St Croix Valley & Minnesota Oak Savanna Field Trip
Join us for a field trip in Afton, Minnesota.
The site is 40 acres of fire-adapted oak woods, with some areas of Big Woods vegetation (maple-basswood forest), and some areas appearing to be formerly oak savanna. Large white and bur oaks, and a scattering of white pine, are present, with sedges dominating large portions of the understory. The owners have spent years removing European buckthorn from the site, but it has seen no recent fires.
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The Prairie Enthusiasts has been offered the donation of a conservation easement on the property. The St. Croix Valley chapter is interested in obtaining the easement and managing the property with fire, selective thinning of native fire intolerant trees and shrubs, and the removal of non-natives.
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The field trip will be an opportunity to see the site in its current state and discuss what management will be needed, both short and long term.
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The address is 15695 37th Street South, Afton, MN 55001. But Google won’t get you all the way to their front door (they share a driveway with neighbors). Once you get to “downtown” Afton, head to the south end of town on the main drag (St. Croix Trail), south of both the Afton House Inn and Selma’s Ice Cream. At 37th Street, turn to the west. Pass the two houses across from each other and the Dead End sign, go up the hill, it curves left. The road will widen a bit and flatten out. The road goes up another hill to the right, don’t go up that hill. Instead, keep going straight, you will be on a gravel road which will end at the house.
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Date: Saturday, October 4
Time: 10 am – Noon
Location: 15695 37th Street South, Afton, MN 55001
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