Tree Trust removing buckthorn instead of snow

Buckthorn is an invasive species that was introduced to Minnesota in the mid-1800's. It was used as hedging material initially, but it was found to be very invasive. The incredibly mild winter that we have had so far has lessened the need for snow removal and allowed us to continue with one of our standard non-winter activities instead: buckthorn removal. So far this winter Tree Trust's Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) Program and Landscape Services (LS) Department have put in a lot more time removing buckthorn than snow.

Thanks to Aaron Freng, Landscape Services' Project Foreman, for the following description of YACC's and LS's buckthorn removal:

YACC and LS are at it again--busting buckthorn in suburban Hennepin County along the HCRRA’s [Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority] Hopkins to Chaska and Dakota Trails! While some years we offer snow removal and ice management services…this year we are out defeating buckthorn. Our crews led by Elliot, Charles, Nicole, Laura, Janessa, Matt, and Sam have cut and chipped nearly two hundred cubic yards of buckthorn. These fierce men and women go at it every day with one of the most horrific and obnoxious non-native and invasive species that our state has in its soils!

The crew leaders and crew members are out cutting, dragging, and chipping into 1-ton dump trucks and hauling the chips in for bio-mass recycling at SKB Environmental in Minneapolis. The 200 yards of chips that our team has processed in the last month would actually fill two full size semi-trucks with wood chips!

Since 2011 was a year of weather extremes, finishing out December 2011 removing buckthorn instead of snow should come as no surprise. However, this is still Minnesota so we know the snow will come eventually and we'll all be pulling out the shovels. Until then... buckthorn be gone!