This past September, Lyon County was awarded a GreenCorp member from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

“Members serve at organizations throughout the state, completing community-focused environmental projects while gaining experience and learning green job skills. The MPCA selects site organizations to host up to 58 MN GreenCorps members; each year members serve full-time from September to the following August. Organizations eligible to host include government entities (local, regional, state, and tribal), school districts, public education institutions, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Host sites provide supervision and support members on community-focused projects in one of the four topic areas: community readiness and outreach, energy conservation and green transportation, storm water and forestry, or waste reduction and recycling.”

In today’s column, our GreenCorp member, Kyle Dahlquist explains how he is impacting our area with his focus topic, which is waste reduction, and recycling.

My name is Kyle Dahlquist, and I am a member of Minnesota GreenCorps. I serve at the Lyon Environmental Department in Marshall, Minnesota, where I work on a variety of environmental, waste reduction, and recycling projects.

I am from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, and studied Field Biology at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Growing up, my summers were spent in lake country in northern Wisconsin, as well as lifeguarding in St. Paul. I have always had a passion for environmental protection and ecology. My service with Minnesota GreenCorps has been a great way to gain experience in the environmental field.

Minnesota GreenCorps is funded and facilitated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and AmeriCorps.

A national program with its roots in civil service, AmeriCorps programs provide services in the educational, environmental, and community building fields. Members receive a work stipend and an education award upon completing their service, as well as training opportunities in their chosen field. Various service programs serve as the template and inspiration for the modern AmeriCorps, from the Civil Conservation Corps of the Great Depression, to the Peace Corps founded by the Kennedy administration in 1961. At its heart, though, is a dedication to public service and community involvement.

My role at the Lyon Environmental Department is multi-faceted. I have assisted Southwest Minnesota State University with a number of projects, such as the addition of 40 recycling bins on campus and ventures to mitigate bird-strikes and improve composting initiatives.

As a part of my service in the Waste Reduction & Recycling program, I volunteer weekly at the Kitchen Table Food Shelf in Marshall, where I help organize donations and assist shoppers with food selection. The work there is incredibly rewarding. Food insecurity is a persistent concern for many families, and anything I can do to alleviate this burden is time well spent.

I have also been assisting the Marshall-Lyon County Library with its tool-lending program. Library guests can borrow tools for home or DIY projects, without having to purchase something they may only use once. The goal is to reduce the overall strain on manufacturing and landfill waste.

In addition to my primary service projects, I have recently begun assisting the area 4-H Club with STEM after-school programs. Topics like wildlife ecology and entomology are a blast to discuss with such an enthusiastic and bright group of kids.

I look forward to serving the residents of Lyon County, and Minnesota as a whole. I have met many amazing people in my time here so far. Their drive for making the world a better place inspires me every day.

For more information on waste disposal or recycling, please contact the Lyon County Environmental Department at (507) 532-8210 or email lyonenvironmental@co.lyon.mn.us. Residents can contact the Lyon County Landfill at (507) 865-4615. We also have information on the Lyon County, Minnesota website at www.lyonco.org