Happy Dancing Turtle is a nonprofit organization that is based in Pine River, MN with a hub in the Driftless Region of MN/WI.
Summer Garden Assistant
Happy Dancing Turtle is hiring a temporary Summer Garden Assistant for the Pine River, MN location. The position will begin immediately and last through the growing/harvesting season. Click here to view the job posting.
To apply, send a cover letter & resume OR a completed application to hr@happydancingturtle.org.
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Current Bingo Scavenger Hunt Info
The 2024 Spring Bingo Scavenger Hunt begins April 1st & we're sprucing things up after 4 years of hunts! They started during COVID as a fun activity to bring you outdoors, but have stuck around due to the positive feedback we've received.
The new twist on our well-loved bingo focuses on getting outside while also helping out the Earth! Instead of our normal prize packages, HDT will be making donations in your honor to some worthy causes!
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1+ Bingos: Everyone who submits a bingo will receive our limited edition seasonal sticker!
6+ Bingos: Chance to win the Grand Prize - a donation in your name to the state Future Forest Fund to help restore native forests! The winner will receive a personalized letter in their honor.
Earth Month Special: To celebrate Earth Day & Arbor Day, HDT will donate an additional $1 for EVERY completed tree column submitted on a bingo card!
Bonus Prize: Our newest (and possibly coolest) HDT Swag Item will go to the participant who picked up the most litter (judged through photo submissions)!
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Happy Earth Month!
Check out the spring bingo card & rules here.
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A printer-friendly version of the card can be found here!
Registration is required to win prizes!
Fall Bingo Scavenger Hunt
When
Watch for dates coming soon!
Where
Anywhere in Nature!
Pricing
FREE - All ages welcome to join!
Logistics
Watch for details coming soon!
About
Can you find all 24 of the items on the bingo card out in nature? Every bingo you get is another chance to win some great prizes! Both family and individual registrations are available.
Winter Bingo Scavenger Hunt
When
All pictures must be taken & submitted between December 15, 2022 and January 15, 2023!
Where
Anywhere in Nature!
Pricing
FREE - All ages welcome to join!
Logistics
About
Click here to see the rules and Bingo card and learn how you can get bonus chances to win, and here for a printer-friendly version of the card. Click "Register" below to register for the Winter Bingo Scavenger Hunt.
Can you find all 24 of the items on the bingo card out in nature? Every bingo you get is another chance to win some great prizes! Both family and individual registrations are available.
Fall Bingo Scavenger Hunt
When
All pictures must be taken & submitted between October 1 and November 1, 2022!
Where
Anywhere in Nature!
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Pricing
FREE - All ages welcome to join!
Logistics
Click here to see the rules and Bingo card and learn how you can get bonus chances to win, and here for a printer-friendly version of the card. Click "Register" below to register for the Fall Bingo Scavenger Hunt. (Registration opens October 1.)
About
Can you find all 24 of the items on the bingo card out in nature? Every bingo you get is another chance to win some great prizes! Both family and individual registrations are available.
Summer Bingo Scavenger Hunt
When
All pictures must be taken & submitted between July 15 and August 15, 2022!
Where
Anywhere in Nature!
Pricing
FREE - All ages welcome to join!
Logistics
Click here to see the rules and Bingo card and learn how you can get bonus chances to win, and here for a printer-friendly version of the card. Click "Register" below to register for the Winter Bingo Scavenger Hunt. (Registration opens July 15.)
About
Can you find all 24 of the items on the bingo card out in nature? Every bingo you get is another chance to win some great prizes! Both family and individual registrations are available.
FREE - All ages welcome to join!
Fall Bingo Scavenger Hunt
About
Can you find all 24 of the items on the bingo card out in nature? Everyone's first bingo gets a prize! The more bingos you find, the better your chance of winning a bigger prize! Both family and individual registrations are available.
When & Where
Registration is now OPEN! Pictures must be taken and submitted between October 1st & October 31st, 2021. You can participate from anywhere! Just head out into nature to find the items on your bingo card!
Pricing
FREE - All ages welcome to join! You MUST register to receive prizes, otherwise we don't know where to send them!
