$250,000 in Grants Available For Water Quality Projects (aka Green Roofs!)
Water pollution comes from many different sources, including our everyday activities. How we care for our yards and grounds, wash and maintain our cars, and even dispose of pet waste can contribute to water pollution in the Mississippi River. The hard surfaces of our driveways, sidewalks, and pathways increase the amount of stormwater entering the stormdrains. There are many choices we can make to reduce these harmful impacts on water quality.
Become a partner organization with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) by applying for a Stewardship Fund grant to work together to improve water quality in the MWMO. The MWMO includes parts of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, the City of Saint Anthony Village, and Lauderdale.
Projects funded through the Stewardship Fund Program should achieve the following:
1) Improve water quality or improve water and natural resource management
2) Build community understanding, knowledge, and initiative related to water and natural resource issues and solutions
$250,000 is available annually through three types of grants
Mini Grants up to $2,000 – February 1, June 1, and October 1 cycles each year
Planning Grants up to $10,000 – February 1 annual cycle
Action Grants up to $50,000 – October 1 annual cycle
Nonprofit organizations, officially recognized neighborhood groups, schools, local units of government, and business and professional associations are eligible to apply. Individuals, home owners associations and condominium associations, and private businesses may partner with eligible applicants in order to apply.
Letters of Interest for Mini and Planning Grants due Wednesday, February 1, 2012 by 3:00 pm
For information about the application process, visit www.mwmo.org/stewardshipfund.html
Attend a Stewardship Fund Program Information Session at the MWMO’s new office building located at: 2522 Marshall St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
Wednesday, January 18, 3-4 pm
For more information contact Erica, Education and Outreach Specialist, at esniegowski@mwmo.org, or (612) 465-8780, ext. 206
Green Roofs, Goats & Glogg
The Minnesota Green Roofs Council invites you to a Green Roof Happy Hour at the Red Stag in Minneapolis! We’re getting together from 4:30 to 6:30 on Wednesday, December 14th to enjoy a few refreshments and hear about the famous green roof goats. Actually, the of Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Door County, Wisconsin was renovated by Tecta America this past year and Angie Durhman will give a short overview of the project.
Whether you’re a green roof designer, installer, owner, or just an enthusiast, this is a great opportunity to meet other folks in the green roof industry and talk about what you’re up to – or what you’d like to be up to. Free appetizers will be provided for our guests, beverages are on your own.
The Red Stag Supper Club, Minnesota’s first LEED-CI certified restaurant in Minnesota, is located at 509 1st Avenue N.E. in beautiful Nordeast Minneapolis. Reservations are not required, but we’d love to know if you’re coming; please contact us at mngreenroofs@gmail.com with any questions or comments.
It’s Give to the Max Day!
Give to the Max Day is the easiest, quickest way to support green roofs in Minnesota. Every donation, no matter how small, enters the Minnesota Green Roofs Council to win one of 24 Golden Tickets -- $1,000 prize grants given randomly every hour -- and one $10,000 Grand Golden Ticket given just before midnight. Just click here and donate any amount you like. We're a small, all-volunteer organization, so even very small donations make a big difference!
And if you don't happen to donate today, the link is always active: we appreciate your donations no matter the day of the year. Thank you for your generosity, because we truly couldn't do any of this without you.
The Minnesota State Fair is coming up quick!
Thousands of Minnesota State Fair visitors have visited our Eco Experience exhibit over the last few years, and here’s your chance to help make it all possible again. We’re looking for volunteers to help us staff our green roof exhibit: it’s a fun way to spread your enthusiasm for sustainable building with interested (and interesting) folks from all over the state. You don’t need to be a green roof expert – we’ll provide you with a simple guide with the most common questions. We’ll even pay for you to get into the fair, so you can spend the rest of your day looking for the best corndog.
We staff the exhibit in three shifts (9am - 1pm, 1pm - 5pm, and 5pm - 9pm) for the duration of the fair, August 25th through September 5th. We need to have at least one person at the exhibit for every shift, but if you’d like to volunteer with a friend or family member, we can certainly pair you up. And if you’re available Labor Day weekend, we’d be doubly grateful, since those are the busiest days of the fair. Send us an email and let us know what works for you.
Thank you for your support! This is a big event for our little group, and we truly couldn’t do it without you. And even if you can’t staff a shift (or two), please stop by and say hello! We’d love to see you.
Big Red Trucks and Bigger Green Roofs AGAIN!
Here’s another great opportunity to visit one of the newest, most sophisticated green roofs in the state: the Minnesota Green Roofs Council is hosting a free tour at the St. Paul Fire Station No. 1 at 2:00pm on Thursday, July 14th. With a strong focus on public education, this green roof features native Minnesota plant species, an underground cistern that captures rainwater for irrigation, a garden where firefighters grow their own vegetables – and even a small pond. After only one full growing season, this roof is already a great example of how we can turn hot, barren roofs into lush, growing neighborhood amenities.
Angie Durhman of TectaAmerica will give us an overview of the roof’s design, installation and maintenance. After the tour, we’ll adjourn to Shamrock’s Bar and Grill across the street for a some informal green roof hobnobbing. Space on the tour is limited, so please RSVP as soon as possible to reserve your spot. The fire station is located at 1000 7th St. West in St. Paul; come right in the front door, and someone will be there to point you in the right direction.
