Grass LakeCome help bust buckthorn at Grass Lake.
Neighbors have been clearing invasive buckthorn from the shore for the past few years. Two more Saturday afternoons this fall. Join for an hour or for the whole two.
Two Saturdays, 1–3 pm
- This weekend.
- Last bust of the season.
Rain or shine. Dress for the weather.
Meet at Fletcher Merkel's bench
The bench is near the fenced native gardens on the southeast shore of Grass Lake. From there the group works along the shoreline.
Some of the shore is steep. Families are welcome to take part together, but use your judgment about whether and how to involve young kids. Please stay off the newly planted slopes inside the fence.
Long sleeves and, if you have them, tools
- Long sleeves. Buckthorn can be prickly.
- Gloves and safety glasses if you have them. Gloves are provided for anyone who doesn't.
- Saws or loppers if you own them.
- Your phone with the iNaturalist app, to log what you see along the shore.
It crowds out everything that belongs here
Common and glossy buckthorn are non-native shrubs that Minnesota lists as restricted noxious weeds. They leaf out early and hold their leaves late, shading out the native plants underneath, and birds spread the berries, so a cleared patch fills back in unless neighbors keep at it. That's why the busts happen every year.
The busts are also listed on the Kenny Neighborhood Association's fall Grass Lake events post. More on how neighbors care for Grass Lake →