Upcoming Events

 

Growing Green Hearts near you…

 

April 2021

 

Water Builds Community with Westwood Schools

WHEN:  December through May
WHERE:  Westwood Intermediate and Middle Schools, Spring Lake Park
WHAT: In partnership with Coon Creek Watershed District, Northtown Library, and City of Blaine…Growing Green Hearts is leading teacher trainings and student enviroSTEM activities.  Student leaders are diving into biodiversity and water quality by growing, designing, voting, creating…all connected to their local library’s shoreline buffer planting in 2021.  Connect here with questions or to volunteer.

 

Plants Are Superheroes Part 3: Noticing Nature & Seasons™

WHEN:  Thurs, April 8th, 2021 at 10:00am, Meeting Virtually ACL WebEx
WHERE:  Anoka County Library Northtown
WHAT: Young children and families join author talk by Heidi Ferris, 4S’s for Noticing Nature paired with enviroSTEM garden design challenge, learning about needs of living things, and exploring ecological systems.  Register here.

 

Growing Green Hearts on Butterflies, Photography Gardening & Noticing

WHEN:  Wed, April 22nd, 2021 at  Meeting LIVE Virtually
WHERE:  Young Artists Young Authors Conference with Resource Training 7 Solutions: A Minnesota Service Cooperative
WHAT: Author Heidi Ferris will share her process of noticing nature and capturing inspiring images.  Those images have led to 6 books for kids including 8 Butterfly Questions for Gardening!  Students will learn about a variety of plants that attract butterflies and how to design garden of their own.

 

May 2021

Exploring EnviroSTEM™ for Leaders & Teachers

WHEN:  Sat, May 8th, 2021 at 1:00-4:00pm, Meeting Outdoors
WHERE:  Blaine Wetland Sanctuary
WHO:  Educators, teachers, youth leaders of youth
WHAT: Join this course for leaders and teachers (ages 16+) to experience the 5E’s…engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate…all at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary.  Act out seasons, build different nests, create art connecting natural systems, investigate insulators, identify plants, and more.  Cost: $15/person.  Register with City of Blaine. 

 

Plants Are Superheroes Part 4: Nature Play & Plants™

WHEN:  Thurs, May 20th, 2021 at 10:00am, Meeting Outdoors
WHERE:  Anoka County Library Northtown
WHAT: Young children and families join author talk by Heidi Ferris, 7 Water Wonderings paired with the water cycle song and dance! Kids will notice nature at the library  name a variety of critters, and plant a new butterfly garden for children at the Northtown library.  Register here.

 

June 2021

Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth (aka MITY)

Intellectually curious students explore hands-on interdisciplinary projects with experts while forging new friendships  Instructors, like Heidi Ferris of Growing Green Hearts, provide students with experiences that lift learning to new levels.
Registration open NOW at www.mity.org.  
WHO:  Students in grades 5, 6 & 7
WHAT:  Growing Green Hearts courses at MITY are…
WHEN: June 14th  to  June 25, 2021
WHERE:  Onsite at Visitation School in St. Paul…plus field study trips included
 

Welcome Hike & Belly Biology at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

WHEN:  Mon, June 28th, 2021 at 9:00am, Meeting Outdoors
WHERE:  Blaine Wetland Sanctuary
WHAT: Children and adults…What is underground and under the boardwalk will surprise you!  At Blaine Wetland Sanctuary we will explore how water, land, air, and living things interact with each other in this special place.  Throughout the nature hike participants will dazzle the senses with belly biology, systems bingo, and BWS nature trivia.  $5/child $10/family  Register with City of Blaine.

 

Superheroes and Systems at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

WHEN:  Tues, June 29th, 2021 at 9:00am, Meeting Outdoors
WHERE:  Blaine Wetland Sanctuary
WHAT: All ages!  The fen at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary is a water superhero!  Hike the boardwalk with a guide to learn the story:  How does the fen battle the water pollutant villains? Which plants are signs of a healthy ecosystem?  Where is there evidence of change at the fen?  Explore interconnectedness through activities:  core sampling, water quality testing, insect ID, and more.  Wear your superhero gear!  $5/child $10/family  Register with City of Blaine.
 

July 2021

Green Leaders Day Camp with Columbia Heights Public Library and Growing Green Hearts

WHEN:  Tues-Thurs, July 20-22, 2021 9:00am-11:00am, 
WHERE:  Meeting Outdoors at Bruce Nawraocki Park (1271 Circle Terrace Blvd, Columbia Heights)
WHAT:  3 special days  for upper elementary students to use hands-on enviroSTEM and nature play with Growing Green Hearts!  Kids learn and lead green with adventures themes: Seeds for the Seasons, Plantable Paper-Making, and Minnesota Water Wonderful.  Register with Columbia Heights Library.

 

August 2021

Author & Art at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

WHEN:  Mon, Aug 2nd, 2021 at 9:00-11:00am, Outdoor Open House
WHERE:  Blaine Wetland Sanctuary
WHAT: All ages! Open house style.  Author of “1-2-3 Earth Air Me,” Heidi Ferris will great visitors along the boardwalk for story time, water painting, nature sculptures, and wetland art in action!

Boardwalk & Books at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

WHEN:  Tues, Aug 3rd, 2021 at 9:00-11:00am, Outdoor Open House
WHERE:  Blaine Wetland Sanctuary
WHAT:   Participants can create nature journals together, try making paper from fibers, practice using their senses then record their findings and meet local author of “4 S’s for Noticing Nature,” Heidi Ferris.  All ages! Open house style.

Connecting with Critters at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

WHEN:  Wed, Aug 4th, 2021 at 9:00-11:00am, Outdoor Open House
WHERE:  Blaine Wetland Sanctuary
WHAT:  All ages! Open house style.  Wonder, dance, sing, and create with water along the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary Boardwalk during this open house time for all ages.  Author Heidi Ferris will use the book “7 Water Wonderings” to guide guests in building a watershed and investigating macro invertebrates for water quality.
Participants can create nature journals together, try making paper from fibers, practice using their senses then record their findings and meet local author of “4 S’s for Noticing Nature,” Heidi Ferris.  

Superheroes and Systems at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

WHEN:  Thurs, Aug 5th, 2021 at 9:00-10:00am, Meeting Outdoors
WHERE:  Blaine Wetland Sanctuary
WHAT: All ages!  The fen at Blaine Wetland Sanctuary is a water superhero!  Hike the boardwalk with a guide to learn the story:  How does the fen battle the water pollutant villains? Which plants are signs of a healthy ecosystem?  Where is there evidence of change at the fen?  Explore interconnectedness through activities:  core sampling, water quality testing, insect ID, and more.  Wear your superhero gear!  $5/child $10/family  Register with City of Blaine.

 

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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