Summit Expands With South Dakota State University Partnership
Published on March 26, 2025
Since 2013, the City of Sioux Falls has hosted a conference highlighting the importance of caring for our natural resources, including one of Eastern South Dakota’s biggest assets, the Big Sioux River. The Big Sioux River Summit started as a half-day event and evolved into a full-day event at the Sioux Falls Convention Center with speakers and presentations. To expand the conference even further and attract a broader audience, the City of Sioux Falls is partnering with South Dakota State University to host the Big Sioux Stewardship Summit on Wednesday, April 16, and Thursday, April 17.
“We look forward to this reimagined and enhanced summit that will provide attendees with more than just an urban perspective as South Dakota State University brings a rural focus to the event,” said Josh Peterson, Environmental Services Manager at the City of Sioux Falls. “This summit is an opportunity for professionals to network, innovate, and learn from each other while residents are able to learn more about conservation efforts happening locally.”
The first day of the summit will include bus tours, and the second day will give attendees an opportunity to enjoy presentations, keynote speakers, and vendor booths. There are two different tracks attendees can pursue for the bus tours: an urban track and an agricultural track. The urban bus tour will include visits to places like the Sioux Falls water purification plant and the Sioux Falls water reclamation plant. The agricultural bus tour will make stops at Cherry Rock Gardens and Boadwine Dairy in Baltic. Both bus tours will run twice on April 16, starting at 8 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. The tours are limited to 40 people per bus, and those interested in attending are asked to register by Wednesday, April 2. They can register online at siouxfalls.gov/stewardship.
The second day of the conference will include keynotes and breakout sessions on three different areas: water resources, regenerative agriculture, and urban stewardship. It is free to attend the bus tours and presentations. Attendees are asked to register so event organizers know how many people to expect. More information can be found at siouxfalls.gov/stewardship.
“We are anticipating an impactful event by broadening the focus of the Big Sioux Stewardship Summit and bringing a rural focus to attendees,” said Vernon Brown, SDSU associate vice president for external affairs. “This will also provide valuable opportunities for our students and staff to deepen their understanding of local stewardship efforts in the urban and rural environments.”
The Big Sioux Stewardship Summit now aligns with Earth Month and the annual Big Sioux River Cleanup hosted by the Public Works department in Sioux Falls. The Big Sioux River Greenway Cleanup will be on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The cleanup will take place at seven different locations along the recreation trail this year. This event will happen rain or shine. Those interested in volunteering can sign up at www.siouxfalls.gov/greenway-cleanup.