Kristin Seaman, a Minnesota GreenCorps member who worked with St. Anthony Village over the past year, was commended by council members for her accomplishments in initiating and coordinating sustainability projects and securing about $35,000 worth of grants for city and school sustainability efforts. Seaman presented a summary of her efforts at the August 9 City Council meeting.
Seaman’s activities included planning and managing green-focused events such as the November Sustainability Fair and the April Rain Barrel Workshop and Beyond the Barrel event, which placed about 30 rain barrels with residents.
She helped Wilshire Park Elementary Ecology Club students with Sustainability Fair projects and managed the Model Home Project, which considered the home of Parks Commissioner Roy Quady for improvements that would improve the home’s sustainability and would be feasible for the average homeowner.
As part of Hennepin County’s Pollinator Pathway project, Seaman led the Ecology Club and other students and volunteers in installing 26 native-plant gardens and five rain gardens. At VillageFest she led sustainability walking tours that included tours of rain gardens, solar sites, and other city sustainability projects.
Seaman also was included in Comprehensive Plan meetings, worked with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and the engineering firm WSB to plan a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new stormwater treatment system and at that event educated residents about dealing with stormwater on their properties.
The Minnesota GreenCorps program, which is coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, places Americorps members with local governments, educational institutions and non-profits for 11-month stints focusing on environmental projects.
Kristin Seaman helped lead a sustainability tour on Sunday, Aug. 7, part of VillageFest. (Photo courtesy of Citizens for Sustainability)