The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced last week that it has approved the Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board’s recommendation to award $65,000 to the Museum of Danish America Curatorial Center in Elk Horn, for their Green Roof, and Prairie Installation for landscape enhancements and fabrication, as well as the installation of nine interpretive signs at the new 8,000 square-foot Curatorial Center.

Terri Johnson, Administrative Manager, Museum of Danish America (formerly the Danish Immigrant Museum), says “Funding from the Iowa Great Places program has given the Museum…the opportunity to continue developing its 30-acre Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park.” Johnson says this year, they will install additional interpretive signs, plant trees as well as two rose meadows and install a green roof on a new 8,000 square-foot curatorial center. The green roof will serve as an elevated continuation of the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park and will be unusual in that it will incorporate prairie grasses and flowers instead of sedums, which are most commonly used on green roofs.

The Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton received designation as an Iowa Great Place in 2010. Created in 2005, Iowa Great Places now includes 31 Iowa communities. For more information, including Iowa Great Places community profiles, visit www.iowagreatplaces.gov.