Deer Exclosure at Discovery Point
Keeping hungry animals at bay
Minnesota Native Landscapes installed a small deer exclosure in the restoration area at Discovery Point in late April. The 8 foot tall fence will keep deer and rabbits out, thereby protecting native woodland plants. Certain native woodland plants, including wild ginger and solomon’s seal, survived in this location, despite the large amount of buckthorn and invasive honeysuckle that previously dominated the restoration area. The buckthorn and honeysuckle were removed in February.
Demonstrating deer impacts
We will be comparing the growth of plants inside the fence to the growth of plants outside it. This will help us see how much of an impact deer and other browsers have on the plants that are installed in the restoration area. As we monitor which plants are browsed, we can select the hardier plants for other areas of restoration on the property.