Invasive Species Bio Blitz
Help Minneopa State Park fight invasive species by attending a buckthorn removal event on April 23rd (Saturday) from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. We need your assistance in this ongoing fight to maintain a healthy native ecosystem.
Buckthorn is a shrub that first arrived in Minnesota during the mid-1800s with Euro-American settlers. It was brought over from Europe as a popular hedge shrub but proved to be very invasive in our native communities.
Why is buckthorn such a problem?
- Out-competes native plants for nutrients, light, and moisture
- Degrades wildlife habitat
- Threatens the future of forests, wetlands, prairies, and other natural habitats
- Contributes to erosion by shading out other plants that grow on the forest floor
- Serves as host to other pests, such as crown rust fungus and soybean aphid
- Forms an impenetrable layer of vegetation
- Lacks "natural controls" like insects or disease that would curb its growth
Please pre-register for this event by sending an email to scott.kudelka@state.mn.us or calling 507-384-8890. Entrance to the state park will be free for volunteering to remove buckthorn.
Meet at the Group Campground on the campground side of Minneopa State Park. Please wear gloves, tear-resistant clothing, and sturdy boots. If you have your own loppers please bring them along. Beware that buckthorn has thorns and can be tough to get at.