Events

 

 

Growing Green LeadersTM

 

Growing Green LeadersTM is outdoor education and creative science fun for adults, kids & families to enjoy together.

Heidi Ferris, environmental educator and enviroSTEM expert with Growing Green Hearts, will start each session with a hike or nature play, then build ecological systems thinking connections specifically for each site.  Each themed meeting has a hands-on enviroSTEM engineering design challenge combined with leadership activities and science skill builders.  We’ll play with maps and ethnobotany, rocks and wildlife tracking, weather and water chemistry! 

*** Complete any three sessions to earn a “Growing Green Leadership” certificate from your city or library  ***

 

Topics, Dates & Links to Register

 

Growing Green Leaders: Physics of Snow & Sledding

  Wednesday, January 5th, 4:00pm @ Rolling Hills, City of Plymouth

  Wednesday, January 19th, 4:00pm @ Rolling Hills, City of Plymouth

Snow walk in the woods while exploring tracks, insulation, hibernation and water chemistry.  Learn the physics of winter toys, then apply Newton’s Laws to a fast sledding engineering design challenge.

 

Growing Lil’ Green Leaders: Snow & Sledding

  Thursday, January 13th, 11:00am @ Anoka County Northtown Library especially for early learners

Together, a snow walk in the woods while exploring tracks, insulation, hibernation.  We’ll use enviroSTEM to investigate how sleds and ice skates work plus “track down” some great nature finds at the library!  Kids will use enviroSTEM to design and model inventive winter toys.

 

Growing Green Leaders: Minnesota GeoChemistry with Snow Volcanoes

  Wednesday, February 9th, 4:00 @ Parkers Lake, City of Plymouth

  Wednesday, February 23rd, 4:00pm @ Bass Lake, City of Plymouth

Rocks rock!  Hike the park’s topography and learn to tell the story of Minnesota’s geology using rocks, maps, and snow sculptures.  Chemical reactions combine with mountain types as we play with a hands-on enviroSTEM snow volcano challenge.

 

Growing Lil’ Green Leaders: Shapes & Landscapes

  Thursday, February 10th, 11:00am @ Anoka County Northtown Library especially for early learners

Materials and shapes can tell us a lot about strength…let’s explore that!  We’ll play outside with shapes, sculptures and even learn to “read the landscape” as we explore Minnesota geology.  Come prepared to get creative…and a little messy with sculptures that use snow and earth materials.

 

Growing Green Leaders: Systems-Thinking with Climate Sleuthing

  Wednesday, March 9th, 4:00pm @ Maple Creek Park, City of Plymouth

  Wednesday, March 23th, 4:00pm @ Timber Shores, City of Plymouth

Adventure on trails and throughout the park to record weather, connect with climate, and wonder together about combustion.  Inquiry skills will be put to use in solving a climate mystery, and creativity will go crazy with a 4-D ecological systems art project.

 

Growing Lil’ Green Leaders: Wonderful Weather & Water

  Thursday, March 10th, 11:00am @ Anoka County Northtown Library especially for early learners

When temperature, pressure, and moisture play together in our atmosphere….we call it weather!  Silly water and weather experiments will get you noticing, laughing, and wondering even more about the daily forecast. Experience outside in new ways with this outdoor nature play session dedicated to weather and water.

 

Growing Green Leaders: FENtastic Minnesota GeoChemistry

  Tuesday, April 19th, 6:00pm at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

  Sunday, April 24th, 4:30pm at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

Rocks rock!  Hike the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary park’s unique topography using contour maps and learn to tell the story of Blaine Wetland Sanctuary.  Learn more about Minnesota’s geology using rocks, maps, sculptures, chemical reactions and physical change. Explore wetland types (especially the fen!) as we play with a hands-on enviroSTEM challenge. Maximum 30 participants.

 

Growing Green Leaders: Down Deep…What’s Underwater and Under our Feet?

Wednesday, April 13th, 4:00pm @ Lake Camelot Park, City of Plymouth

Wednesday, April 27th, 4:00pm @ Three Ponds Park, City of Plymouth

Silly boots or old shoes required for this messy walk and soil quest.  Youth will conduct water quality and soil testing then apply their findings to create a “perfect park” or “natural playground” model to share with the community. 

 

Growing Lil’ Green Leaders: What’s Underwater and Under our Feet?

  Thursday, April 14th, 11:00am @ Anoka County Northtown Library especially for early learners

Silly boots or old shoes required for this messy walk and soil quest!  Together we will ask “What’s down deep?” then compare soil and water samples from around the Northtown Library pond and woods areas.  Kids will use a variety of materials combined with enviroSTEM to create some take-part art for the library.

 

Growing Green Leaders:  Go Wild with Wetlands, Mushrooms & Mahnomin

  Tuesday, May 10th, 6:00pm @ Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

  Sunday, May 15th,  4:30pm @ Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

Explore how weird, wacky and even spongy our local lowlands and tiny decomposers can be. Wear those silly boots or old shows as we trek the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary boardwalk, learn about the BWS ‘islands’ and explore the woods in search of sustainability evidence, systems cycling, and ecological players at work.  This month’s enviroSTEM project is creation of a 3-D “watershed wonderland”!  Maximum 30 participants.

 

Growing Lil’ Green Leaders: Nature…Break It Down Now! 

  Thursday, May 12, 11:00am @ Anoka County Northtown Library  especially for early learners

Explore how weird, wacky and even spongy our local wetlands and nature’s tiny recyclers can be. Wear those silly boots or old shows as we trek in woods and puddles in search of decomposers at work.  Together we’ll talk about how and what people can recycle.  Lil’ green leaders will create an enviroSTEM art piece to share with community: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rejoice! 

 

Growing Green Leaders:  Go Wild with Wetlands, Mushrooms & Mahnomin

  Wednesday, May 11th,  4:00pm @ NW Greenway South Trailhead, City of Plymouth

  Wednesday, May 25th,  4:00pm @ Heather Ponds Park, City of Plymouth

Explore how weird, wacky and even spongy our local lowlands and tiny decomposers can be. Wear those silly boots or old shows as we trek the park in search of sustainability evidence and ecological systems at play.  The monthly enviroSTEM project is creation of a 3-D “watershed wonderland”!

 

Growing Green Leaders: Down Deep…What’s Underwater and Under our Feet?

  Sunday, June 5th, 4:30pm @ Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

  Tuesday, June 7th, 6:00pm @ Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

Muddy, messy go hand-in hand with learning about soil and water at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary!  Practice “belly biology” as we search under the boardwalk for critters and signs of a healthy, biodiverse habitat. Guests will conduct water quality and soil testing then apply their findings to create a “perfect park” or “natural playground” model to share with the community.  Maximum 30 participants.

 

Growing Green Leaders: Superheroes & Systems-thinking at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary 

  Sunday, July 17th, 5:30pm @ Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

  Tuesday, July 19th, 7:00pm @ Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

Adventure along the boardwalk together to collect data about the atmosphere, analyze the daily weather map, connect with climate, then wonder together about combustion and energy. Learn about how BWS acts as a superhero for clean water, clean air, and healthy habitat. Inquiry skills will be put to use in solving a climate mystery, and creativity will go crazy with a 4-D ecological systems art project designed especially for Blaine Wetland Sanctuary. Maximum 30 participants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONGOING PARTNERSHIPS with Growing Green Hearts…

Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

Intergenerational Tours and Programming by Growing Green Hearts at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary.  Free environmental STEM curriculum, maps, and other Blaine Wetland Sanctuary resources can be found here. Learn more about the unique habitats, rare plants, and interconnected systems by checking out the blog.

Watershed Districts

Water builds community and Growing Green Hearts works with a variety of partners to do just that. Water partnership projects include natural playground design, water-focused teacher trainings, native plantings for shorelines, rain garden, water enviroSTEM workshops for leaders, and the curriculum Connect-the-Drops: Faith, Science & Youth Leadership curriculum by Heidi Ferris.  Watershed partnerships include: Capitol Region Watershed District, Coon Creek Watershed District, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, Rice Creek Watershed District, Vadnais Lake Area Watershed and more.  

Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth

As an environmental STEM specialist and curriculum creator, Heidi Ferris leads students in hands on learning with the Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth.  Programs is for elementary, middles school, and high school.  Heidi has been teaching for MITY since 2015.

Faith-Based Groups

Since 2012, Growing Green Hearts has partnered with 40+ faith-based groups in exploring climate justice, water quality, land acknowledgement, sense-of-place, and student leadership.  Learn more from stories here:  

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Play while problem solving! 

Growing Green Hearts offers…

  • Outdoor Science Classes with Growing Green Hearts…specially designed for your COVID learning group.  Heidi Ferris leads 60-90 minutes classes and hands-on enviroSTEM activities for your local park, school, or outdoor space.  Questions?  Contact here.
  • Plants as Superheroes:  Kids Leading with Seeds, Plants & Nature Play” is a 4-part package of site visits blending author visits, hands-on environmental STEM, and service learning catered to your site.
  • Teacher Trainings with Growing Green Hearts are geared towards educators of elementary students and early learners, no matter what your science background.  Growing Green Hearts has served 9 school districts and many private schools throughout Minnesota.  Teacher trainings with Growing Green Hearts have received MN Center for Professional Development/Parent Aware approval.
  • Site Visits and Events with Growing Green Hearts means hands-on fun, author talks, and nature adventures through environmental STEM learning.  Connect kids with their local environment with site visits to classrooms, library programs, scout meetings, child care centers, and large group events.
  • Curriculum Development with Growing Green Hearts brings interconnected land, air, water, and living things into the hands of the learner.  Specializing in environmental STEM experiences, GGH creatively pulls together your site’s natural resources and needs with state and national standards.
  • Natural Playground Coaching with GGH builds community and grows exciting science programs based on student interests, power of play, creativity, and the processes of environmental Science Technology Engineering and Math (eSTEM).

QUESTIONS? Contact Growing Green Hearts

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