Questions? Email: info@happydancingturtle.org
Summer Garden Assistant
Happy Dancing Turtle is hiring a temporary Summer Garden Assistant for the Pine River, MN location. The position will begin immediately and last through the growing/harvesting season. Click here to view the job posting.
To apply, send a cover letter & resume OR a completed application to hr@happydancingturtle.org.
​
Support Stewardship
Help grow good stewards by supporting Happy Dancing Turtle's mission to inspire wonder and empower change.
Quinn Swanson
Executive Director
Since joining the Resilient Living Campus in 2004, Quinn has been actively engaged in realizing many Campus initiatives, from early building projects with cob and straw bales to program creation, growth and management with fairs, tours, classes, events and beyond. She holds a degree in Environmental Studies and is passionate about long and healthy life on the planet for humans, plants, and animals; spiders...not so much. Quinn feels this is work she is meant to do and is grateful to be surrounded by others who are likewise dedicated to stewardship, sustainability, and resilience. She enjoys spending time in nature and on water with her husband and furs, and wishes there were more time in the day for her many and varied creative pursuits.
Molly Zins
Member
As the executive director of the University of Minnesota Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (CRSDP), Molly works with the community University Board, businesses, organizations, and agencies to convene and identify issues and opportunities to improve the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the region. Prior to joining the CRSDP, Molly worked in the field of water resources protection for several years.
Molly earned her Master's from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a research focus on Sustainable Communities: Understanding Access and Support which investigated local food systems and the foundations of a sustainable community. Her experience in community outreach and conservation stems from working with the St. Croix Chippewa Tribe, teaching in Belize, and leading wilderness education courses. Molly lives in Pequot Lakes with her husband, two young sons, and their Golden Retriever. They spend all of their free time enjoying the woods, waters, and wildlife in our region.
Change Exchange
Discussion Group
When
Tuesday, April 11, 6:30-7:30 pm, journalist/explorer Erica Gies, author of Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought & Deluge
Where
Via Zoom (link will be sent with registration)
There will also be an in-person Zoom viewing option in Pine River. See more info in the Registration link below.
Pricing
Free
Resources
Please read/watch/listen to at least one of the following:
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PRINT RESOURCES
Water Always Wins by Erica Gies
An explanation of the Slow Water movement from the author.
Friend, not commodity: changing our approach to water before it causes more harm by Kate Simpson - a review of Water Always Wins.
Do Dams Increase Water Use? by Erica Gies, Scientific American, 2/18/19.
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VIDEO RESOURCES
A National Geographic Explorer's Quest to Help Solve Drought - PBS interview with Erica Gies. 15 minutes.
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PODCAST/AUDIO RESOURCES
What water wants -- and how to live with it as our climate changes - Wisconsin Public Radio interview. 21 minutes.
Cows and CW Partners and Resources
SFA - Silvopasture/ Agroforestry - Resource & Partner
Grazing System Planning Guide - Useful resource for developing a livestock feeding program. Information in this booklet covers necessary resources, paddock and fence design, weed control, and other issues.
Soil Health Resources & Partners
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Sustainable Farming Association of MN - Resource & Partner
The SFA of MN advances environmental stewardship, economic resilience, and strong, diverse communities through farmer-to-farmer networking, education, demonstration, and research.​
They are leaders in the soil health movement.
MN Soil Health Coalition - Resource
The MN Soil Health Coalition is an organization that is dedicated to producer driven education, outreach and adoption utilizing information exchange to promote the principles of soil health.​
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Natural Resources Conservation Service - Resource & Partner
The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides farmers and ranchers with financial and technical assistance with the goal of helping the environment and agricultural operations, as well. They are also a great source for information on soil health.​
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Erika Bailey-Johnson
Member
Erika works in the Ganawendakamigaawigamig (Office of Earth-Caretaking or Sustainability Office) at Bemidji State University. She completed her BA in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Morris in 1998 and her Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from BSU in 2006. Her background is in science teaching, and Erika and her husband taught for two years in Mexico and three years in Kuwait before returning home to Northern Minnesota. In 2014, Erika was named one of the top 40 under 40 business professionals in the region. Erika is currently on the board for Happy Dancing Turtle in Pine River and is a core member of the City of Bemidji Sustainability Committee. Erika maintains an active schedule with two young boys and a passion for making the Bemidji community a healthier and more sustainable place.
