Book group and movie night amongst August activities

Transition Longfellow is an all-volunteer group of Longfellow/South Minneapolis neighbors who create activities to engage the community in reducing energy use, growing local food, preparing for extreme weather, and helping neighbors get to know one another. Visit www.transitionlongfellow.org to learn more.

Preparedness Book Group meets Wed., Aug 2, 6:30pm at Moon Palace Books (3260 Minnehaha Ave.) and Wed., Aug 16, 6:30pm at Lake Coffee House (3223 E. Lake St.). The group is reading “Making Home: Adapting Our Homes and Lives to Settle in Place” by Sharon Astyk. In August, the group will read out loud chapters 10 and 11 on how preparing for greater resilience in the face of a changing climate can strengthen or cause conflicts within marriages and families. What if spouses disagree about the need to prepare? How can you involve children in preparedness activities?

There is no presentation in the “When Climate Change Comes Home Speaker Series” in August. In September, the topic will be “Protecting Yourself from Insect and Water-borne Diseases.” The group is working with the City of Minneapolis Office of Emergency Management to offer Ready Camp, a 4-5 hour training that teaches residents how to be prepared for emergencies, natural disasters, and weather extremes, staying safe until emergency services can arrive. A date has not yet been set.

Movie Night is scheduled for Fri., Aug 18, 6:30pm potluck, and 7:15pm movie, at Minnehaha Communion Lutheran, 4101 37th Ave. S. (new location). Meet new friends and neighbors and share a meal together. This month’s movie is “One River Many Relations: The Oil Sands, Environment and Indigenous Rights.” This documentary looks at the impact of Alberta Tar Sands oil extraction on the Mikisew Cree and Athabasca Chipewyan who live downstream, and how the treaty rights of these First Nation’s people can act for the good of those communities and all of us.

Transition Longfellow has provided multiple activities every month (except December) since 2011, with the committed support of six to ten core volunteers. It has offered workshops on going zero waste, growing your own food and herbs, learning how to can, pickle and dehydrate, how to start a compost bin and a worm bin, ways to use less energy, how to be part of a solar garden, and more. It has partnered with the neighborhood association to install garden beds and little free libraries and co-hosted an energy fair.

To continue to provide fun and informational programs, the group is seeking additional volunteers for the organizing team. No particular experience is necessary, just a desire to work with others to make this community more vibrant, socially connected, and resilient. People with marketing, social media, video, organizing, or project management skills are very welcome, as well as people with knowledge of and passion for renewable energy, transit, climate, food, sustainability and community building. You do not need to live in one of the four Longfellow neighborhoods to be on the organizing team.

To learn more about volunteering with Transition Longfellow, contact Leslie MacKenzie at 612-810-3216.