ECOLOGIAL RESTORATION
ER
AT CEDAR LAKE POINT BEACH (AND BEYOND)
Minneapolis is incredibly unique. We, "The City of Lakes" are gifted a vast amount (2,832 acres) of "Natural Areas". In the MPRB system, Natural Areas are classified to include 1,664 acres of "Open Water" (such as lakes and creeks), and 1,168 acres of "Uplands and Wetlands" (such as forests, prairies, and ponds). Serving as the heart and heartbeat of the Minneapolis park system, they offer amazing quality of life value; economically, recreationally, aesthetically, leisurely, and critically but often overlooked . . . ecologically. When all the properties, especially neighborhood parks are included, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board owns 6,817 acres of land. For context, Park Board land represents one-sixth of all of the City of Minneapolis' total 36,790 acres. How privileged we are to be able to live, work, play and be a part of so much nature and parks. And with that privilege comes public responsibility. We have a civic responsibility to protect nature as much as we have to care for ourselves. Park stewardship is about that care and treatment. Why is it then that only 400 acres of public's natural areas classified are being formally "managed" by the park board? Managed Natural Areas represent just one-third (34%) of the 1,168 ares of upland and wetland natural areas, and just one-seventh (14%) of the 2,832 natural areas including lakes and other open water. Do we take care for just one-seventh to one-third of our own bodies? What happens when we are bothered by an ache, and then learn it's a tumor? Few of us would say, "Stop bothering me with that bad news, I've got a bike ride and a picnic to go to." How are we doing?By some measures, we are wonderful. Measures of park systems of park systems across America rate Minneapolis as one of the top three year after year after year. We must be doing something right. Maybe. What about ecological measures? Who knows? Few seem to be seriously looking at that. What gets counted countsDisclaimer. This is not about staff not doing their jobs. From most everyone I've encountered in the field, MPRB staff are responsible, caring, and wishing to do their best. They follow their orders. But was a bit discouraging to see a couple weeks ago a park maintenance mini-vehicle working a sidewalk-width street sweeper raising dust. I figured it was because up to that point, the staff needed to do something with their time not being used to plow snow that was missing. Meanwhile the piles of invasive tree cuttings remain. (I know, I know . . . that's a different department.)
These are issues of policies, priorities and funding. And it is at these points that we need to count on to make the needed changes. It's hard to know how we're doing when two-thirds of acreage of Natural Areas are not being formally managed by the park board, but instead volunteers who have the time and abilities to assume the needed role of ecological restoration get involved. And what about natural areas where people are unable to volunteer because they are just trying to get by? Do those natural areas count?
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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. |