Chris Lindholm
Member
Cook County Public Schools superintendent Chris Lindholm started in 2021 after serving as Superintendent of Pequot Lakes Public Schools since 2013, Assistant Superintendent of the Burnsville-Eagan Savage district, Principal and Assistant Principal at Shakopee Junior High School, and Dean of Students at Edina High School. His son Sam attends the U of MN Morris, son Rowan attends Cook County High School, and his wife Kristin is a special education teacher in Cook County Public Schools. After several years of hobby farming Cormo sheep, chickens and growing local foods in Breezy Point, MN, the Lindholms now live in downtown Grand Marais, MN. They are grateful to be part of a community that values the environment, diversity, the arts, and living resiliently.
Jennifer Smith
Member
In September of 2012, Jennifer moved to the Brainerd Lakes Area after spending 7 years in Bethesda, Maryland. She started Nisswa Yoga in October of 2012. Having grown up in Minnesota, Jennifer has lived and traveled around the world. She is delighted to be back in Minnesota, having her family nearby and being surrounded by the pristine natural beauty of Northern Minnesota.
Change Exchange
Discussion Group
When
The second Tuesday of the month, beginning October 11, from 6:30 to 8 pm
Where
Driftless Region: Bluff Country Co-op, 121 W. 2nd St, Winona
Northern Lakes Region: Hunt Utilities Group Resilient Living Campus, Old Main, 2331 Dancing Wind Rd SW, Pine River
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Pricing
Free
About
Groups will gather in the Driftless or Pine River for one hour and then join together on Zoom to share insights across geography! For the first quarter, topic is consumerism and consumption. For the October meeting two books, two videos and some podcasts will be shared–participants are encouraged to read/watch/listen to at least one of the titles before the meeting.
Something for Everyone
Happy Dancing Turtle is a nonprofit organization that is home-based in Pine River, MN with a hub in the Driftless Region of MN/WI.
Nature Club, Tiny Turtles and Change Exchange keeps everyone learning about nature and sustainability!
Hosted by Our Community Partners
Latest Blog Posts
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Tammy Bargy
Manager of Administration
Tammy came on board in September 2019 becoming the newest member of the team. She wears many different hats that range from HR Support to Office Manager and Administration Lead. Previous to that she was a dairy farmer, worked 20 years at Arvig Telephone/TDS as Director of Customer Service, ran an off-grid resort in the Canadian wilderness and then moved on to Landis+Gyr as an Executive Administrative Assistant. Born and raised in the area, Tammy lives with her husband, Mike west of Pequot Lakes on their century old family farm.
Educational Resources
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Link 1
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Link 2
Gardener Dave
No Available Positions at This Time
Check back in the future for available positions.
No Mess Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage is one of those awesome veggies that you hate as a kid but then you realize is totally awesome! There are tons of great things you can do with it but most of the super awesome ones involve lots of messing around and time consuming techniques. This one gets all the great flavors of one of those dishes and makes it easy.
Ingredients
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1 tablespoon Olive oil
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1 yellow onion
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3 cloves garlic Minced
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1 lb ground beef
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Salt and pepper to taste
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3 tomatoes diced
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½ cup tomato paste
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¼ cup chicken broth
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½ teaspoon paprika
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½ teaspoon thyme
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½ teaspoon marjoram
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1 tablespoon brown sugar
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1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
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5 cups of chopped cabbage
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2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
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2 cups of cooked rice
Instructions
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Heat olive oil in a large soup pot
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Add onion and saute for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
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Add beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until meat is fully browned.
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Drain the pot of excess grease
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Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, paprika, thyme, marjoram, brown sugar, & vinegar.
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Bring mixture to a simmer. Then add the cabbage. Reduce heat and cook for about 15 minutes salt and pepper to taste here.
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Serve over rice and garnish with the parsley