2023 Workshop Sessions
Note: Some workshops take place multiple times (Earth Day Tree Planting) or run longer than an hour (Earth Day Indigo). Most workshops don’t require registration. If a workshop requires registration click the link in the description to register. Please remember that we are still experiencing a COVID-19 Pandemic. While COVID transmission is rare outdoors, you might want to mask and/or social distance for indoor events.
Saturday, April 22nd
9:00 am Workshops
Earth Day Volunteering at the Arboretum
9:00am – 12:00pm (3h) • Sat, April 22, 2023 • Meet at the bridge across Spring Creek along the paved trail just down the hill from the entrance to the Upper Arb at the intersection of 2nd and Oak Streets (near the Carleton Tennis Courts)
The Carleton College Arboretum will host an Earth Day Tree Planting event as part of the Northfield Earth Day celebrations on April 23, 2022. Help us restore the forest of the Arboretum by planting young trees. Space for this event will be limited and we ask that you sign up ahead of time; please sign up only if you are sure you can come, or if your plans change later, make sure to let us know so we can offer your spot to someone else. Two work shifts of 90 minutes each will be offered, starting at 9:00 or 10:30.
We will collect your email when you sign up and send you directions to the meeting location and a reminder about the event.
Celebrate Earth Day and help with management in the Arboretum. While we normally plant trees on Earth Day the delayed spring means other activities including some maintenance on trees planted previously, invasive species removal and roadside trash pick up. Whatever task you are assigned to be assured that we have fun working together! Meet (see map here) at the bridge across Spring Creek along the paved trail just down the hill from the entrance to the Upper Arb at the intersection of 2nd and Oak Streets (near the Carleton Tennis Courts). Make sure to wear closed toe shoes and socks, and clothes that can get dirty – outdoor work can be messy. We will supply gloves if you need them and all necessary tools.
Please sign up for this event so that we can plan for enough equipment and let you know of any changes – thunderstorms or heavy rain would require that we cancel the event and we want to be able to update you! This event will have two shifts – 9:00 – 10:30 and 10:30 – noon. Sign up for the shift that fits your schedule the best.
This event is part of the Northfield Earth Day events – consider participating in other events throughout the day.
Event Contact: Lisa Falconer
Wellness Wake Up Yoga with Mother Earth
April 22 • 9:00 am
First United Church of Christ Church
300 Union Street, Northfield
Bring your family and meet at Bridge Square and bring your own yoga pad for an amazing outdoor Yoga session with Deb Peters. No yoga experience necessary.
Free Food Help Yourself Morning Meet and Greet
April 2 • 9:00 am
Hot Spot Music
801 Division St, Northfield
Have you seen the boulevard gardens around town and wondered what they are all about?
Interested in learning more about how you can support this endeavor in our town or become a host someday? We would love to tell you more and hear your ideas as well! Our goal this year is to maximize the potential of these garden beds. Come join us!
Emerald Ash Borer-Identification, Impact, and Management of Northfield’s Ash Trees
April 22 • 9:00 am
First United Church of Christ Church
300 Union Street, Northfield
Shelley Evanson, Horticulturist for the City of Northfield, will discuss how the City is dealing with the terrestrial invasive insect Emerald Ash Borer. She will also talk about how residents can help through monitoring the Ash trees and what they can do if they would like to protect the Ash trees on their own property.
City Paper Shredding
April 22 from 9 am to 12 pm
City of Northfield Maintenance Facility
1710 Riverview Drive, Northfield
Residents can get rid of old documents and clutter in an environmentally friendly way for free during the Paper Shredding Event on Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Maintenance Facility, 1710 Riverview Drive.
Residents should bring old bank documents, contracts, or any other paper that need shredding in paper bags or boxes that can be removed from the car by event staff. Vehicles must be in line by noon to be served. Shredded paper is not recyclable in curbside pickup, but residents can bring paper to be shredded to this event where it will be recycled. This event is for residents only; documents from businesses will not be accepted.
This event is part of the City of Northfield’s strategic goal to reduce climate change impact and to make the community more resilient and sustainable.
