Appreciating the world around us and striving to be good stewards of our resources is a year-round activity. This spring, however, Veterans Homes’ Residents and employees throughout the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) focused on Earth Week in April to bring improving our environment front and center.
Earth Day was April 22 and MDVA celebrated with activities, challenges and educational opportunities!
Here is a snapshot of what we learned and how we took action to support our planet at Minnesota Veterans Homes locations around the state.
- The Minneapolis Veterans Home hosted a “Plantings for Pollinators” presentation from Hennepin County master gardener Sharon Decker. Attendees learned about the benefits of pollinators and took part in a honey tasting.
- Residents at the Bemidji Veterans Home created seed pods and built bee hotels.
- The Silver Bay Veterans Home hosted Kurt Mead, author of “Dragonflies of the North Woods,” to present about dragonfly identification and ecology. Kurt is a naturalist living in the Minnesota north woods with his family. Residents and staff across MDVA attended virtually.
- The Luverne Veterans Home learned about bees from a local beekeeper (the son of one of the Residents), resource management at Blue Mounds State Park from the Minnesota DNR, and hosted a recycling workshop with their waste hauler.
- The Fergus Falls Veterans Home hosted a plant and seed swap party. Residents started plants in their greenhouse and planted two apple trees.
- Residents from the Minneapolis and Hastings Domiciliary built bee houses, started plants and saw the nearby tulips in bloom.
- Residents and staff at the Preston Veterans Home engaged in a step challenge and saved 150 plastic water bottles with their water bottle refill station. Residents also created crafts and planted succulents with recycled materials, learned about the mushrooms from a local mycologist, and planted seeds for their garden beds.
