Join us at Garvin Heights, which overlooks Winona, MN, on October 22nd for an afternoon of firebreak construction.

Part of the site is owned by the City of Winona and another part by Winona State University. The Minnesota Driftless chapter is helping both the city and the university with continued management and restoration there after previous restoration efforts during the past two decades. In April, members of the Minnesota Driftless chapter helped the university conduct a prescribed burn on the university’s portion of the site. In June and August, members again showed up to help treat buckthorn during two work days.

On October 22nd, we’ll use hand tools to prepare firebreaks in anticipation of a prescribed burn later this fall on the city portion of the site. We’ll cut woody plant stems along the firebreak and apply herbicide to the cut stems (lots of the stems will be buckthorn). We’ll also use rakes to clear branches, twigs, and rocks from the firebreaks.

If you’d like to help with firebreak construction, here’s what you can do:

1) Send your RSVP to Peter Hartman (hartmanpm@charter.net). If the event has to be postponed or cancelled, Peter will send the notification to those who have sent him their RSVP.

2) Meet Peter and the crew at the Garvin Heights overlook parking lot.

3) Bring loppers or pruning shears if you have them. If you don’t have those tools that’s fine, we’ll have some on hand for folks who don’t bring their own.

4) Wear appropriate clothing such as long pants, maybe long-sleeved shirts, work gloves, and maybe a hat to keep the sun off your face.

5) We don’t know if ticks will be out, but they might be so it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared for them. Bringing some sunscreen would probably be a good idea as well.

6) Bring enough water or other hydrating fluid, and snacks, to keep you healthy and happy.