What we have done

Great River Energy has been re-establishing native habitatwhere we can for years, and we continue to partner withexperts and seek opportunities for new projects. Theseprojects support our commitment to investing in Minnesotacommunities and finding innovative solutions to managecosts. We have restored approximately 200 acres to native habitat.

Some of our projects include:

° Nine acres of native pollinator habitat on our Elk River campus.

° Partnership with Laurentian Environmental LearningCenter – Great River Energy partnered with the Laurentian

ELC to plant pollinator-friendly habitat along their solar array and in their interpretive center in fall 2016.

Pollinators

For more than a decade, Great River Energy has re-established over 200 acres of native habitat at ourfacilities and along transmission lines. This is just oneexample of Great River Energy’s commitment toenvironmental sustainability.

Importance of honey bees, butterfliesand other pollinators

Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, hummingbirds andbats, assist plants in reproduction by transferring pollen,allowing those plants to produce berries, nuts and otherfoods important to the survival of many species of wildlifeand the human food supply. The ecological servicepollinators provide is necessary for the reproduction ofover 85 percent of the world’s flower plants, includingmore than two-thirds of the world’s crop species.

Importance of native pollinator habitat

Native habitat refers to the plants, grasses and trees which originated in an area before they were replacedwith roadways, manicured lawns, crops and non-nativegardens, or degraded for other reasons.

“Pollinator-friendly habitat” more specifically refers to those plants and flowers that pollinators need to eat, live and do their work. Recently there have been manyreports of a steady decline in the population of pollinators,due in large part to the loss of the habitat they need to survive.

Our commitment to pollinator habitat

Great River Energy is actively making contributions to thenationwide effort to restore the native habitat that is vital torestoring healthy populations of pollinators such as birds,bees and butterflies. We are partnering with our members’local schools to teach students about the importance ofpollinator habitat.

Monarchs, and other pollinators including bees,hummingbirds and bats assist over 85 percent of theworld’s flower plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species.

° Elko New Market Transmission Line Project – Great River Energy partnered with Three Rivers

Park District to restore pollinator-friendly habitatalong a transmission right of way in 2016.

° Partnership with Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center– Great River Energy partnered with Wolf Ridge to

plant pollinator-friendly habitat along their solararray and in their interpretive center in fall 2015.

° Elk River Terraces– In 2014, Great River Energy partnered with Prairie

Restorations to restore pollinator-friendly habitat.

° City of Ramsey (Alpine Park) on Great River Energytransmission line right of way – In 2013, Great River Energy worked with the City

of Ramsey to plant pollinator-friendly habitat alongthe right of way in Alpine Park.

° Great River Energy’s headquarters building in Maple Grove, Minn. – In 2008, Great River Energy incorporated

pollinator-friendly habitat into its design andconstruction of its Maple Grove headquartersbuilding.

° Peaking Plants– In 2005, Great River Energy worked with Prairie

Restorations to seed 80 acres near LakefieldJunction Peaking Station and 70 acres nearPleasant Valley Peaking Station.

° Restoring prairie near our New Prague office– In 2004, Great River Energy partnered with

Prairie Restorations to restore 2.5 acres into native habitat.

Talk to the experts

If you want to make a contribution to restoring nativehabitat for wildlife and pollinators, or want to simply toreap the practical benefits of landscaping with prairie orpollinator habitat rather than traditional trees, grass orshrubs, there are many resources and experts available to help you. Here are just a couple:

° Prairie Restoration, Princeton, Minn. prairieresto.com

° Minnesota Native Landscapes, Otsego, Minn. mnnativelandscapes.com

9/5/2017

Great River Energy12300 Elm Creek BoulevardMaple Grove, MN 55369763-445-5000

greatriverenergy.com/pollinators

In 2008, Great River Energy incorporated pollinator-friendly habitat into its design and construction of itsMaple Grove headquarters building.

Students from Holy Rosary in Duluth, Minn., helpedplant pollinator-friendly habitat at the LaurentianEnvironmental Learning Center.