Volunteers are needed to help remove the invasive buckthorn plant from the Riley Creek Conservation Area from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, and from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 29.
The event is hosted by the Prairie Edge chapter of Wild Ones and co-sponsored by the City of Eden Prairie.
According to a city posting on Oct. 4, buckthorn is considered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to be one of the most invasive species in the state. Buckthorn out-competes native plants for nutrients, light and moisture, the city reported. The plant also degrades wildlife habitat, contributes to erosion and forms dense thickets that are difficult to walk through.
The project, according to a posting on the website for the Prairie Edge chapter of Wild Ones, consists of cutting down buckthorn with handsaws and hand pruners, treating the stumps with herbicide, hauling and stacking.
Volunteers should be comfortable working in the woods on slopes and unpaved trails. Individuals and groups are encouraged to sign up for one or both removal sessions.
To sign up or ask questions, email Marilynn Torkelson.
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