Tours of Carleton’s Sustainability Achievements
April 22, 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am
Carleton Campus in Anderson Hall Room 036
Join Carleton Sustainability Interns Jeremy Fleishacker & Beck Woollen on a tour of the Carleton Geothermal system and learn about our wind turbines and other energy innovations. We will offer 3 tours starting at 9 am, 10 am and 11 am. Meet on the Carleton Campus in Anderson Hall Room 036. Look for signs leading you to room 036 in the basement of Anderson Hall at Carleton College. Please contact Beck Woollen & Jeremy Fleishacker with questions at sustainability@carleton.edu.
10:00 am Workshops
Water Conservation 101
April 22 • 10 am
First United Church of Christ Church
300 Union Street, Northfield
Kevin Strauss, Clean River Partners (CRP)
Living in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we don’t often talk about water conservation. But 10% of houses have water leaks that waste over 90 gallons of water per day (32,000 gallons per year). Many more homes are losing thousands of gallons of water due to leaks. But the big news is that most of these leaks are easy to fix. Join Cannon River Watershed Partnership Community Engagement Coordinator Kevin Strauss to learn simple ways to find and fix water leaks in your house. Hands on activities. Bring a lawn chair for seating.
Compost out of wool: What it is, Why it’s good for the soil, and How to use it
April 22 • 10:00 am
Hot Spot Music
801 Division St, Northfield
Theresa Bentz from Get Bentz Farm and Wool Mill and part of the Three Rivers Fibershed
Bring a pot and learn how to use waste wool as a natural fertilizer and addition to your soil health. We will discuss what nutrients wool adds to soil health as it decomposes while we add it to our pots and plant a seed. We will talk briefly about the American wool industry, learn about what is considered “waste wool” and see fiber examples from all the major sheep breed families. If you struggle with watering your plants, or have slugs that eat your plants, or just want to learn about an alternative to other mulching materials, this class is for you!
How to Make Plantain Salve
April 22nd • 10 am
First United Church of Christ Church
300 Union Street, Northfield
Plantain has been used by herbalists for centuries Join Marcea Frazier and learn how to make this useful salve that draws out toxins from bug bites and so much more. We will be making the salve in the First UCC kitchen and the first 10 people to this workshop will receive a sample salve to bring home, all others are welcome to join in and learn. Come 10 come all.
Earth Day Indigo
April 22 from 10 am- 12 pm
First United Church of Christ Church
300 Union Street, Northfield
Katie Seaburg & Maggie Miller
Come Join us on the lawn of Bridge Square to dye with indigo. Please bring one white item (cotton, silk, linen or wool) per person, like a tee shirt, socks, dish towel and create beautiful patterns with natural indigo dye. We will have a handful of dish towels if you forget an item or do not have one. Bring a lawn chair for seating. See you there!
Tours of Carleton’s Sustainability Achievements
April 22, 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am
Carleton Campus in Anderson Hall Room 036
Join Carleton Sustainability Interns Jeremy Fleishacker & Beck Woollen on a tour of the Carleton Geothermal system and learn about our wind turbines and other energy innovations. We will offer 3 tours starting at 9 am, 10 am and 11 am. Meet on the Carleton Campus in Anderson Hall Room 036. Look for signs leading you to room 036 in the basement of Anderson Hall at Carleton College. Please contact Beck Woollen & Jeremy Fleishacker with questions at sustainability@carleton.edu.
10:30 am Workshops
River-Friendly, Low Maintenance Lawn Care
Saturday April 22 • 10:30 am
First United Church of Christ Church , 300 Union Street, Northfield
Kevin Strauss, Clean River Partners (CRP)
Did you know that how you manage your lawn and gardens can have a big impact on water in Northfield?
Whether it’s the fertilizers and herbicides you use (or don’t use), or it’s the height of your lawn, making small changes in how we manage our yards can have a big impact on how clean the Cannon River and our drinking water will be. The good news is that many “clean water” land use practices are actually less expensive and less time consuming than the “standard” yard maintenance practices that we use every day
Learn about simple, easy, low-maintenance ways that you can grow healthier, more climate-change resistant lawns and gardens, while at the same time helping your yard absorb and filter the rain that falls there. We’ll explore rain gardens, lawn maintenance, pollinators, and native plantings, plus you’ll walk away with an awesome “Healthy Lawns/Healthy Rivers” handout. Cannon River Watershed Partnership is presenting this workshop with support from the City of Northfield.
