In 2010, the City of Lake Elmo converted 17 acres of Sunfish Lake Park to a Prairie Restoration. The Prairie Restoration exhibit explains what a prairie is, and what lives there. If you look out the window next to the exhibit, past the line of bluebird houses, you can see the restored prairie. 

In 2019 Eagle Scout Ben Jasinski led a project to install the 29 planters along the path from the front door to the patio, so visitors could see and identify each plant as it looks today, before visiting the dazzling but unorganized array of plants on the prairie.

The exhibit showcases the plants that were used to create a diverse community, and the animals that have been seen on our prairie. At the lower left is a reconstruction of a 13-lined ground squirrel nest, with features that you can highlight by pressing the buttons. On the right is a series of small doors with animal track images, if you open a door it shows the silhouette of the animal, and illuminates the label of the photo of the animal. The monitor is used to show slide shows and videos taken on this prairie. The grass on the right was extracted (roots and all) from the prairie to demonstrate the beneficial effect of prairie plants in holding the soil. 

The following links take you to information about how the Prairie Restoration began,  and records of the maintenance activities over the years with the original list of species which were planted to form a diverse mixture.