, 2013 marks the return of Bemidji’s Sustainable Homes Tour!

Last year’s event was such a success that we’re bringing the Sustainable Homes Tour back again!  This tour, born from the minds of the Bemdiji Sustainability Committee, is a great opportunity to learn more about what residents in the Bemidji area are doing to  make their homes more sustainable!  Check out the details on our poster!

We are looking for more homes to include in this tour!  Are you interested in featuring your home?  Have questions or suggestions?  Contact me (Caitlyn) at cschuchhardt@bemidjistate.edu or 755-3765.  You can also come visit with the Bemidji Sustainability Committee in person during our monthly meetings – the next one is coming up on May 1^st at 6:30pm!

Also, don’t forget to register for Tuesday’s Minnesota Food Charter Northwest Kickoff event that I mentioned last week! You can still sign up and it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about our food system here in Northwest Minnesota!  Go here for more details!

That’s all for the week!  Have a good one, friends!

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As always, our program depends on your input and feedback, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to broaden our community. Sustainable Tuesdays feature a variety of learning opportunities focused on sustainability that connect our beautiful, vibrant community and is a partnership program with the Indigenous Environmental Network, MN GreenCorps, Rail River Folk School and BSU’s Sustainability Office.

For more information, contact Caitlyn Schuchhardt at 755-3765 or Simone Senogles at 751-4967.

With peace,

Caitlyn