On May 2 and May 3, Gita Ghei is looking for up to 10 people to help at Red Oak Woods, 45 minutes from the Twin Cities and on the western edge of Red Wing a minute off Highway 61. Gita will be making the first pass on 4 acres of the 4th year of her first EQIP grant to mechanically remove 3” and larger buckthorn trees. For these two sessions she will be asking people to stay as close on the deer paths as possible, and employing the critical cut method – topping / sawing off the trunks at eye level, stripping any open leaves below the cut, and covering them with supplied marked plastic so she can find them in the fall.

Full directions and a meet and greet will take place before starting, so you do not need to know anything about taking out buckthorn if you would like to try! Since we are working close to parking areas, you do not need to come for all of the hours, but will need to arrange with Gita for your arrival time. 

As a thank you, Gita will be giving info on where to look for morels after you have volunteered. If they are not plentiful yet, you will receive a rain check to come find morels and nettle tops further into May.

Please join in the fun and get to know the Red Oak Woods, the critters and plants will thank you for your efforts!