Winter Workshops 2012
Creatively connecting things – either literally duct-taping them together or more figuratively connecting issues with opportunities – was the theme to the three YES! Winter Workshops that recently took place across Minnesota.
YES! teams from southern and west-central Minnesota all had the opportunity to gather at one of the three Workshops February 1st and February 8th. St John’s University (St. Joseph) Faith Lutheran Church (Hutchinson) and Cascade Meadow Wetlands and Environmental Science Center (Rochester) all generously hosted the high-schoolers as they converged at these Workshops.
From tours of an organic farm, to solar arrays and waste incinerators, the students were able to experience a variety of solutions our communities are already putting in place to reduce or sustainability produce our energy.
Among the many highlights of the Workshop at St. John’s was the interaction with the University’s own student-led sustainability group and a tour of a nearby farm, Dancing Bears Co..
Students at the Rochester Workshop in particular enjoyed the engaging tour of the facility itself and witnessing the 2-tonne “claw” collect waste for the incinerator at the Olmsted Waste to Energy Facility.
In Hutchinson, a tour of the local recycling center taught all participants the wonder of being able to recycle ALL types of plastic while a visit to a local business let students ‘climb to new heights’ as they got up close to a roof top solar array.
As the many smiling faces and eye-opening experiences will confirm – the 2012 YES! Winter Workshops were a great success!
Read the Winter Workshop Press Release 2012.
Loved the tour, and I loved how simple changes made to my daily life can impact so much of our environment! – Workshop Survey responseYES! thanks all the businesses, organizations, presenters and of course the YES! students for their participation and engagement that made the events such a success.
Cascade Meadow Wetlands and Environmental Science Center
Olmsted Waste-to-Energy Facility
Midwest Energy Products
St. Johns University
Dancing Bears Co
Kennedy Elementary School
Blattner Energy
Faith Lutheran Church
AKI (David Swift)
Minnesota Renewable Energies (Aaron Busse)
Creekside Composting
McLeod County Solid Waste
Loon Organics (Laura Frerichs)
Willmar Community Greenhouse(Aaron Larson)
Steve Graff
