Fifteen volunteers spent the morning removing buckthorn and other brush from a native, unbroken priarie site at the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center on National Public Lands Day, September 28. In addition a dozen girl scouts spent the morning learning about native prairie plants and collecting seed for future use at the Center.

The group cleared nearly 1/2 an acre in just under three hours, removing a pile of buckthorn, trees, and other plants. The site sloped away from the trail area, making the work even more difficult, since the cut brush had to be dragged uphill to a pick-up point. Fish and Wildlife staff then treated the cut stumps with a herbicide to prevent the invasive plants from becoming re-established.

Meanwhile, the girl scouts learned about the "big 3" prairie grasses, and collected several pounds of seed from a number of native prairie flowers including wild liccorice, gray headed coneflower, cup-plnat and compass plant

The day finished off with a both a hearty meal and a hearty thanks from the Center staff for a job well done.