From Friends of Scandia Parks and Trails
As summer begins, the Friends of Scandia Parks & Trails embarks on a number of projects to continue improving pollinator habitat, engage local community members, and advance support for parks and trails.
Pollinator Planting Management
The 1-acre native prairie pollinator planting we installed 3 years ago was burned for the first time this spring, then over-seeded with additional prairie seed. We will install some new plants in the small demonstration garden.
Butterfly Garden Facelift
The 2,000 square foot butterfly garden we installed about four years ago needs some improvements. We’ll be amending the soil in portions of it and re-planting.
Photo by Karen Schik
Pollinator Survey
We will be hosting a pollinator survey for the public at William O’Brien State Park in August. Pollinators, especially native bees, which are vital for many of our food crops, have significantly declined world-wide in recent years. We are inviting citizens to learn about pollinators and how to do a basic survey. Such information can be used to monitor a site and detect changes over time.
Buckthorn Control
We will be managing the invasive buckthorn shrub at Wind in the Pines Park, one of the highest quality natural areas in Washington County.
Other Projects
We sponsored educational talks for our community which advanced Scandia to step 3 as a GreenStep city.
We changed some city policies. Specifically, the ditch mowing policy and pollinator friendly ordinance.
Get Involved
If you’d like to join the efforts, visit the website and Facebook page, or reach out to friendsscandiaparks@gmail.com.