Bring a lawn chair for seating.
Earth Day Volunteering at the Arboretum
9:00am – 12:00pm (3h) • Sat, April 22, 2023 • Meet at the bridge across Spring Creek along the paved trail just down the hill from the entrance to the Upper Arb at the intersection of 2nd and Oak Streets (near the Carleton Tennis Courts)
The Carleton College Arboretum will host an Earth Day Tree Planting event as part of the Northfield Earth Day celebrations on April 23, 2022. Help us restore the forest of the Arboretum by planting young trees. Space for this event will be limited and we ask that you sign up ahead of time; please sign up only if you are sure you can come, or if your plans change later, make sure to let us know so we can offer your spot to someone else. Two work shifts of 90 minutes each will be offered, starting at 9:00 or 10:30.
We will collect your email when you sign up and send you directions to the meeting location and a reminder about the event.
Celebrate Earth Day and help with management in the Arboretum. While we normally plant trees on Earth Day the delayed spring means other activities including some maintenance on trees planted previously, invasive species removal and roadside trash pick up. Whatever task you are assigned to be assured that we have fun working together! Meet (see map here) at the bridge across Spring Creek along the paved trail just down the hill from the entrance to the Upper Arb at the intersection of 2nd and Oak Streets (near the Carleton Tennis Courts). Make sure to wear closed toe shoes and socks, and clothes that can get dirty – outdoor work can be messy. We will supply gloves if you need them and all necessary tools.
Please sign up for this event so that we can plan for enough equipment and let you know of any changes – thunderstorms or heavy rain would require that we cancel the event and we want to be able to update you! This event will have two shifts – 9:00 – 10:30 and 10:30 – noon. Sign up for the shift that fits your schedule the best.
This event is part of the Northfield Earth Day events – consider participating in other events throughout the day.
Event Contact: Lisa Falconer
11:00 am Workshops
Organizing for Climate Justice
April 22 • 11 am
First United Church of Christ Church
300 Union Street, Northfield
In this workshop, facilitated by Carleton students from Divest Carleton and the Wellstone House of Organizing and Activism, we’ll be talking through environmental justice issues in Northfield and our broader Minnesota community. We’ll map climate intervention points that can be utilized to enact change and we’ll brainstorm creative ways to get involved and take action. Climate Change requires bravery, innovation, risk and commitment from our whole community so come join us to organize for a livable world.
Citizens Climate Lobby
April 22 • 11 am
First United Church of Christ Church
300 Union Street, Northfield
Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a grassroots organization of more than 200,000 supporters, and more than 150 supporters are in the Northfield chapter. Come to learn about their lobbying efforts to gain Federal legislation that deals effectively with the climate crisis and protects the most economically vulnerable. This year, CCL is emphasizing carbon pricing with cash back, healthy forests, building electrification and efficiency, and clean energy permitting reform. Come to hear what you can do to help make this happen. Janet Petri and Howard White are the co-leaders of the Northfield chapter of CCL.
Composting – Fun for the whole Family
April 22 • 11 am
First United Church of Christ Church
300 Union Street, Northfield
Join Northfield Curbside Compost for an interactive, kid friendly workshop on what composting is, why it matters, and how to do it! In this workshop, we will play waste sorting games, learn a song about the compost process, and more!
Tours of Carleton’s Sustainability Achievements
April 22, 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am
Carleton Campus in Anderson Hall Room 036
Join Carleton Sustainability Interns Jeremy Fleishacker & Beck Woollen on a tour of the Carleton Geothermal system and learn about our wind turbines and other energy innovations. We will offer 3 tours starting at 9 am, 10 am and 11 am. Meet on the Carleton Campus in Anderson Hall Room 036. Look for signs leading you to room 036 in the basement of Anderson Hall at Carleton College. Please contact Beck Woollen & Jeremy Fleishacker with questions at sustainability@carleton.edu.