Education and Community Partnerships

Two students (wearing head scarves) smiling and laughing with an adult, in the woods in Minnesota, looking at a piece of paper.

Each year, Great River Greening engages thousands of volunteers to work with us, side-by-side, on land close to their homes.

Our community roots run deep, partnering with civic organizations, schools, businesses, non-profits, and government agencies. Over 47,000 volunteers have joined us in the restoration and stewardship of Minnesota’s natural habitats, including 12,000 youth and young adults.

Future Stewards Youth Education

Launched in 2022, Future Stewards is a youth environmental education program serving nearly 300 students each year. Delivered in partnership with K-12 schools, participants engage in hands-on planting, restoration, and stewardship work while also learning about green careers and the benefits of spending time in nature.

Future Stewards increases student participation in outdoor activities that drive success in school, at home, and in their communities.

Are you interested in getting your school involved with Great River Greening? Please fill out this survey to request a consultation. Please contact Jessica Drummond, Naturalist and Outreach Coordinator, with questions.

Future Stewards Partner Schools

The Future Stewards program is made possible by generous funding from an anonymous family foundation, the Mason Family Foundation, and the Opus Foundation.

Two students, one boy and one girl, with the boy shoveling dirt onto a newly planted tree, the girl in the background  with her shovel in a bucket, and a teacher looking on, in Saint Paul Minnesota

Cooling Saint Paul Public Schools

Cool Saint Paul, our tree planting initiative that aims to reduce the harmful environmental and health impacts of urban heat islands in St. Paul, is partnering with Saint Paul Public Schools to expand tree canopy on public school campuses. Planting projects are paired with a youth environmental education and stewardship program at campuses lacking tree coverage.

To learn more about Cool Saint Paul and Great River Greening’s partnership with Saint Paul Public Schools, contact Brennan Blue, Environmental Stewardship Director.

To learn more about our projects, click below: