Article Written By Cheryl Culbreth, MNWWN Board Member and Owner of Landscape Restoration, Inc.
Rita Erickson contacted Cheryl Culbreth, MNWWN board member, in January to create a habitat restoration / buckthorn control plan for her six-acre woodland property in Scandia. During a February site visit, Cheryl strongly encouraged Rita to add a basic trail system to the nearly impassible brush and terrain as part of the overall restoration work plan. The impact of Lyme disease occasionally zapped Rita’s energy. A trail would make access much easier for Rita, widen the “no tick” zone, and offer the benefit of new perspectives on what was growing in the woodland.
(Left) American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), shown above, is just one of an incredible number of high value native plants growing in Rita’s woodland. In spring the forest floor is carpeted with native white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum).
(Right) Rita Erickson enjoying the view of her woodland from the newly created trail.
Rita hired a surveyor to mark the property boundaries prior to buckthorn removal and to protect the native plant habitat from a neighboring ATV that was destroying dense trillium populations and portions of a wetland. Thanks to Rita’s kind and gentle approach to neighboring landowners, all were glad to know where the property boundaries were located, including the ATV offenders, who did not realize they had encroached onto Rita’s property.
On subsequent visits, Cheryl helped Rita add fence posts to the surveyor’s initial boundary locators, making all property boundaries easily visible. A basic trail system was created in September. What a difference that trail has made for Rita, allowing her easy access to her woodland for control of invasive plants and welcome opportunities to hike the trails with friends and enjoy the rolling hills of her beautiful Scandia woods. Rita delightedly reports, “A whole new dimension of life has opened up with this trail!”
Rita is sporting her new chainsaw helmet as she prepares to learn about chainsaw use and safety.
MNWWN is working on offering another chainsaw use and safety class. Stay tuned for class details!
If you liked reading this blog, consider supporting our network by clicking the link below.