Olmsted County Parks Newsletter - Winter 2024

by: Clarissa Schrooten

As the days get shorter, and the temperatures start to cool we realize that winter is just around the corner. For wildlife this realization came much earlier to allow for proper preparation to survive winter.

Mother Nature gives early cues to wildlife allowing time to plan accordingly. One of the very first indications that winter will be coming occurs in August! The month of August loses 90 minutes of daylight as the earth is tilting away from the sun bringing shorter days that are much more noticeable this time of year. Animals are so adept to paying attention to the change of daylight, also called photoperiod, this change ramps up their appetites. For animals this phenomenon of increased eating is called hyperphagia and is essential for putting on the fat necessary to survive the coldest days of winter. Some animals just simply say, “I’m outta here,” and they migrate south. This seems like it may be a simple answer to dealing with winter, yet it is truly an arduous task to fly 600 to 6,000 or more miles one direction. The last way animals handle winter is to find a den safe from the wind and extreme cold temperatures and sleep the winter away. For the animals who sleep the entire winter without waking until spring the process is called hibernation or brumation (for reptiles and amphibians). There is an intermediate state of sleeping that is less known called torpor. This is a process where animals will enter a deep sleep for days to weeks to stay safe from the coldest days of winter. Once the weather is not bitterly cold these animals will wake, leave their dens, and some may even find food if food is available. Nature has great ways for animals to adapt to winter allowing them to endure the coldest days.

As the days continue to get shorter and colder, rest assured wildlife has been preparing for the winter Mother Nature will bring.

by: Lonnie Hebl

Team R.E.D. (Run, Eat, Drink) and Tom O’Leary are longtime friends of the Olmsted County Parks Department, not to mention friends of mine. Tom and his Team R.E.D. comrades are a club that is dedicated to having fun while staying fit! They love to get out and run the trails not only for fun but also to serve a purpose. That purpose is to enjoy running in a natural setting, enjoy the fellowship of all the other runners and also support Parks in maintaining our many miles of trails. Each year this club host events at both Oxbow Park and Chester Woods Park with the goal of obtaining the above-mentioned goals. On Sunday, June 2nd Chester Woods Park was the site for the 2024 “Mason Run” which consisted of a 5K, 10 mile, 50K or 50-mile trail run. I happened to be working that day and some of the runners looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves and some, well, not so much! On Sunday August 4th Oxbow Park was the host site for the “Run the Woods” 10-mile trail run. Both events attracted over 265 participants and raised $850 for Oxbow and $930 for Chester Woods, respectively. These funds are dedicated to maintenance and improvement of the trails so people of all ages and abilities are able to get out and enjoy nature as much as Team R.E.D. Because of the efforts of Tom, Team R.E.D and the other generous donors Olmsted County Parks have become the gem we have come to know and love. On behalf of Olmsted County Park Staff and the multitude of visitors, Thank you. 

Picture caption: Layna Erredge accepts a check from Tom O’Leary from Team R.E.D.

by: John Trnka - Park Volunteer

National Public Lands Day has been a day for volunteers

nationwide to participate in events to restore and preserve natural areas.  Minnesota agencies have been active in this promotion, and the Friends of Chester Woods has been sponsoring an event for many years in Chester Woods Park.  For the past seven years, Patty Trnka, with help from Joel Dunnette, Loretta Morgan, park staff, and the University of MN Extension, has organized a prairie seed collection program at Chester Woods Park.  The collected seeds are used to establish or enhance many natural areas in Olmsted County Parks, with substantial savings for the county by reducing the need to purchase seeds.

This past September 28, 41 volunteers collected many different types of native prairie seeds, including sunflowers, prairie clovers, coneflowers, goldenrods, and native grasses.  The volunteers included FOCW members, MN Master Naturalists, Prairie Smoke Chapter members, and others who signed up for the activity. The event began with a group kickoff meeting, then divided into four work groups who were directed to different established prairies in the park.  Volunteers were provided with jugs, clippers, gloves, and bags as needed and were instructed how to collect various seed types. The FOCW provided everyone with a Subway sandwich lunch, then the work continued in the afternoon in four other fields. Every year, this event provides nature lovers an opportunity to learn about native plants and to give back to this beautiful park.

National Public Lands Day is organized annually and led by the National Environmental Education Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service and other federal agencies. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers roll up their sleeves to help restore and preserve public lands of all types and sizes—from iconic national parks and rivers to local urban green spaces and everything in between. National Public Lands Day is special because it provides all lovers of the environment—old and new—an opportunity to show our appreciation for these unique places.

Prairie seed collection is an ongoing fall activity for volunteers at Chester Woods Park. If you are interested in volunteering to help, please contact Chester Woods Park at 507-328-7350.

by: Jolaine Hines

Friends of Oxbow has been in full force the past couple of months. The second annual Treasure Trek was held on September 21. A fantastic crowd turned out to trek the trails of Oxbow Park. New this year, we welcomed Papa’s Roast Coffee and Mrs. Patty’s Sweet Treats! The weather cooperated and many young trekkers enjoyed receiving this year’s collectible medallion. See you next year!

