This series is hosted by citizens and students who are growing the organic community Partnership Garden at the School of Environmental Studies. It is co-sponsored by Valley Natural Foods, Burnsville, and District 196 Community Education. All events are at the School of Environmental Studies, 12155 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124. Donations at the door will help sustain the non-profit garden and its community outreach classes and events.

Pre-registration at least one week ahead is encouraged for each evening. For more information about this series or Dakota County community gardens, contact Loris Sofia Gregory at 952.431.5586 or lorissofia@frontiernet.net. For information about the Partnership Garden at SES or their upcoming community classes, contact Roxanne Beseman at 952-431-2553 or Pam Farrell at 952-454-8385.

Locavore: Local Diet, Healthy Planet – This documentary film empowers us with the knowledge to revitalize our own health, return to an economically prosperous nation, dramatically reduce our energy use and rejuvenate our land and environment. Learn about the rewards of a locavore lifestyle and how great you can feel when nourished with fresh and local. Q & A with gardeners will follow the film. Wednesday, Apr 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m, at the School of Environmental Studies. Donations welcome at the door. To view Locavore-The Movie trailer, click here.

Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us? – Created by Taggart Seigel, filmmaker of “The Real Dirt on Farmer John,” this film shares the compelling perspectives of farmers, beekeepers, scientists and philosophers around the world. The problems behind the global bee crisis are uncovered and viable solutions are offered for renewing our partnership with nature. Q & A with gardeners will follow the film. Wednesday, April 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the School of Environmental Studies. Donations welcome at the door. To view Queen of the Sun movie trailer, click here.

Everything You Want to Know About Gardening with Nature – A panel of experienced local gardeners and farmers will answer your questions about gardening, eating fresh and local and what we can each do to partner with nature and flourish as individuals and a community.  This evening will also be your chance to meet representatives of Dakota County community gardens and supportive organizations, browse their displays and sign up for garden plots. Wednesday, April 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the School of Environmental Studies. Donations welcome at the door.

April is Earth Month so we thought it would be fitting to promote the 2011 Summer Institute!

All grades 3-12 educators are invited to join the Will Steger Foundation on an Exploration of Minnesota’s Changing Climate at the Summer Institute August 11- 12, 2011.

The Summer Institute will be held at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley, MN. This year’s Institute will focus on the Will Steger Foundation’s new Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund project: Minnesota’s Changing Climate; Engaging Students in Environmental Stewardship Through Adventure Learning.

Participating grades 6-8 classrooms from the metro area are eligible for $500 grants due to a unique partnership with the National Park Foundation, Mississippi National River and Recreational Area (National Park Service) and Mississippi River Fund. For more information about the institute, please visit Will Steger Foundation Summer Institute

You can see what happened at last years institute by visiting: 2010 Summer Institute Recap

The students from Apple Valley who went to Copenhagen this year for the International hearing on climate change this year were one of a select few U.S. high school delegates in attendance. 

They traveled to a new country. Lived with Swedish families. Learned about environmental issues and connected with countless leaders (young and old) from around the globe.

Now they’re home, and want to share their knowledge to begin a discussion about environmental issues right here in our hometown. With the School of Environmental Studies, they’re hosting a Sustainable Communities Banquet. With a meal and great discussion, these young leaders want you to contribute your voice to the discussion. Join them at the Sustainable Communities Banquet.

  Food and optimism is the name of the game at the Sustainable Community Banquet, hosted by the School of Environmental Studies. Students who attended COP15 in Copenhagen this year as U.S. high school delegates will be featured. They’ll share their perspective on environmental sustainability at the local level. Join the School of Environmental Studies and the COP15 Delegation for an evening of food and an environmentally optimistic discussion.

Sustainable Community Banquet

May 8, 2010

5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Cost: $10 per ticket

Location: School of Environmental Studies | 12155 Johnny Cake Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124

RSVP by May 1, 2010 Beth Schulz: 952-237-1382 Ashley Burdge: 651-271-8727 email: banquetcrew@gmail.com

Valley Natural Foods will host a free screening of Food, Inc. at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley on Thursday evening, April 8.

This documentary film uncovers surprising, and often unsettling, truths about what we eat, how it’s produced, and the long-lasting impact on the health of each one of us, our children, our local economy and our community.

The screening will be followed by a panel of local fair-trade farmers, food producers and a community gard ening advocate who will share their perspectives, offer sustainable healthy alternatives, and respond to audience questions.

“In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

“We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. Featuring interviews with experts and forward thinking farmers and social entrepreneurs, Food, Inc. reveals who we have become as a nation and where we can go from here.” Read More