08-20-24 - PTRC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 12 Minnetonka Parks. That group organizes resident volunteers to help manage and maintain Minnetonka parks. That is the model for Arden Hills Greening. Arden Hills Greening held it’s first meeting on December 15, 2023. Since that first meeting, they continue to meet monthly. There are 21 members on the email list and there are typically six members at the in-person meetings. The mission is to build community and shared stewardship of public and private open spaces. Thereby improving the biodiversity and resiliency of our parks and neighborhoods. The group is engaged in two types of activities to include, outreach/education and removal of invasive plants, especially buckthorn. The public outreach and education activities have included initial website development where resources can be shared with homeowners. The group has a public Facebook page. They have conduced three free land management classes at City Hall. The topics of those classes were 1) Buckthorn ID and Management, 2) Native Trees and Shrubs and 3) Native Flowers. They distributed information regarding buckthorn and other invasive species at Chatham Trails in conjunction with the Goat Browsing in June and July. They have conducted informational pop-ups at four parks for pollinator week. They provided educational information and activities at the Penny Carnival in July. Land management information was provided at the Karth Lake Ice Cream Social. Arden Hills Greening conducted two invasive plant mitigation events this year. Native Plantings in Hazelnut Park in April and May. They monitored the goats in Chatham Trails through June. A group of four resident volunteers monitored the goats from June 9-July 5. This consisted of walking the fence line twice a day. They ensured the fence was intact, the goats were okay and provided status updates to the contractor and the Public Works Department. They provided leaflets to the residents in Chatham before the goats arrived. They placed self- service literature distribution boxes, adjacent to the goat pen, to educate about Buckthorn. It was a combination of public education and hands-on mitigation. Cooler weather and fewer bugs make better working conditions. Arden Hills Greening will be clearing buckthorn regrowth and planting grasses and forbs at Chatham Trails where mature buckthorn has been removed in previous years. Resident volunteers have been clearing buckthorn on Chatham Trails since the fall of 2021. Buckthorn infestation is a major problem in our parks. Buckthorn mitigation is a major focus of Arden Hills Greening. Having seen the scope of the problem, there is a need for a larger, more organized, sustainable effort to confront it. Arden Hills Greening hopes to focus on recruiting and organizing resident volunteers. He is asking for recognition for their group. Education and outreach activities need exposure beyond their website and Facebook page. The group would like to place event notices and occasional information articles in Arden Hills Notes. The group believes recognition from the PTRC will lend some credibility to their requests. Volunteers are making noticeable buckthorn