Dakota County Parks

General Description

Common Buckthorn was first brought to Minnesota from Europe in the mid-1800s as a popular hedging material. Shortly after its introduction though, it was found to be very invasive in our natural areas. Volunteers are needed to help Dakota County’s Natural Resources team to cut and haul out buckthorn, to make way for native plants that originally called this park home.

All tools and supplies will be provided. This event will include a safety training at the beginning and an optional 30 minute meeting at the end of the scheduled event to orientate participants on an additional opportunity to continue to remove buckthorn independently on their own time/schedule.

Curious to learn more about buckthorn removal and how to do it? Take a look at the following training video created by the DNR at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbkDjio9E1s.

Dates/Times

Wednesday, September 9, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 19, 10 a.m. - noon

Locations

9/9 Pull

Lebanon Hills Regional Park – Visitor Center Trailhead

860 Cliff Road

Eagan, MN 55123

9/19 Pull

Lebanon Hills Regional Park – Jensen Lake Trailhead

1398 Carriage Hills Drive

Eagan, MN 55123

Duties & Responsibilities

• Cut and treat buckthorn (proper training provided by county staff)
• Spread woodland seed (if applicable) 
• Able to attend the full event. You do not need to attend all events, pick and choose what works best for your schedule. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be 16 years old or older to volunteer without adult supervision
• Ability to safely navigate and walk 1-2 miles on unstable/uneven terrain  

Minimum Time Commitment

2 hours

Activity Level  

Active - Involves physical exertion for an extended period of time; project may involve rough, uneven or steep terrain. Activities will require longer periods of standing and walking with limited access to sitting. Activities will mostly occur in an outdoor setting with uncontrollable elements present.

Allergy Alert - This type of event takes place outside, in nature, surrounded by outdoor elements. This project may expose you to elements that are beyond our control. Please participate with caution if you have severe or adverse allergic reactions to things such as bee stings or plant sensitivities. Please bring with you an EpiPen or any other medication that you might need in the event of a reaction. Let the program coordinator know before the group goes out to the worksite if you have an outdoor allergy so that they can assist in the event of a reaction.

Contact Information

Garrett Zaffke | Community Relations and Volunteer Services Coordinator

Dakota County Communications

1590 Highway 55| Hastings, MN 55033

Direct: (651) 438-4635 | Fax: (651) 438-4405 | Email: garrett.zaffke@co.dakota.mn.us