Minnehaha Creek Watershed District's Education and Communications Program offers a wide variety of resources for a variety of audiences. Use the links below to find the resources you are looking for!
Jump to:
Local Officials and Staff Interactive Displays & Exhibits |
Pouring of Porous Concrete |
Envrioscape Community Festival |
NEMO Workshop |
NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) is an educational program for members of city councils, planning/park commissioners, other local officials, and city staff that addresses the relationship between land use decisions and water quality. We can come to city hall with workshops on:
|
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is a partner in Northland NEMO and the National NEMO Network.
Click here to download a fact sheet about the program
Water Pro Our Quarterly Newsletter for folks like you. Contact us to get on our mailing list. Click here to see current and previous issues.
Low Impact Development Resources Visit our LID web page to browse information on LID, documents and manuals, presentations, and web links. Also see the 'LID Corner' on page 2 of recent issues of Water Pro (Fall 2005 - current)
Natural Resource Based Planning Information Visit our Natural Resource Based Planning web page to learn about the importance of including natural resources in the planning process, and resources to make it happen!
Workshops We can put on a variety of regional educational workshops suited to your needs. We sponsored workshop featuring a nationally known expert on the topic.
- " ADAPTING COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE TO CLIMATE CHANGE: Solutions for stormwater management and community forests
- “The Latest in Low Impact Development: Engineering and Landscape Design”
Newsletter Articles NEW in 2007! MCWD will be offering short newsletter articles for placement in city newsletters. Use what we’ve written as is, or adapt it for your own purposes. Send us your ideas for water related articles!
Press Releases and Newspaper Columns Local papers carry news about the MCWD, and the MCWD Board President pens a watershed-related column in the local Sun-Sailor newspapers every other month. Click here to read current and previous releases and columns
 |
Videos and television Programs
|
|
The Enviroscape interactive watershed model allows you to sprinkle ‘pollution’ (colored powder) and then see what happens when it ‘rains’ (spray bottle) on the watershed. The Your Street Connects to Lakes and Rivers interactive display has a pipe where users can drop balls of ‘stormwater’ in at the storm drain and see them come out at the local swimming hole. The Watershed Interactive Kiosk is an electronic interactive tool where users can lean about stormwater from an urban frog singing a stormwater rap, a raindrop who journeys through the stormwater system, and other characters. Comes with a sound dome to keep the noise factor to a minimum. If you would like the Kiosk to visit your center, please contact Contact Melissa Reimer, MCWD Communications and Education Assistant via email or at 952.471.0590x222 40th Anniversary Traveling Display MCWD is turned 40 in 2007! The display interprets the history of the area, featuring ‘Tools of Change’ – historical artifacts. We’d love to put it in your city hall, local library, or community center. |
|
Festivals and Events Contact us and we’ll do our best to attend your community festival or event. We’ll bring along our displays and exhibits, as well as giveaways, goodies, and a person to answer watershed questions.
Printed Materials Looking for a brochure or booklet? We’ve got a couple to offer and are open to working with you on your special needs.
See interactive displays and exhibits, above
Digital Watershed Atlas is a 4-CD set rich with current and historical maps, aerial photos, and narrative about the watershed. Has content that can be used with a number of existing school curricula. Click here to learn more.
Waters to the Sea is an interactive CD-ROM that explores the rivers of the Upper Mississippi region from the Ice Age up to the Present. Features virtual river journeys, multimedia storytelling, and fun activities. We offer a lab pack available for teachers to check out. Includes 30 copies of the CD-ROM. Click here to learn more, or Contact Julie Westerlund, Education and 
Communications Coordinator, to check out the lab pack.
Children’s Water Festival The MCWD is a partner in the metro-wide Children’s Water Festival for 5th graders. Contact us to find out how to get into the lottery to secure a spot for your class. Click here to learn more.
Cynthia Krieg Watershed Stewardship Fund Many schools have received grants from MCWD’s stewardship fund, allowing them to hold water festivals of their own, create outdoor classrooms and play areas, build rain gardens, and more. Click here for more information.
Classroom Visits We are available on a limited basis to come to your classroom and talk about water quality and watershed issues. Contact Julie Westerlund, Education and Communications Coordinator, to learn more.
Cynthia Krieg Watershed Stewardship Fund The fund is also available to nonprofit citizen groups and other organizations to fund water related educational programs and projects, as well as innovative water quality improvement and stormwater management projects. Click here for more information.
Watershed Association Initiative NEW in 2007! MCWD is assisting the formation of new grass-roots citizen groups like lake associations and ‘friends of’ creeks or wetlands. A partnership with Minnesota Waters. Special Funding is available. Click here for more information or Contact Julie Westerlund, Education and Communications Coordinator, to learn more.
Water Quality Presentations We've done presentations for a variety of groups like religious education forums, Chambers of Commerce, or the Rotary Club. We're happy to come to your group with a presentation about what you can do to protect water quality or a primer on our organization. Or let us know what you have in mind. Contact Julie Westerlund, Education and Communications Coordinator, to learn more.
Wetland Buffer Presentations Many newer developments have legally defined wetland buffers with special rules. We’ll give short, informal presentations for neighborhood groups and homeowners associations to help them understand what’s involved. Contact Wetland Technician Permitting Technician, for more information.
For Realtors and Other Businesses
Lake Minnetonka Yesterday and Today Promote your business with a beautiful, full color map of Lake Minnetonka, featuring water quality information and a narrative of the history of the Lake Area. We’ll work with you to customize the map with an imprint of your corporate logo and information. Click here for details.
Buying and Selling Lakeshore Property Workshops MCWD sponsored two half-day continuing education workshops for Realtors in 2006, and we’ll sponsor more if we get enough requests. Contact Julie Westerlund, Education and Communications Coordinator, to learn more.
For Developers, Builders and Contractors
Training Workshops and Seminars MCWD’s permitting staff are always available to help you navigate the permitting process and to make sure your site is in compliance. We occasionally offer workshops on topics like erosion and sediment control or shoreline rip-rap.
Water Pro Our Quarterly Newsletter for folks like you. Contact us to get on our mailing list. Click here to see current and previous issues.
Low Impact Development Resources Visit our LID web page to browse information on Low Impact Development, documents and manuals, presentations, and web links. Also see the 'LID Corner' on page 2 of recent issues of Water Pro (Fall 2005 - current)
Website Visit our permitting web page to learn about permit requirements and download application materials.
Brochures Coming Soon!! We are currently working on a series of brochures about stormwater, erosion control, wetlands buffers, rip rap, and stormwater ponds.
Links to Other Great Education and Outreach Resources
EPA's Watershed Outreach Digital Toolbox A brand new resource with ready-to-use materials and templates, including public service announcements, logos and mascots, and samples of popular posters, bookmarks, fact sheets, brochures, and more to help spread the word about what citizens can do to protect water quality.
Minnesota Water: Let's Keep it Clean! A local group of more than forty public, private, and nonprofit organizations engaged in educating Twin Cities residents about how to care for Minnesota's precious water resources. A great source for water-quality information, updates, and seasonal tips.
Project WET — Water Education for Teachers Sponsored by Minnesota DNR, Project WET is a water-education program for educators and young people ages 5-18. The program provides classroom-ready teaching aids and training opportunities for teachers.
SEEK — Sharing Environmental Education Knowledge The SEEK web page is a searchable clearinghouse for all types of Minnesota environmental-education resources.
WOW- Water on the Web WOW offers high school and college students an opportunity to learn water science through hands-on activities. Real-time water-quality data is provided through lake monitoring stations located across the state.