Go Native 2026

Written By Holly Dunn

HEP is launching a new initiative encouraging Hastings residents to plant native gardens to promote clean water and to convert lawns into native grasses to reduce the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is now accepting registration for its Landscaping for Clean Water program. Participants can get a grant of $400 to install a rain garden, pollinator garden or native shoreline plantings. You can get full information by clicking this link: https://dakotaswcd.org/classes/landscaping-for-clean-water.

Introductory classes are offered online and in-person in several Dakota County locations. Here’s a schedule for those sessions:

  • Thursday, February 26 Burnsville – City Hall 6:00 p.m.

  • Monday, March 9 Mendota Heights – City Hall 6:00 p.m.

  • Thursday, March 12 Lakeville – Water Treatment Facility 6:00 p.m.

  • Tuesday March 24 Online 6:00 p.m.

  • Wednesday, April 8  Randolph – High School 6:00 p.m.

  • Wednesday, April 22 Online  12:00 p.m.

  • Monday, May 4  Eagan – City Hall 6:00 p.m.

  • Wednesday, May 13 Apple Valley – City Hall 6:00 p.m. 

  • Tuesday, June 9 Rosemount – Public Works & Police Campus 6:00 p.m.

Holly Dunn
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