Buckthorn Bash at Glacial Lakes State Park Sept. 9

Glacial Lakes State Park
25022 County Road 41, Starbuck, MN 56381

After a relentless 10-year effort to rid 2,200 acres of beautiful Glacial Lakes State Park land from an extremely invasive shrub, the Minnesota DNR and the Friends of Glacial Lakes State Park are pleased to announce they are hosting a celebration of the removal of the last known, fruit-bearing Buckthorn in the park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 9. The celebration will feature guided tours of prairie and parkland, canoe expeditions in gorgeous Mountain Lake, tours of the newest park cabin, expert-hosted land management discussions, live music, food and a torch light march (with chanting) to remove the last buckthorn followed by a ceremonial bonfire. Kids will be decorating buckthorn cookies and fashioning them into necklaces. Buckthorn Busters.

Buckthorn first invaded the park about 60 years ago and some infested sites reached 40,000 stems per acre. This invasive shrub has negative effects on songbird reproduction, forest regeneration and native prairie. Buckthorn is difficult to walk through or hunt in and is the host plant for soybean aphids. Easy to spot in fall, the leaves stay green into November when native hardwoods have shed their leaves, thus the saying "November green, simply wrong!"

In addition to Glacial Lakes State Park, the DNR is winning the Buckthorn war in several other northwest Minnesota State Parks. Maplewood and Buffalo River will see their last fruiting buckthorn go down in the coming year. Lake Carlos and Inspiration Peak are not far behind, totaling more than 15,000 acres of state park land cleared of this invasive shrub.

Glacial Lakes State Park is located 5 miles south of Starbuck, MN in Pope County. You will need a park sticker to join the fun. For more information about the celebration, please call the park at 320-239-2860.