SOUTHWOOD NATURE PRESERVENorth St.Paul MN

Long Range Management PlanLeah Andersen, Austin Christensen, Erin Denny, Shaun Hansen, Brandon Liddiard,

Adam Maxwell

Southwood Nature Preserve● 28-acre natural area

in North St. Paul● Managed by Parks &

Recreation department

● Recreational facilities, outdoor classroom and wildlife habitat Image taken by Austin Christensen

Mission StatementCity of North St. Paul Parks and Recreation• To help make Saint Paul the most livable city in

America, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation will facilitate the creation of active lifestyles, vibrant places, and a vital environment (North St. Paul, homepage 2013)

Vision Statement North St.Paul visionNorth St. Paul Parks and Recreation will make North St. Paul the most livable city in America by:

• Responding creatively to change

• Innovating with every decision

• Connecting the entire city

Significance• Near several schools and a

large wetland• Natural learning area for

students• Historical significance and

interpretive opportunities• Natural area in an urban setting• Important to the community and

ecosystem of the North St. Paul

mage taken by Austin Christensen

GoalSet By Management Team:• Increase use and quality of experience

• Create interpretive curriculum for Southwood Nature Preserve

Objectives● Renovate maps and signage within SNP

● Remove trash and debris within SNP

● Monitor use of the SNP

● Build a structure to allow educational programs protection from the elements

● Manage for native species and remove invasive species

Southwood Nature PreserveNatural Features

HydrologyWater in SNP• Pond in center of

preserve• Kohlman Creek,

intermittent stream • Collects runoff from

surrounding neighborhood and streets

Image taken by Austin Christensen

Holloway Marsh● Managed by Ramsey County Parks

and Recreation

● Located in the city of Maplewood

● North of Hill-Murray School

● Roughly 38 acres, primarily cattail marshimage from maps.co.ramsey.mn.us

Watershed• Mississippi River-

Twin Cities watershedo Empties into Gulf of

Mexico● Kohlman Creek

subwatershedo Empties in Kohlman

LakeImage from Ramsey- Washington Metro Watershed District

Geographical Information • North St. Paul

population 11,460

• Southwood Nature Preservation 28 acres

• Part of 66 acres natural area

Image from googlemaps

Geological Features ● The St.Paul - Baldwin

Plains and Moraines Subsection

● Dominated by a Superior lobe end moraine and areas of an outwash plain due to the glaciation of the area around 7,000 years ago

● low lying and urbanimage from: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/

Geological Features● Bedrock is mostly limestone, sandstone and

shale• Soil composition in this subsection is mainly

alfisoils and mollisoils with sandy parent material present in the outwash plainso Alfisoils - soils formed under forested

vegetation o Mollisoils - soils formed under prairie

vegetation

BiomesWithin Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province of the Deciduous Forest Biome

• Section- Minnesota and North East Iowa Morainal

• Intersection of wetland and deciduous forest

HabitatThe western and northern portions of

the preserve are oak and maple forests, with the southwest corner resembling an oak savannah

Image fromwww.buzzle.com

Image from www.hdwallpaperstop.com

Habitat

The eastern half is a maple forest with some aspen, and a stand of large basswood trees near the old homestead foundation.

Habitat Southwood PondIntermittent water flowAlgae growthHost wildlife including:

TurtlesFrogsMigratory waterfowl Nesting Gadwall

Image taken by Austin Christensen

Image from nwbackyardbirder.blogspot.com

Mesic Prairie• Formerly named

Butterfly Garden• Plot of prairie

grasses and flower on east side of pond

• Created by Minnesota Master Naturalists

Image from Nathab.com

Wildlife• Several species of

ducks and geese• Urban wildlife

including White-tailed Deer, Gray Squirrels, raccoons and skunks and fox

• Migratory and resident song birds

• Turtles in SNP and southern wetland

Image taken by Austin Christensen

Native Trees• Basswood (Tila americana)

• Sugar Maple (Acer aaccharum)

• Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)

• Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila)

• Box Elder (Acer negundo)

• Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

• White Oak (Quercus alba)

• Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

• White Pine (Pinus strobus)

• Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)

• Wild Plum (Prunus americana)

• Mulberry (Morus rubra)

• Sumac (Rhus typhina)

• Cherry Tree (Prunus serotina)

• Black Willow (Salix nigra)

• Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

• White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

• Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

• American Elm (Ulmus americana)

• Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

• Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)

Native Shrubs• American Beech (Fagus

grandifolia)

• Carpet Moss (Mnium hornum)

• Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)

• Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

• Northern Arrowwood (Viburnum recognitum)

• Tawny Milksap Mushroom (Lactarius volemus)

• Red Raspberries (Rusus Idaeus)

• Common Elderberry (Sambucus)

Image from ://www.fs.fed.us

Non-Native Trees• Weeping Willow (Salix

babylonica)

• Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus bathartica)

• Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)

• Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

• Apple (Malus domestica)

• Honeysuckle (lonicera)

Image from seaagri.com

Invasive Species The 3 Big Invaders• Buckthorn (Rhamnus)

• Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)

• Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

Image from macalester.edu

Southwood Nature Preserve

Social Features

History

• Of the 28 acres of land that makes up Southwood Nature Preserve, some was bought and some was acquired by eminent domain in 1969-1970

● The parcels were purchased with the some help from a State of MN Natural Resource Fund Grant, Federal HUD Grant and funds from other State and Federal grants

Homestead site

● 1969 - Home of Daniel Allan bought by Southeast Area Village Park

● 1970 - the building was destroyed● Currently remnants of the foundation

exist in the Southeast quadrant of SNP

1953 2012

Images from Google Earth

Recreation Facilities• On street parking• Wooden deck

overlook• Portable outhouse• Benches• Signposts• Trailhead posting

board• Doggy bag

dispensing boxes• Garbage cans

Recreation Resources• Multi-use trails• Interpretive

signs• Informational

trailhead• Naturalist signs

identifying certain plant species

• Pond

Users

• Residents that live around the SNP• Children of the surrounding

elementary and middle schools• Citizens of the city of North St. Paul• Dog walkers

School Programs• The University of Minnesota Master

Naturalist Program

• Maplewood Middle School

• Cowern Elementary SchoolImage from http://www.minnesotamasternaturalist.org/

Meeting State StandardsCathy Troendle and Minnesota Master Naturalist program

Third grade - leaves of native treesFourth grade - birds and binocularsFifth grade - Minnesota mammals

Images from Cathy Troendle

Social InfluenceDue to the location of SNP and its very close proximity to an urban area it provides unique opportunities.

Negative Impact of Location● Dogs off leashes● Disposal of yard waste● Introduction of invasive species● Runoff and litter

Recommendations

Mission Statement Current Mission Statement:

To help make Saint Paul the most livable city in America, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation will facilitate the creation of active lifestyles, vibrant places, and a vital environment (North St. Paul, homepage 2013)

Mission Statement Option 1: Task force makes new mission statement

Option 2: Follow the mission statement our group has provided:

Southwood Nature Preserve aims to make North St. Paul a more sustainable city by increasing the use and quality of green space by providing opportunities for outdoor education and environmental education

Option 3: Keep the city of the North St. Paul Parks and Recreation mission statement

Holloway MarshOption 1: Work in conjunction with the city of

Maplewood to utilize Holloway Marsh

Option 2: Do not incorporate Holloway Marsh with SNP

Invasive SpeciesOption 1: Eradicate one invasive species

at a time from different sections of the preserve.

Option 2: Eradicate all of the invasive species in the preserve at

once.

Option 3: Take no action

Parking LotOption 1: Build a blacktop parking lot in the northeast corner of SNP

Option 2: Build a gravel parking lot in the northeast corner of SNP

Option 3: Continue having visitors park on Holloway Avenue

Improve Interpretive Signage

Option 1: Replace and update existing interpretive signs

Option 2: Continue without improving signs

Increase Winter Recreation

Option 1: Continue without further attempts to increase winter recreation

Option 2: Create a ski trail system

Option 1: Have an SNP employee count how many people use the park on a given day

Option 2: Have a sign in sheet for users at entrances

Option 3: Continue loosely monitoring the use of SNP

Monitor Usage

Create a ShelterOption 1: Build an enclosed shelter.

Option 2: Build a roof shelter.

Option 3: Take no action

Staffing RecommendationOption 1: Hire an interpreter who

also monitor numbers and types of users

Option 2: Hire a maintenance crew for trails, facilities and invasive

species

Option 3: Keep current unofficial staff members

Thank You

Image taken by Austin Christensen