Shakopee is committed to nurturing the natural systems that make our community thrive, from the ground beneath our feet to the water along our riverbank. Through thoughtful restoration, native planting, and smart stormwater management, we're building a greener, healthier city for residents, wildlife, and generations to come.
City Projects
Shakopee is actively transforming underutilized spaces and new park developments into thriving native landscapes, reducing maintenance costs while improving habitat, soil health, and water quality across the community.
Native Prairie Restorations
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Park Development Projects |
Turf-to-prairie restorations convert underutilized city turf into native vegetation, delivering lasting soil health, habitat, and water quality benefits while reducing long-term maintenance costs.
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Native vegetation is woven into the design of many recent park development projects, ensuring Shakopee's newest green spaces support local ecosystems from day one.
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These projects are taking place at the locations below:
- Community Center
- Scenic Heights Park
- Prairie Bend Park
- Green Meadows Park
- Lion’s Park
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Recent park development projects:
- Memorial Park
- Jackson Commons
- Valley Crest
- Windermere Park
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Native Plant Gardens
Native plants play an important role in keeping our environment healthy. They provide food and habitat for pollinators and wildlife, help improve water quality, and add beauty to parks and natural areas.
You don't need a large restoration project to make a difference. Adding native plants to your yard through a garden, raingarden, or shoreline planting can help support wildlife, reduce stormwater runoff, and create a beautiful, low-maintenance landscape.
| Habitat & Wildlife |
Soil Health |
Beauty & Low Maintenance |
- Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects
- Provides food and cover for birds
- Supports local wildlife corridors
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- Stabilizes soil with deep root systems
- Improves nutrient cycling naturally
- Enhances water infiltration into the ground
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- No irrigation or fertilizers needed
- Wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes
- Sequential blooms offer color all season
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Raingardens & Shoreline Buffers
Strategic plantings along shorelines and in raingardens work like natural filters, reducing runoff, improving water quality, and protecting the lakes, ponds, and waterways that define Shakopee's landscape.
| Raingardens |
Shoreline Buffers |
- Increases stormwater infiltration into the ground
- Removes sediment and excess nutrients from runoff
- Reduces localized flooding and erosion
- Provides natural treatment without chemical inputs
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- Reduces stormwater runoff reaching water bodies
- Filters water to help prevent algal blooms
- Deep native roots stabilize and protect shorelines
- Creates habitat for shoreline wildlife, pollinators, and birds
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Resources
Ready to bring native plants and sustainable practices to your own property? These resources offer guides, technical assistance, and inspiration.
What’s in the seed packet? 
Click on any image below to see photos in gallery mode of the plants included in the seed mix.
