Seeking resilient, sustainable living
Pine River is home to Happy Dancing Turtle/Hunt Utilities Group Happy Dancing Turtle, a nonprofit, and Hunt Utilities Group, a research and development company, are based in Pine River on the Hunt Utilities Group Resilient Living Campus. Hunt Utilities Group (HUG) endeavors to create products that make living resilient more realistic for all. Their research has lead them in many directions working to clean water, heat homes and design building shells that are energy efficient. Happy Dancing Turtle (HDT) is known for its long-running event, Back to Basics (B2B), the region’s premier sustainable living event. B2B is co-hosted and held at Pine River-Backus Schools. This family-friendly event is dedicated to educating participants on topics like solar energy, beekeeping, gardening, health and wellness, self-sufficiency and many others. Held annually in February, this year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 15,
2020. Visitors can expect a huge vendor fair, a wide variety of 40-plus workshops, keynote, kids’ program, lunch and more. Register for all or part of the day, and remember the vendor fair is open to the public, all day, for free. Planning ahead,
800-PBUNYAN or 800-728-6926 | www.pinerivermn.com
put the 15th annual Back to Basics in your calendar for Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021! HDT also teaches children about sustainability through summer camps, in-school and after-school activities, and other programs in two locations! In 2018, HDT opened a hub in southeastern Minnesota serving students and families in that area, too. At the main campus in Pine River, HDT staff utilize nearly two acres of growing space to trial and demonstrate different growing techniques and philosophies. Visit www.happydancingturtle. org for program details, schedules and information. Also, visit www.hugllc.com for updates on HUG projects past, present and future.
PINE RIVER CHAMBER
35