southwood nature preserve north st.paul mn long range management plan leah andersen, austin...
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SOUTHWOOD NATURE PRESERVE
North St.Paul MNLong Range Management Plan
Leah Andersen, Austin Christensen, Erin Denny, Shaun Hansen, Brandon Liddiard, Adam Maxwell
Southwood Nature Preserve● 28-acre natural area
in North St. Paul● Managed by Parks &
Recreation department
● Recreational facilities, outdoor classroom and wildlife habitat Image taken by Austin Christensen
Mission StatementCity of North St. Paul Parks and Recreation
• To help make Saint Paul the most livable city in America, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation will facilitate the creation of active lifestyles, vibrant places, and a vital environment (North St. Paul, homepage 2013)
Vision Statement
North St.Paul vision
North St. Paul Parks and Recreation will make North
St. Paul the most livable city in America by:
• Responding creatively to change
• Innovating with every decision
• Connecting the entire city
Significance• Near several schools and a
large wetland
• Natural learning area for students
• Historical significance and interpretive opportunities
• Natural area in an urban setting
• Important to the community and ecosystem of the North St. Paul
mage taken by Austin Christensen
GoalSet By Management Team:• Increase use and quality of experience
• Create interpretive curriculum for Southwood Nature Preserve
Objectives● Renovate maps and signage within SNP
● Remove trash and debris within SNP
● Monitor use of the SNP
● Build a structure to allow educational programs protection from the elements
● Manage for native species and remove invasive species
Southwood Nature PreserveNatural Features
HydrologyWater in SNP
• Pond in center of preserve
• Kohlman Creek, intermittent stream
• Collects runoff from surrounding neighborhood and streets
Image taken by Austin Christensen
Holloway Marsh● Managed by Ramsey County Parks
and Recreation
● Located in the city of Maplewood
● North of Hill-Murray School
● Roughly 38 acres, primarily cattail marshimage from maps.co.ramsey.mn.us
Watershed• Mississippi River-
Twin Cities watershedo Empties into Gulf of
Mexico
● Kohlman Creek subwatershedo Empties in Kohlman
LakeImage from Ramsey- Washington Metro Watershed District
Geographical Information • North St. Paul
population 11,460
• Southwood Nature Preservation 28 acres
• Part of 66 acres natural area
Image from googlemaps
Geological Features ● The St.Paul - Baldwin
Plains and Moraines Subsection
● Dominated by a Superior lobe end moraine and areas of an outwash plain due to the glaciation of the area around 7,000 years ago
● low lying and urban
image from: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/
Geological Features● Bedrock is mostly limestone, sandstone and
shale
• Soil composition in this subsection is mainly alfisoils and mollisoils with sandy parent material present in the outwash plainso Alfisoils - soils formed under forested
vegetation o Mollisoils - soils formed under prairie
vegetation
BiomesWithin Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province of the Deciduous Forest Biome
• Section- Minnesota and North East Iowa Morainal
• Intersection of wetland and deciduous forest
Habitat
The western and northern portions of the preserve are oak and maple forests, with the southwest corner resembling an oak savannah
Image fromwww.buzzle.com
Image from www.hdwallpaperstop.com
Habitat
The eastern half is a maple forest with some aspen, and a stand of large basswood trees near the old homestead foundation.
