Earth Action Heroes: Three buckthorn busters

Buckthorn is one of Minnesota’s most damaging invasive plants. Its leaves sprout in early spring and remain through autumn. Buckthorn lacks nutrition so it is a poor food source for birds and mammals. It also creates dense shade that outcompetes many native plants and shrubs that are nutrient rich.

Though cities, counties and the state have programs to combat the beast that is buckthorn, it is efforts by local Earth Action Heroes, such as Anders Westanmo, Pat Nelson and Mike Borowiak that could make the difference in this fight.

“Much of Bloomington’s forests are infested with buckthorn,” said Nelson, a full-time father and part-time teacher.

“Working with the City of Bloomington and Three Rivers District, we adopted a 19-acre lot in Hyland Park,” said Westanmo, a pharmacist. “These coordinated buckthorn busts help us cover more ground.”

Buckthorn control treatments can occur at any point in the year, but these volunteers are very active in fall and winter when chemical control can be most effective.

“It’s a small action to take to help our city,” said Borowiak, a clinical social worker. “It will take the efforts of many to manage this environmental problem.”   

To learn how you can help, visit blm.mn/eco-land-stewardship.