ECOLOGIAL RESTORATION
ER
AT CEDAR LAKE POINT BEACH (AND BEYOND)
The season is quickly changing, or not, depending upon what day it is each week. Our temperatures are swinging, but a constant and slow change is in the color of tree leafs. We're entering a beautiful season when acorns are falling and so many of the leaves in our woods are turning gold and red. In the interior of Cedar Lake Point Beach, the process of ridding Buckthorn was followed by starting to clear White Mulberry (Morus alba) trees. These trees are very distinctive in their orange colored barks and roots and lobbed leafs. White Mulberry are identified as invasive trees, first brought to North America from China by those who believed they could cultivate a market for silk. Apparently, that market didn't work out, but the expansive proliferation of White Mulberry did. And in the Cedar Lake Park Point Beach woods, hundreds of these White Mulberry trees continue grow quickly and tall. Culling this species has begun with removing trees that are strangling Cottonwoods and other native trees. An area just east of where the White Snakeroot are surging was cleared later in the summer. The lack of White Snakeroot in this area suggests that it was too late in the summer for this area to fill the same way. This opens an opportunity to seed it this late autumn with native seeds planned with and to be provided by the Natural Resources staff at the MPRB. We expect to make a purchase of other seeds for other areas too, thanks to the Cedar Lake Park Association. It will be exciting to see how this and other areas fill in over the next few years. But what about the Mulberry?Over the past week or so, I was approached by a neighbor who challenged me about why I was removing the Mulberry. Information about the nutritional properties of the berries for birds were claimed. The idea about the value to humans was offered, with stories about how it's a fun berry to pick and snack on with kids. What a great way of helping kids to learn about connecting with nature. It was argued that Mulberries are native to the area. These were all great questions. And if they were being asked by one person, I can only assumed they might be being asked by others. Being a student of this process, I first replied that the work in this area is first and foremost about ecological restoration. We are seeking to create a habitat for a greater number of native species that serve to function as a healthy ecological system.
Before responding to specific issues, I went back to those who have inspired and informed me throughout this process. Several of them have been at this for many years and continue to make notable impacts in the Roberts Bird Sanctuary and beyond. So first, I confirmed, I have been removing White Mulberry. I used a iNaturalist, an app that includes a 2-step identification and verification of photos I take of plant species. I pay for the app, and it's been invaluable for on-site work. It immediately makes an identification, followed shortly by naturalists from around the globe who review and confirm and/or suggest corrections to a questionable identification. White Mulberry is an invasive as so determined by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The MPRB Forestry Department removes White Mulberry. However, White Mulberry is not to be confused with Red Mulberry. Red Mulberry is native to this area. But it has become almost extinct. From reading naturalists blogs, I've learned there is also a hybrid of the White and Red Mulberry. But given the rarity of Red Mulberry in this area, I learned that incredibly unlikely that such a hybrid exists in our area. In addition, the iNaturalist app has never identified a photo I've uploaded as possibly being a hybrid species. Regarding the value of the berry, it probably doesn't need to be reiterated, but allowing an invasive to spread for any reason is not reason enough to allow the species to flourish. As for birds, the fructose value of the seeds far outweigh the antioxidants and other possible benefits. Besides, those benefits are possibly associated with the non-existent Red Mulberry, not the White. As for humans, yes it's delightful to think that we can share the taste of nature with one another and our children. It's a great reminder and lesson that most of our healthiest foods come fresh off the tree, or vine, or root. But I am also reminded that nature does not exist simply and purely for human consumption, satisfaction, or purpose. How many of those who graze for wild editble treats even consider that they are extracting food from a living ecosystem? We not pulling food off of a food shelf in the store, but rather we're plucking from the food supply of the critters who spend a great part of their waking day seeking the nutrition just to survive? As humans, might we consider that we have reduced the volume of natural areas resources that are required to feed and protect natural species is already minimally adequate? So my regrets to the Mulberry pickers, but ecological restoration of Cedar Lake Point Beach woods must continue the process of clearing Buckthorn, White Mulberry, and any other invasive plants that will help to establish a more inviting habitat for our native plants and animals to thrive.
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March 2024
AuthorI'm Steve Kotvis, volunteer Park Steward for the Minneapolis Cedar Lake Point Beach peninsula who has a newfound love of restoring this natural area and more. I'm learning as I go, and enjoy sharing that with those who have an interest. I'm also a photographer, so the photos in this blog are mine unless otherwise labeled. |