Big Red Trucks and Bigger Green Roofs
If you haven’t had a chance to see the lush greenery growing on the new St. Paul Fire Department Station No. 1, here’s a great opportunity! The Fort Road Federation is sponsoring a West End Neighbors’ Garden Tour on Saturday, June 18th, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. In addition to more than a dozen beautiful ground-level gardens, attendees will get to see one of the newest and most diversely planted green roofs in the state. With a strong focus on public education, the green roof features native Minnesota plant species, an underground cistern that captures rainwater for irrigation, and a garden where firefighters grow their own vegetables.
The fire station is located at 1000 7th St. West. For more information on the tour, visit the Fort Road Federation’s website. We hope to see you there!
The Annual MGRC Picnic is coming up!
The MGRC is hosting an afternoon of green roof networking and local foods at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum! This is our third annual picnic and networking event, as well as our way of saying a hearty “Thank You!” to all the volunteers and sponsors who have supported the MGRC and the local green roof movement this past year. Come learn a bit more about green roofs, meet other folks in the industry, and enjoy lunch in the shade of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s green roof. Whether you’re a green roof professional, interested in installing a green roof, or just want to learn more, we’d love to see you.
This is a family-friendly event. Lunch is courtesy of the MGRC and local food suppliers, and the Arboretum has generously offered free entrance to all picnickers; if you like, you can spend the entire day exploring their beautiful grounds. Just mention the green roof picnic at the gate, park in the visitor’s lot, and walk over to the green-roofed picnic shelter near the Learning Center.
Please RSVP by June 15th – we hope to see you there!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Noon – 3:00pm
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
MGRC is hosting an afternoon of green roof networking and local foods at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum! This is our third annual picnic and networking event, as well as our way of saying a hearty “Thank You!” to all the volunteers and sponsors who have supported the MGRC and the local green roof movement this past year. Come learn a bit more about green roofs, meet other folks in the industry, and enjoy lunch in the shade of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s green roof. Whether you’re a green roof professional, interested in installing a green roof, or just want to learn more, we’d love to see you.
This is a family-friendly event. Lunch is courtesy of the MGRC and local food suppliers, and the Arboretum has generously offered free entrance to all picnickers; if you like, you can spend the entire day exploring their beautiful grounds. Just mention the green roof picnic at the gate, park in the visitor’s lot, and walk over to the green-roofed picnic shelter near the Learning Center.
Please RSVP to mngreenroofs@gmail.com by Jun 15th – we hope to see you there!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Noon – 3:00pm
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Spring greetings from the Minnesota Green Roofs Council!
Did you know that one of the first flowers of spring is the Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens)? In honor of this flower, a harbinger of spring, we are holding our first annual Pasque Flower Day – a fundraiser to support the Minnesota Green Roofs Council, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to promote vegetated roofs in our great state. Your donation will help us reach our goal of raising $3,000 to develop this website into a rich collection of local green roof resources.
Today, our website is (as you can see) rather… well, let’s call it “minimal.” But that’s not for lack of available content. We have a database of green roofs in Minnesota, local research to share, events and goings-on in the world of green roofs, information on green roof policy and technology – and with your help, we can make that all available right here.
Pasque Flower Day is Wednesday, April 20th, but donations are accepted anytime. Every dollar of your tax-deductible donation puts us closer to our goal, so please give today!
UPCOMING SEMINAR: Green Infrastructure ‐ Projects, Performance and Policies
The Minnesota Green Roofs Council is co-hosting a half-day seminar, “Green Infrastructure ‐ Projects, Performance and Policies,” with speakers from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) and the Green Infrastructure Foundation (GIF). This is a rare opportunity to learn how current vegetative management technologies like green roofs, walls, urban forests and rain gardens are enriching our urban areas. Steven Peck with GRHC and Michael Krause with GIF will also discuss Green Infrastructure research trends and cutting edge policy and program developments in cities like Chicago, Seattle, New York and Toronto.
The event, sponsored by the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, will be held on February 7th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. The venue, Meet Minneapolis' “Minneapolis Room” on the 13th floor of 250 Marquette Plaza, offers views of the Target Center and Marquette green roofs, the first and third largest green roofs in the state. This presentation contributes to 3.5 hours of continuing education credits for LEED AP, Green Roof Professional (GRP), ASLA and AIA (and we’ll feed you some snacks). Registration is $75 if preregistered with payment by February 1, 2011. Walk‐in registrations will be $100, but are welcome. The student rate of $40 is available with valid ID. Please see the attached press release for full event and registration details.
On the following day, February 8th, Steven Peck with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities will offer the GRHC Green Roof 201 Course at the Minneapolis Currie Maintenance Facility. By becoming a member of the Minnesota Green Roof Council, you’ll receive $100 off the 201 Course – more details in the press release.
Green Roofs at the Red Stag
The Minnesota Green Roofs Council invites you to a Green Roof Happy Hour at the Red Stag in Minneapolis! We’re getting together from 4:30 to 6:00 on Monday, December 6th to enjoy a few refreshments and talk about green roofs. Whether you’re a green roof designer, installer, owner, or just an enthusiast, this is a great opportunity to meet other folks in the green roof industry and talk about what you’re up to – or what you’d like to be up to.
The first 30 people in the door will get a free drink on us!
The Red Stag Supper Club, Minnesota’s first LEED-CI certified restaurant in Minnesota, is located at 509 1st Avenue NE in beautiful Nordeast Minneapolis. Reservations are not required, but we’d love to know if you’re coming; please contact us at mngreenroofs@gmail.com with any questions or comments.