Habitat Southwood Pond
Intermittent water flow
Algae growth
Host wildlife including:
Turtles
Frogs
Migratory waterfowl
Nesting Gadwall
Image taken by Austin Christensen
Image from nwbackyardbirder.blogspot.com
Mesic Prairie• Formerly named
Butterfly Garden
• Plot of prairie grasses and flower on east side of pond
• Created by Minnesota Master Naturalists
Image from Nathab.com
Wildlife• Several species of
ducks and geese
• Urban wildlife including White-tailed Deer, Gray Squirrels, raccoons and skunks and fox
• Migratory and resident song birds
• Turtles in SNP and southern wetland
Image taken by Austin Christensen
Native Trees• Basswood (Tila americana)
• Sugar Maple (Acer aaccharum)
• Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)
• Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila)
• Box Elder (Acer negundo)
• Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
• White Oak (Quercus alba)
• Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
• White Pine (Pinus strobus)
• Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
• Wild Plum (Prunus americana)
• Mulberry (Morus rubra)
• Sumac (Rhus typhina)
• Cherry Tree (Prunus serotina)
• Black Willow (Salix nigra)
• Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
• White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
• Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
• American Elm (Ulmus americana)
• Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
• Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Native Shrubs• American Beech (Fagus
grandifolia)
• Carpet Moss (Mnium hornum)
• Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)
• Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
• Northern Arrowwood (Viburnum recognitum)
• Tawny Milksap Mushroom (Lactarius volemus)
• Red Raspberries (Rusus Idaeus)
• Common Elderberry (Sambucus)
Image from ://www.fs.fed.us
Non-Native Trees• Weeping Willow (Salix
babylonica)
• Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus bathartica)
• Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)
• Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
• Apple (Malus domestica)
• Honeysuckle (lonicera)
Image from seaagri.com
Invasive Species The 3 Big Invaders• Buckthorn (Rhamnus)
• Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
• Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)
Image from macalester.edu
Southwood Nature Preserve
Social Features
History
• Of the 28 acres of land that makes up Southwood Nature Preserve, some was bought and some was acquired by eminent domain in 1969-1970
● The parcels were purchased with the some help from a State of MN Natural Resource Fund Grant, Federal HUD Grant and funds from other State and Federal grants
Homestead site
● 1969 - Home of Daniel Allan bought by Southeast Area Village Park
● 1970 - the building was destroyed● Currently remnants of the foundation
exist in the Southeast quadrant of SNP
1953 2012
Images from Google Earth
Recreation Facilities• On street parking
• Wooden deck overlook
• Portable outhouse
• Benches
• Signposts
• Trailhead posting board
• Doggy bag dispensing boxes
• Garbage cans
Recreation Resources• Multi-use trails
• Interpretive signs
• Informational trailhead
• Naturalist signs identifying certain plant species
• Pond
Users
• Residents that live around the SNP
• Children of the surrounding elementary and middle schools
• Citizens of the city of North St. Paul
• Dog walkers
School Programs• The University of Minnesota Master
Naturalist Program
• Maplewood Middle School
• Cowern Elementary School
Image from http://www.minnesotamasternaturalist.org/
Meeting State StandardsCathy Troendle and Minnesota Master Naturalist program
Third grade - leaves of native treesFourth grade - birds and binocularsFifth grade - Minnesota mammals
Images from Cathy Troendle
Social InfluenceDue to the location of SNP and its very close proximity to an urban area it provides unique opportunities.
Negative Impact of Location● Dogs off leashes● Disposal of yard waste● Introduction of invasive species● Runoff and litter
Recommendations
Mission Statement Current Mission Statement:
To help make Saint Paul the most livable city in America, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation will facilitate the creation of active lifestyles, vibrant places, and a vital environment (North St. Paul, homepage 2013)
Mission Statement Option 1: Task force makes new mission statement
Option 2: Follow the mission statement our group has provided:
Southwood Nature Preserve aims to make North St. Paul a more sustainable city by increasing the use and quality of green space by providing opportunities for outdoor education and environmental education
Option 3: Keep the city of the North St. Paul Parks and Recreation mission statement
Holloway MarshOption 1: Work in conjunction with the city of
Maplewood to utilize Holloway Marsh
Option 2: Do not incorporate Holloway Marsh with SNP
Invasive SpeciesOption 1: Eradicate one invasive species
at a time from different sections of the preserve.
Option 2: Eradicate all of the invasive species in the preserve at
once.
Option 3: Take no action
Parking LotOption 1: Build a blacktop parking lot in the northeast corner of SNP
Option 2: Build a gravel parking lot in the northeast corner of SNP
Option 3: Continue having visitors park on Holloway Avenue
Improve Interpretive Signage
Option 1: Replace and update existing interpretive signs
Option 2: Continue without improving signs
Increase Winter Recreation
Option 1: Continue without further attempts to increase winter recreation
Option 2: Create a ski trail system
Option 1: Have an SNP employee count how many people use the park on a given day
Option 2: Have a sign in sheet for users at entrances
Option 3: Continue loosely monitoring the use of SNP
Monitor Usage
Create a ShelterOption 1: Build an enclosed shelter.
Option 2: Build a roof shelter.
Option 3: Take no action
Staffing RecommendationOption 1: Hire an interpreter who
also monitor numbers and types of users
Option 2: Hire a maintenance crew for trails, facilities and invasive
species
Option 3: Keep current unofficial staff members
Thank You
Image taken by Austin Christensen
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