If you visited a different park in Eden Prairie each week, you would need one full year to see them all.
And you’d never get bored. Our town encompasses over 1,000 acres of active use parkland, including public beaches, fishing piers, ice rinks, community gardens, tennis courts, ballparks, hundreds of miles of sidewalks and trails, and many other recreational amenities that are almost as fun as magazine reading. Our parks also provide views of 17 lakes, more than 100 ponds, and over 4,500 acres of open wetlands – the best kind of wetlands.
“I was born and raised to love nature, and then blessed with my dream job,” said Amy Markle, parks and recreation director. “Watching over Eden Prairie’s parks and 13 conservation areas feels like I won the lottery, and nothing’s so satisfying as helping others build the same connections to the outdoors that I cherish so deeply.”
READER: DO NOT FRET. Amy doesn’t do it all alone.
“We have such a talented team to steward the parks,” explained Amy. “Of course there are all my fellow city employees, who do everything from mowing to recreational programming. They inspire me everyday! I’m also enormously grateful to Friends of Eden Prairie Parks: a group of community volunteers dedicated to maintaining our town’s natural ecosystems and improving their biodiversity. They do so much for us. I am especially appreciative of their help managing invasive plants like garlic mustard and European buckthorn.”
The Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission further exemplifies the power of volunteerism. The group of Eden Prairie residents advises City Council on matters of development and use of parks and recreation facilities, leisure services, recreation programming, preservation of natural resources, and promotion of environmental awareness.
“We usually have ten to 12 commissioners and eight youth commissioners at any given time,” elaborated Amy. “They’re just ordinary people who happen to be really into parks and recreation, and express it by helping us build policy, reviewing plans for construction, and providing valuable insights into the conservation and enhancement of our precious green spaces.”
I had devised a whole drawn-out line of questioning that would coax Amy into revealing her favorite hidden gems within the Eden Prairie park system. I am so persuasive that she surrendered her secrets almost instantly.
“I love Riley Creek Conservation Area, which preserves a rare remnant of the metro’s original Big Woods. It’s perfectly preserved, with old-growth maples that practically illuminate their surroundings each fall. But if you really want to discover something special, check out Richard T. Anderson Conservation Area, which provides a sweeping view of the Minnesota River Valley, and contains some of our state’s very little remaining virgin prairie.”
Eden Prairie parks can be found outdoors. For their exact locations – as well as other pertinent information, such as how you can volunteer to remove invasive species, plant trees, and collect native seeds – please visit EdenPrairie.org.