Thank you to all our incredible volunteers, partnering organizations and Natural Resources staff who made this successful year possible. Looking for numbers? Here is a rundown of our 2017 accomplishments:
- Managed 43 projects with over 800 community volunteers.
- Provided projects and direction for more than 110 Right Track youth.
- Planted over 2,600 trees and shrubs, and more than 10,000 native grasses and flowers throughout Saint Paul’s natural areas.
- Sowed over 20 pounds of native grass and forb seed, and nearly 5,000 hardwood seeds across 20 acres of parkland.
- Restored over 3.5 acres of native prairie at Indian Mounds Regional Park and Como Regional Park.
- Managed over 30 acres of buckthorn-infested woodland through new grazing initiatives.
2018 Preview
Indian Mounds Regional Park – Goats will return in full force this spring to resume their unrelenting battle with the buckthorn. Fire will also be returned to the fire-dependent oak woodland through a series of controlled burns (don’t worry, there will be no flaming goats on our watch! A singed goat is a sad goat).
Crosby Farm Regional Park – Saint Paul Natural Resources will begin a whopping 210-acre floodplain forest enhancement in this beautiful and historic floodplain park. A patchwork of giant silver maple, ash and cottonwood, Crosby Farm is an important stop for migratory birds undergoing their annual journey up and down the expansive Mississippi Flyway. The project will seek to increase the diversity and resilience of the floodplain forest plant community, ensuring that Crosby Farm remains a stable and reliable refuge for our region’s wildlife.
Cherokee Regional Park – Starting this spring, Saint Paul Natural Resources will begin a 61-acre native woodland habitat enhancement and 2-acre prairie restoration at one of Saint Paul’s most pristine bluffland parks. Fire will be returned to the landscape, restoring an important ecological function to the remnant fire-dependent plant community.
For more information, please visit: St. Paul Natural Resources