Written by Shelli-Kae Foster, YES! Program Director On Wednesday, March 3, 2021 over 80 YES! (Youth Eco Solutions) students and other students from New London-Spicer, Lac qui Parle Valley, Yellow Medicine East, Willmar Public Schools, Focus House, and Westbrook-Walnut Grove logged onto zoom to learn about green jobs and how they can gain career experiences with local employers that also help
Effects on Flooding & Your Drinking Water with Erik Cedarleaf Dahl
Written by Shelli-Kae Foster On Wednesday, February 10, 2021 over 50 YES! students and teachers from Minnewaska, Sleepy Eye, Lac qui Parle Valley, Westbrook-Walnut Grove and Mankato West, logged onto zoom to learn about climate change and how it effects flooding and our drinking water. The workshop was led by Erik Cedarleaf Dahl. Erik is a Planning Director with the Environmental Quality Board
YES! Students Investigate Climate Change Using Ojibwe Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Written by Taylor Templer, West Central Coordinator On December 3rd, YES! hosted the second event in our Virtual Series on Climate Change. “Investigating Climate Change Using Ojibwe Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Scientific Ecological Knowledge" demonstrated a new way to think about climate change that integrates Ojibwe traditional ecological knowledge, scientific ecological knowledge,
YES! Alumni Spotlight: Matthew Burns
Matthew Burns went to Westbrook Walnut Grove High School where he was active in YES! during his Freshman and Senior years (2014 & 2018). The main projects Matthew worked on included plastic bag recycling, making braided bracelets out of bags that couldn’t be recycled, collecting pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House and his favorite project was taking old incandescent bulbs and turning
Laq qui Parle Valley YES! Team Enjoys an October Paddle
Written by Taylor Templer, West Central Coordinator Are you dreaming of warmer weather? We are! On October 10th, coach Rachel Rigenhagen and students from the Lac qui Parle Valley YES! team went kayaking at Glacial Lakes State Park to learn about aquatic invasive species (AIS) and water quality with West Central Coordinator, Taylor Templer. The group kayaked Signalness (Mountain) Lake which
YES! students learn how to make sense of Minnesota’s changing climate
Written by Deb Groebner, Southern Coordinator YES! students and coaches from around the state gathered online Oct. 28 to learn “How to Make Sense of Minnesota’s Changing Climate,” presented by Dr. Kenny Blumenfeld, climatologist with the MN Department of Natural Resources. “Minnesota’s climate is getting wetter and warmer,” Blumenfeld told the students. More precipitation is falling during





