Parking Lot Prairie

In 2019 we took a large problem at our school into our own hands. The problem was that community members that have property neighboring the school’s wetland had brought to the school’s attention that their back yards were flooding because of the amount of the school’s impervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces cause runoff, erosion, and increase water level in the wetland. We spoke with many local experts including the watershed district, the soil and water conservation district, and the local DNR hydrologist for their recommendations to solve this issue. We decided to do a native prairie in the middle school parking lot’s retention pond to prevent erosion and runoff in this area and reduce water level in the wetland. We had Tracy Tebben’s Landscaping Class help lay stones and straw and over 150 5th graders helped seed, plant, and water the native plants. We also partnered with many organizations within the community including: Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center, Kandiyohi Power Cooperative, Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District, Morning Sky Greenery, Pheasants Forever, Prairie Restorations, Kandiyohi County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Duininck Inc. This project will hopefully be successful in preventing the neighbor’s properties from flooding while providing habitat to pollinators, improving soil health, and adding some beautiful native flowers for the community to enjoy.