Celebrate the 26th year of honoring Ina Mak̇a (Mother Earth) during the SMSC’s Earth Week Extravaganza.
This springtime event offers daily quizzes and prizes April 16-23 as well as a variety of interactive tables and booths for all team members April 23 in the Playworks LINK Event Center Parking Lot from 2:30pm to 5:30pm.
Join Natural Resources and the many other departments who help host this great event and experience all the extravaganza has to offer
View our presentation about ecologically-minded practices for native pollinators:
Reimagining Your Yardscape
SMSC is a Leader in Environmental Sustainability
Environmental sustainability isn’t just something we believe in, but an initiative that we actively strive to improve upon each day. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community continues to be a leader in eco-friendly projects that help improve our environment and natural resources. Check out this video to learn more on how our team enacts sustainable measures throughout the Community!
SMSC Earth Week Extravaganza 2026 Events
WEATHER WATCHERS
Become a backyard meteorologist! Test out real weather tools, explore 28 years of SMSC weather data in an interactive display, and learn how everyday people help track weather trends through the CoCoRaHS network. Sign up for a chance to win a backyard weather station of your own!
ONLY RAIN DOWN THE DRAIN
Swing by and explore the importance of storm drains and show off your skills at avoiding pollutants on our stormwater mini golf course. If it’s not rain, don’t send it down the drain!
PTEOPTAYE
Curious about the pteoptaye (bison herd)? Pte (bison) staff will be on-site to answer your questions and give you a chance to explore hands-on bison related items.
TREE PESTS
Learn about the impacts of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Stop by to see sample larval feeding galleries, a preserved larva and borer, discuss lifecycle, and talk about what can be done to slow the spread of this invasive tree pest.
GOOD FIRE: CARING FOR THE LAND AND CULTURE
Join us to learn about how we use fire around the SMSC to care for the landscapes. You won’t want to miss the hourly tabletop demonstrations!
HONORING THE WORK, SHAPING THE FUTURE
NativeGreen highlights the Community’s long-standing commitment to sustainability. We will be sharing stories about impactful work that has been underway for decades at the SMSC.
BACKYARD CHICKENS
Learn how to keep chickens in your own yard! Backyard hens produce nutritious eggs and rich compost for your garden. Swing by our table to meet a few feathered ambassadors. We will have resources to learn about caring for your flock , basic biosecurity, and how to turn chicken poop into garden gold.
UNDERSTANDING COMPOST QUALITY
Come learn about the many offerings from Dakota Prairie Composting, discover different types and qualities of compost and even bring home a bag of your own.
REIMAGINING YOUR YARDSCAPE
Join the SMSC Horticulture team to learn about native pollinators, their relationships with native plants, and how to maintain a pollinator friendly garden. Participants will be able to take home a plant or two to get started.
MAKE YOUR OWN HERB POT
Create your own herb pot to take home courtesy of #SMSCgives.
LEAD TACKLE DROP-OFF
Trade in your lead tackle and go loon safe instead! Take steps to protect local waterbodies and wildlife by not using lead tackle. Sample packs of nontoxic fishing tackle will be available to those who bring in lead tackle.
ALL ABOUT DEER HEALTH
University of Minnesota researchers will show the latest technology used to monitor deer movement in urban areas and share ways you can help prevent the spread of disease throughout Minnesota’s deer herds.
Practice Sustainability at Work
As the largest employer in Scott County, we have made it our mission to provide and encourage sustainable practices within our teams. Each office area is equipped with tools to help minimize our carbon footprint, including renewable energy sources, composting bins, LED lights, and more. Our Land and Building Services Department works diligently to continue to provide opportunities and education within for everyone in the Community to practice sustainability with ease. Watch this video to learn more about these initiatives.
