Sustainable Eden Prairie Award winners were recognized at the Nov. 12 City Council meeting.

The Sustainable Eden Prairie Award recognizes significant and innovative investments that contribute to the overall vitality and sustainability of the community.

Mayor Ron Case, Superintendent Josh Swanson and Executive Director of Business Services Andrew Adams representing award winner Eden Prairie Schools, and student Sustainability Commission member Lucinda Jacobs

Energy

Eden Prairie Schools has been working to reduce energy use in its buildings through energy-efficiency improvements and LED lighting for years. About 85% of the energy used in its buildings comes from rooftop or community solar gardens, and school start times were adjusted to reduce emissions by 15%.

Eden Prairie Schools has also incorporated sustainability into its food program and curriculum with a full-service bakery, farm-to-school program, and classes such as green engineering and environmental science. This year the school district was recognized as one of the US Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools. It was the only school district in the state to receive this honor, and one of 10 nationally.

Mayor Ron Case, and award winner Natalie Sell between student Sustainability Commission members Evie Elmquist and Akhil Agrawal

Landscape

Natalie Sells is recognized because of her tireless efforts to improve her home with sustainability practices, most notably her commitment to incorporate native plantings in her yard to support pollinators, birds and other wildlife. Her plantings are strategic to ensure they bloom throughout the seasons.

Natalie also conserves water through her rain barrel, composts her organic waste, drives an electric car, practices energy conservation strategies, eats vegan and fosters animals.

Mayor Ron Case, Patrick Hughley and Andy McLean of award winner Storm Trees, and student Sustainability Commission member Simone Kirkeby

Waste

Storm Trees is an Eden Prairie-based business focused on turning downed or diseased trees into lumber instead of mulch or biofuel. Keeping the trees mostly intact means the carbon stored in them through natural processes is kept that way instead of being released into the atmosphere.

The lumber is used for furniture, flooring, cabinets, tables and more. Storm Trees tracks the carbon sequestration from its products and aims to keep the finished product within 100 miles of where the tree once stood.

Mayor Ron Case, Carrie Eggleston, Eric Stephens and Janelle MacLean, representing award winner United Properties: The Ellie, and student Sustainability Commission member Gabriel Hernandez

Water

United Properties' The Ellie is one of Eden Prairie’s newest multifamily housing developments and was designed with sustainability in mind throughout. All units use WaterSense showerheads, rainwater is collected and used for resident community gardens and the swimming pool was designed to use as little water as possible. The development includes bioswales and pervious parking areas with native plantings to help with stormwater treatment.

In addition, the Ellie was designed to use 25% less energy than a typical multifamily building through high-efficiency mechanical equipment, lighting and insulation. EV charging infrastructure was installed with room to add more in the future. A green roof is installed on several areas of the building, and more than half the waste from the building is recycled.

This award program aligns with the City's Sustainable Eden Prairie initiative, an ongoing effort focusing on education and implementation of sustainable practices to protect the environment and natural resources our community enjoys. The four nomination categories reflect the initiative's focus areas — energy, landscape, waste and water.

Learn more at edenprairie.org/SustainableAward.