Removing Aspen & Sumac

Saturday, October 21 – 9:00 a.m. to Noon

Location: Carleton College Cowling Arboretum

Join the Minnesota Driftless Chapter of TPE at the McKnight Prairie, a site owned and managed by the Carleton College Arboretum. Sign up for this event and find directions
to the site at the Arboretum website.

We’ll work with volunteers from Carleton College to remove invading aspen and sumac from this high-quality prairie remnant. While the property is 33 acres in size, a portion was previously plowed and has recovered primarily through natural movement of plants within the site. Some species were intentionally introduced in the past by college staff including prickly pear cactus, but most species are native to the site.

Managed by the college since 1963, McKnight is home to a number of rare species and over 250 native plant species. This site is protected through a conservation easement with the Prairie Bank Program of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR). Our volunteer work will compliment work conducted by private contractors and help provide the match needed for a grant from the Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program of the MNDNR.

If you’d like to join us, please sign up by following the link below that will take you to the Arboretum event website to sign up and get directions to the site. Signing up will also ensure you’ll get updates if we have to adjust anything or cancel the event due to bad weather.

If you plan to join us, please wear long pants and closed toe shoes and bring your own work gloves, water, snacks, insect repellant, and sunscreen. Carleton College staff will bring needed herbicide and hand-tools but feel free to bring your favorite handsaw or loppers if you prefer.

If you have questions, please contact Matthew Ebert, Cowling Arboretum Manager, by following this link.