• Create and nurture a
park at Cedar Lake with a thriving nature preserve and connecting
trails and greenways
• Provide opportunities
for people to learn to live in community with nature and one another
• Continue to foster citizen
leadership and private involvement in the development and management
of the park and trails
• Support similar efforts
throughout the metro area and beyond.
Volunteer
We get things done!
From early spring to late fall, volunteers work in the park on a variety of projects. Some are listed below. Watch the calendar for specific times or call us for more information! Volunteer Guidelines
Planting events
Help meet our long-range plans for restoring native plant communities in the park by volunteering for planting projects. In 2002, park volunteers planted nearly 200 new trees and bushes in the park. during major wildflower plantings in the spring and fall, volunteer groups installed over 1000 seedlings in various areas. Each year, as the previous year's plantings take hold, the prairie blooms ever more gloriously. Nature rewards us generously for our efforts!
Non-native plant species removal efforts
We continue to remove invasive non-native plant varieties [link goes here] that have taken up residence in the park, replanting with native species. Our dogged persistence is gradually paying off: In 2000, a botanist estimated that native plants made up 66% to 87% of the species found within the Cedar Lake Park Conservancy. This diversity is impressive for a relatively young restoration.
Trail chipping and realignment
With the help of Sentenced-to Service work crews, we have continued spreading a six-foot-wide, six-inch-deep layer of wood chips along the lake shore trail, realigning several areas. Chipping discourages biking in these areas and provides springiness for walking and running. In 2001, we met our goal to extend the chipped trail from the mound to the canal. In 2002, students from Waldorf School in Minneapolis chipped the rerouted section of trail around a new windfall near Hidden Beach. This year we will be re-chipping the trail in areas that have become worn with use.
