The Minnesota GreenCorps program is a statewide initiative, coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, to preserve and protect Minnesota’s environment while training a new generation of environmental professionals.
The program places AmeriCorps members with host organizations around the state to assist communities and local governments in addressing a variety of statewide needs, aiming to:
- Reduce solid waste and increase recycling in Minnesota communities.
- Reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and other air pollutants.
- Reduce water runoff and improve water quality.
- Assist community members to take eco-friendly actions.
- Increase community resilience and build local capacity to respond to the threats of climate change.
- Train new environmental professionals.
Minnesota GreenCorps is an AmeriCorps program. Funding is provided through a grant from ServeMinnesota and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Members serve at their host sites for 11 months, from mid-September through mid-August. More than 240 GreenCorps members have served at over 130 organizations across Minnesota. Former and current host site organizations include cities, counties, public schools, universities, watershed districts, and non-profit organizations.
Since the program’s launch in 2009, Minnesota GreenCorps members have engaged and educated nearly 200,000 volunteers in communities around the state through service projects, including assistance with environmental fairs, multi-modal transportation events, energy benchmarking, waste sorts, tree inventory/citizen foresters, invasive species removal, tree planting, and building rain gardens. Many of these projects help to increase resilience of Minnesota communities to the impacts of climate change, such as increasing heat and heavy precipitation.
For more information
For more information, please email: mngreencorps.pca@state.mn.us
Members serve with local governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions statewide. Members serve 40 hours a week for 11 months, from late September through the following August.
Currently there are 42 Minnesota GreenCorps members serving at host sites around the state.
Project summaries: Program Year 2018-2019 (p-mgc1-10)
2018: Member - Auste Eigirdas
About me. Originally from Lithuania, I was raised in Los Angeles with an appreciation for the outdoors even within the city borders. My childhood summers were spent on road trips to state parks, foraging in Lithuania’s countryside, or at my family’s cabin in the California mountains. In 2014, I relocated to southern Minnesota and attended St. Olaf College where I had the opportunity to help manage 300 acres of land dedicated to natural habitat. After graduating in the spring, I continued in the natural resource track as Horticulture intern at the Eloise Butler Wildlife Garden where I gained valuable insight into the Minneapolis park system. I’m excited to continue building on these experiences while serving at Mississippi Park Connection.
About my service. Mississippi Park Connection is the nonprofit partner of the national park along the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities. Urban canopy faces increasing pressure from invasive pests, climate change, and problems with regeneration. Along with helping on ongoing restoration projects, I will conduct vegetation surveys that will help land managers prioritize decisions in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. We are especially concerned about the loss of ash trees due to emerald ash borer, which will affect 20-40% of the canopy along the Mississippi River. I will be assisting in developing an experimental design that determines best urban adaptation strategies to strengthen and increase resilience in the Mississippi River's floodplain forest habitat.
Why I serve. Many reasons, but mostly because of the people, especially volunteers, involved in this field. I am inspired by the passion and kindness of the people who are dedicated to preserving our natural resources.
My favorite place to visit in Minnesota. Although I’m biased to the parks in the cities (Crosby Farm, Coldwater Spring, and EBWG to name a few), I’ve really enjoyed exploring northern Minnesota!