Twin Cities / Metro
*This archived article was originally published in Summer 2005.
Nature is Calling
Lebanon Hills Regional Park provides two unique facilities for your next business meeting or corporate retreat.
BY AMANDA FRETHEIM
Tired of convening in the boardroom? Maybe you’re ready for a change of scenery. Literally. These days, more people are looking for alternative places to get the job done. Somewhere inspiring. A place that gives you a chance to rejuvenate—say, with a 20-minute walk—before digging in again.
The Lebanon Hills 2,000-acre regional park stretches several miles through Eagan and Apple Valley, encompassing 12 lakes, 15 miles of walking trails, mountain biking and horseback riding trails, a beach, a campground and a new, environmentally friendly visitor center. As the most heavily used park in Dakota County, Lebanon Hills saw a need for a visitor center on the grounds, making it the first, fully staffed visitor center in the county’s park system. And, because of the county’s commitment to preservation and conservation, it’s a very special one at that.
“Dakota County has been pretty progressive, taking into account environmental standards when constructing new buildings,” says Ryan Barth, the visitor center coordinator at Lebanon Hills. Floor to rooftop, that desire to protect the environment is exhibited down to the building’s foundation.
When you sit in The Discovery Room, the visitor center’s meeting space, you’re surrounded by conservation practices. Using products that are typically thrown away, the walls are made of wheat-straw (a chipped wheat biocomposite board) and the cabinetry is made of sunflower-hull board. The sinks, bathroom stalls and chairs incorporate recycled materials, from milk cartons to seatbelts.
Energy conservation isn’t taken lightly either. Water pipes run beneath the concrete floor, sustaining the floor’s warmth or coolness for long periods of time. Floor-to-ceiling windows not only provide a great view of the woodlands and wildlife but, by being south-facing, they attract the sun’s heat year-round—with the room sometimes reaching more than 80 degrees in January. The sun’s light triggers sensors in the ceiling lights, making them shine only as brightly as necessary. And with hands-off plumbing fixtures, water is preserved as well.
But what really makes this unique building blend in with its surroundings is its living, or “green,” roof. Four to six inches of soil covered by an inch or two of pea rock (to prevent erosion) lines the roof where plant species specific to green roofs grow. Barth says there are four main advantages of the vegetative roof: It keeps cooling costs down in the summer; rain water is filtered and cleaned before running off into the lake; you wouldn’t know the visitor center is close to the airport because the roof is a great insulator for sound, which in return gives visitors a more natural experience; and the grassy roof helps the gold building mingle with the grasses and trees, matching nearby black-eyed Susans.
“We really want to send home a message,” says Kim Lawler, manager of visitor services and marketing for Dakota County Parks. “We want people to leave a little more environmentally conscious about the things they can do in their own homes or workplaces.”
The Discovery Room holds 50 people seated at tables or 70 people theater-style. The room features audiovisual and conference calling capabilities as well as wireless Internet. Barth meets with groups beforehand to introduce them to the facility and help them set up. The only hitch you might discover is that your group is not always alone. With deer, squirrels, blue herons, bluebirds and many other furry creatures at home in the park, you’re sure to catch an extra set of eyes peeking in—or your attendees’ eyes peering out.
During break time, the Discovery Trail is a perfect 30-minute hike, while several other trails abound. Schulze Lake is steps away for those looking to dip their feet. Canoe and kayak rental is also available. “We encourage groups to rent the space for the day,” says Lawler. “That way they can meet in the morning and recreate in the afternoon.”
Maybe your group would like to get out of the office for the day, yet still maintain a team atmosphere? Starting in July, Lebanon Hills offers corporate team-building packages for groups of 10 to 40 people. The packages include facility use of Camp Sacajawea Lodge (set on the opposite end of the park from the visitor center) and team-building instruction at the nearby ropes/challenge course and climbing wall, where trained facilitators lead groups through a series of problem-solving and communication activities. Packages are specifically designed to meet the needs of any group, making for a very personal experience.
The lodge, located in a quiet, densely wooded area of the park, has everything a group needs, including tables and chairs, audiovisual equipment, a full kitchen and a fireplace. The park even caters in lunch. So meet in the morning, grab a bite to eat and then spend four hours on the ropes and challenge course learning more about your colleagues and yourself.
Trek to Lebanon Hills and try something new with the group this season (or any season for that matter—the park also has cross-country ski and snowshoe rental during the winter months). If not for the metro location and the reasonable prices, do it because the benefits might get you more than you bargained for. “There’s a lot of value being in the great outdoors,” Lawler says. “As soon as you get here, you’re just more relaxed.”
