Buckthorn Bust kicks off Discovery Point Restoration
Discovery Point Buckthorn Bust
What happened to the forest?
On Saturday, October 29th, over 20 volunteers from Barr Engineering Company came to Discovery Point to remove buckthorn, an invasive plant. In less than three hours, the dedicated volunteers cleared about half an acre of buckthorn. The buckthorn bust kicked off the first phase of invasive plant control at Discovery Point. In September, the District’s Board of Managers approved phase one of a restoration plan that will guide the removal and control of invasive plant species, like buckthorn, garlic mustard, and narrowleaf bittercress, and native plant regeneration on our five acre property.
The goals of the Discovery Point landscape restoration are to:
- Demonstrate the process of invasive species control and native plant establishment
- Be a teaching site for the regeneration of upland upland communities within the District
- Demonstrate native landscaping management process and techniques and expenses
Watch for more updates this winter as we continue to do more buckthorn removal and work on the restoration of Discovery Point!
Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is an invasive plant that creates a dense thicket in forests. It shades out native plants and has little value to wildlife. In the fall, it is usually the only green plant left in the woods. You can also look for blue-black berries, and short thorns on the end of branches.
H
ow can I help?
If you have buckthorn on your property in the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, consider applying for a Cost Share Grant to remove the buckthorn and plant native species in its place. Learn more on the Grants Page.
We are also planning another volunteer buckthorn bust at Discovery Point in the fall of 2017. If you would like to help, contact Erica at 952-358-2276 or esniegowski@ninemilecreek.org.