Project

seeks to rid

Flandrau Park

of buckthorn

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- With the help of a couple friends, Karl Clark is just about finished with his Eagle Scout project.

When it's finished, Clark, 16, of New Ulm, will have rid a portion of Flandrau State Park of a troublesome weed.

Clark began the project on Aug. 3. By his own estimate, he is about 90 percent finished with the first portion of work on the one-acre site. The next step is planting wildflowers and prairie grass.

Clark's portion of the project is part of a statewide DNR initiative called the Oak Savannah Restoration, which seeks to restore prairie land to conditions of a century ago.

Buckthorn is the troublesome weed that Clark is after. It grows either as a shrub or a small tree, and it invades mainly woodlands and savannahs. It is also found in prairie grasses and open fields, according to the DNR. Once buckthorn gets established, it chokes out native trees, grasses and wildflowers.

Flandrau State Park Manager Gary Teipel said the restoration project is going to require lots of work and time if it's going to return Flandrau to the way it was in 1901. Other volunteers have also pitched in to remove the buckthorn, which is only the first step in the restoration.

"It's a tough project, but they're doing a good job," Teipel said.

On Sunday afternoon, Clark worked two hours with branch cutters and saws. He and a friend, Chris Smith, removed about 50 to 60 plants.

When finished, Clark felt like his work was making a difference.

"I took a picture when I started, and looking at it now, it's a major improvement," he said.