FOX was at Boo at the Zoo helping the Oxbow team hand out stickers and pencils. We had a merchandise booth set up with lots of great holiday gifts available for purchase. All proceeds support the FOX mission and go right back into the park and zoo. 

It’s almost here! Get ready for an incredible night of lights and festivities! Join us Friday, December 13 and Saturday, December 14 for ZooDazzle! Watch our Facebook page for more details. Reserve Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7 for a ‘lights only’ event and explore the zoo at night with the glow of our holiday lights and decor. 

If you love Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo and enjoy being part of a great mission, then becoming a FOX Board Member may be right for you. Friends of Oxbow is seeking new board members to join our mission of supporting the educational, environmental, and recreational goals of Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo. Please send us an email if you are interested, friendsofoxbow@gmail.com.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for all the latest happenings: www.facebook.com/friendsofoxbow/

by: Celeste Lewis

Olmsted County Park staff and volunteers spend an enormous amount of time trying to control invasive species in our parks.  There are many species that have been targeted, however some of the top ones include buckthorn, garlic mustard, honey suckle, and wild parsnip. 

This past spring Chester Woods Park was awarded a grant to help tackle an area of the park that is very steep along the lake and unable to be worked by machine and dangerous to even access by foot. How do we target this type of terrain?  Goats! 

Goats are a perfect “tool” to clean up buckthorn and other unfavorable species on these steep slopes. The herds of goats are placed in a fenced in area and just do what goats do…. Graze!  These animals can easily scale the steep slopes and will eat all the underbrush they can reach. 

Some of the benefits of the grazing include the consumption/browsing of the invasive shrubs that block natural sunlight from reaching the native plants and grasses underneath. Once that canopy is opened it allows the native plants to thrive. However, grazing is not a “one and done” solution. If follow up is not done, the invasives will come back and at times perhaps worse. For this reason, a well thought out plan of repeat grazing or other means needs to be followed.

The plan for Chester Woods Park along the Dam Overlook trail where the goats have been (twice) this summer is to have them back again in the spring/early summer of 2025 for a third grazing. Staff will then be able to go in and follow up with any herbicide or removal of accessible shrubs and seed with native forbes and short gasses. The hope is to have that bluff edge open again allow for a beautiful view of the lake through the native trees and vegetation.

Resource management is an on-going process, so the goats have been here to help along the way!

by: Mike Bergum

By now most of you are aware of my appointment as the new Park Manager at Chester Woods Park.   I am thrilled and excited to be here and look forward to te many challenges and experiences we will all endure here at the park as we go forward.  

As the new manager of Chester Woods, I am awestruck on the beauty of the park and how meticulously clean and well maintained it is. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the previous manager, the late Tom Eckdahl, and the many years of service he gave to Olmsted County, specifically Chester Woods Park. 

Tom, of course, did not do this all on his own.   I also want to acknowledge permanent staff that have worked and served here for several years. I appreciate the assistance and contribution of Josh Drilling, Park Foreman, Celeste Lewis, Staff Naturalist and Jeremy Olson, park technician, for their tiring work keeping the park looking clean and well maintained and providing our visitors with a great experience.  Thank you also for welcoming me to the county and sharing some of your expertise as it relates to Chester Woods as I take on this new role.

Moving forward my focus will be on maintaining the great foundation built here at the park and building upon that foundation. The park will face many challenges in 2025 from capital projects, resource management issues, visitor service issues and many more. Without the dedication of our permeant staff, our seasonal staff and the many volunteers, including, of course, the tireless work of our friend’s group, this park would not be what it is today.  A giant thank you to you all for everything you have done, continue to do and will do in the future as we take on the rest of this year leading into 2025.

Looking forward to a wonderful future here at Chester Woods!

by: Clarissa Schrooten

Naturalist is a job title given to the determined people who can make nature an exciting learning environment and invigorate others to appreciate all aspects of nature. Megan Long has successfully upheld the title and the duties that accompany the job.

Megan Long started her naturalist career at Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo as a winter seasonal in the winter of 2016-2017. Megan demonstrated her excitement for nature by sharing her love for all things found in nature. She has taught thousands of students and visitors about zoo animals, local wildlife, wellness in nature, conservation, citizen science programs, and many topics focused on nature. Many people have been fortunate to have been touched by Megan’s enthusiasm for the natural world. She has inspired others through her teaching but also in the way she demonstrates her genuine care for the environment. Megan carries this passion into her personal life by contributing to local conservation efforts such as adopting a storm sewer drain in her town, implementing composting worms, sharing her knowledge on her blog, “Megans Nature Nook,” and by participating in citizen science projects. As a naturalist, Megan fit the title perfectly.

It is unfortunate to announce that Megan Long has left the Oxbow Park team and has moved into a position that better fits her life. Megan was a great naturalist for Olmsted County Parks and her work will always be appreciated.