Keep up-to-date with topics related to ecological restoration and learn about some of our current projects!
When talking to clients about prescribed fire, a question I frequently get asked is, “What about the trees? Won’t the fire hurt the trees?” Good question. Many of these clients are open to the idea of prescribed fire but they don’t want to damage or lose their favorite trees. In this blog, I will discuss how we navigate tree safety while conducting prescribed burns, and why the safety of a favorite tree shouldn’t be an obstacle to burning.
Read MoreCan you seed native plants in the fall and winter? —The short answer is Yes! In fact, there are a lot of advantages to seeding during the non-growing season. Understanding when and how to seed in the off-season can increase seeding establishment options, and improve seeding results.
Read MoreEvery year, members of the restoration community—researchers, practitioners, students, and layfolk—gather for an event hosted by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER). SER sets the internationally accepted standards for ecological restoration, a field that is still very new in the world of natural sciences.
Read MoreAll over neighborhoods across the state, “biological deserts” dot our properties, line our sidewalks, and fill our parks and greenspaces. These green deserts require gallons of water to maintain, gallons of fuel to mow, and produce little environmental value. Well, a new lawn law is here to help, and now is the time to take advantage.
Read MoreSeptember-November is prime buckthorn treatment season, so today we are going to break down buckthorn, and how and why we manage it during this seasonal transition.
Read MoreLand stewardship and care for the natural world isn’t sustained through massive international change. It is sustained by the small, everyday actions of individuals who dedicate a piece of their time, talent, wealth, or energy toward caring for the environment.
Read MorePrescribed burns are one of the best land management tools for many habitats across Minnesota. We will briefly cover some of the science and practice behind why we use prescribed fires, and why they are so beneficial to managing habitat.
Read MoreRaingardens are gardens built specifically for the purpose of capturing and absorbing rainwater and runoff. They typically consist of two major parts: (1) A basin to hold water with an inlet and outlet to allow flow into the basin and overflow out of it, and (2) Native species planted within the basin and around its edges to absorb and treat the captured water. Raingardens naturally treat runoff water, they facilitate absorption of water in poorly drained or low areas, and they add to a property’s natural aesthetic.
Read MoreThere are many different ways you can create habitat space in your yard, regardless of how urban you live. One often overlooked way is being intentional about ornamental plants. Ornamental plants—flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees—purchased from nurseries or inherited with home purchases are essential to an environmentally friendly yard. The decision to purchase and plant one ornamental over another can be the difference between promoting native habitat or spreading harmful invasive species.
Read MorePeople are always impressed to learn that winter is one of our busiest seasons. Between the deep snowpack, the cold temperatures, and the short daylight hours, it might seem counterintuitive to have crews outside working in nature all winter long. Why do we spend so much time active and working while the natural office we work in is so dormant?—the answer lies in the same reasons that make winter work difficult.
Read MoreThere is a lot more to a habitat restoration than just the initial work. Ecosystems move much slower than we do, and they need time to transition and adapt, even to restored conditions. We utilize follow-up maintenance to help habitats transition and grow resilient enough to maintain themselves naturally. While this maintenance work might not be as glamorous as the initial restoration, it is a key element to long-term success for habitat restoration.
Read MoreOn July 21, 2022, the IUCN announced the migratory monarch butterfly has been listed as ‘Endangered’ on their Red List. Butterflies, like many pollinators, have been recognized as vulnerable for a few decades, prompting many organizations and governments to increase efforts to protect them. Given those movements, the monarch falling into ‘Endangered’ status is a tough pill to swallow.
Read MoreNative plants are adapted to Minnesota habitat–its climate, weather patterns, drought cycles, and natural disturbances. Additionally, native plants provide key habitat to other native species. This is the primary reason that NRP deals exclusively with native plants.
Read MoreDuring the months of May and June, our crews can be found combing through woodlands and forest edges with backpack sprayers, plastic bags, and occasionally brushcutters. These tools are the necessary implements for one of our common spring projects—garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) management. Garlic mustard is one of the most prevalent invasive species in Minnesota, and our crews spend many hours each spring managing this species.
Read MorePrescribed fire is one of the most useful tools for land management, habitat improvement, and ecosystem restoration. With controlled burns, we can prepare new prairie sites for seeding, reduce invasive species pressure, remove woody species encroachment, and recycle nutrients into prairies and woodlands. However during our early spring burns, it’s also peak nesting season for many game and non-game bird species. So how dangerous is it for nesting birds and other wildlife species?
Read MoreBetween learning about what invasive species are and why they are a problem, to examples of invasive species around Minnesota, I’ll admit it, the first blogs in this series have been a bit dire. So, I’d like to round off our discussion of invasive species by exploring some of the ways that you and I (and everyone!) can help protect nature and the outdoors from the hazards of invasive species.
Read MoreWe’d be remiss if we explored invasive species in Minnesota and never talked about invasive aquatic species. Removal of aquatic invasive species can be complicated since they are underwater and don’t always stay in one spot. Preventing the spread of aquatic invasives to new waterbodies is the best way of protecting water resources, and knowing what those species are is one way of preventing spread. So, in this post, we will highlight a snapshot of some of the most common invasive aquatic species found in Minnesota.
Read MoreThere are a number of invasive species that persist in Minnesota. From trees to wildflowers to vines to insects to mammals to fish, and more; invasive species come in many forms. There are too many individual species to cover in one blog post, so we are only going to highlight the major ones we deal with during our restoration projects.
Read MoreInvasive species are the largest ecological issue we face in our restoration work. The vast majority of our projects involve invasive species removal or management to some degree. The presence of invasive species is one of the first things I look for when I enter a site, and identifying the presence and density of invasive species is a key component of every site assessment and consultation. Since they are such a core component of our ecological restoration work, we are going to explore what exactly are invasive species, and why we are so concerned about them.
Read MoreHow do we handle this double-edged sword of pesticide use as both restoration ecologists and environmental stewards? Does the benefit of using herbicides in habitat restoration outweigh the possible adverse environmental effects? This is a complicated question, but one we encounter and must deal with every day. Therefore, this blog will focus on the ways NRP approaches pesticides, and how we incorporate safe herbicide use into our Light on the Land approach to land management and restoration.
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