Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center

:: Welcome

Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center is a regional center for environmental education and outdoor recreation located in beautiful Kandiyohi County in west central Minnesota. Thanks for visiting our website!! We provide an exciting array of hands-on learning adventures for all ages, as well as beautiful facilities for meetings and special events. Give us a call and let us customize a program or event for your group.

Current information and photos

Our mission:
To promote an individual and shared commitment to the responsible use, management, and preservation of our natural resources.

We offer customized programs and facilities that help people learn to live well with self, others and the environment.
*Environmental Ed. programs for pre-K thru grade 12 and adults
*Challenge course and teambuilding programs for schools, athletic teams, youth groups, families and corporate groups
*A 500 acre campus featuring: rolling glacial terrain,seven miles of hiking and xc ski trails, prairie,woods and wetlands.
*Great classroom and meeting spaces powered by wind, solar & biomass.
*Outreach programs featuring a 34' voyageur canoe, 26' portable climbing wall, and "Lorax" puppet show.
*An award winning YES! program which is mobilizing youth-led energy action projects across Greater Minnesota.

Give to PWELC

YES! Youth Energy Summit

Sponsors:

News and Events

Warner Lake County Park- Stearns County Parks Summer Kick-Off Extravaganza-
Friday, June 16^th 2017   Time: 4:00pm - 7:00pm.
Bring a picnic, friends and family and enjoy an evening at Warner Lake County Park to kick-off a summer of fun in Stearns County Parks.    Paddle a 34’ voyageur canoe, climb the portable climbing wall, check out the Yellow Boats project, and enjoy a performance of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax by the Prairie Woods Puppet Theatre.   This free event is offered by Stearns County Parks with funding assistance from the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment and the Greater MN Parks and Trails Commission. No pre-registration required

Wright County Parks- Summer Kick-Off Event at Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park.
Saturday, June 17, 2017 Time: 1-4pm
Voyageur canoe, kayak, enjoy open house at Camp Manitou "Y" Day Camp ( open swimming pool and water park, climbing wall and more.)
Enjoy a performance of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax by the Prairie Woods Puppet Theatre.   This free event is offered by Wright County Parks with funding assistance from the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment and the Greater MN Parks and Trails Commission. No pre-registration required

Party in the Pavilion!! - July 1st
What a great way to start the 4th of July week! Help us christen the New Pavilion at our Grand Opening on Saturday, July 1st from 2-5pm. Take a climb on the mobile climbing wall, try your hand at archery, listen to live music and of course check out Prairie Woods' newest facility. Food truck on site (corn dogs, mini doungnuts, snow cones)

An Evening Under the Prairie Stars - 10th Annual Fundraising Celebration
Save the Date - September 8, 2017 starting at 5:30pm
Join us for an evening of food, music by the High 48s, silent & live auction, paddle wheel action and fun! All while raising money to benefit youth and family programming at Prairie Woods. The first Prairie Stars event in the New Pavilion!!

Prairie Woods on the go! The Big Canoe, the Prairie Woods Pinnacle- mobile rockclimbing tower, the enviro-puppet theatre and the Yellow Boats Project will be busy throughout the region this summer getting kids up off of the couch and into the great outdoors. Click on the Facebook link to see photos of some of the recent activity.
Give us a call if you would like to have the big canoe, portable climbing wall, Yellow Boats or the LORAX puppet show (ask about discounted Lorax performance due to an anonymous donor) come to your school or community event.

***WE WANT YOUR SHOES! Please donate your gently worn shoes to PWELC for our WorldWear fundraising project. Ask us about how your school can easily earn Prairie Woods Bucks by collecting shoes for re-use and recycling.
Click here for the World Wear Agreement.

Nothing at PWELC "just happens." Good things happen only when people like YOU help to make them happen. Please support our work with donations of time, talent or funds and join us for some of the exciting programs and events throughout the year.