Staff from the Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation District hosted a Community Tree Gathering and Volunteer Thank You program at the Chet Goenner Pavilion in Clear Lake Wednesday evening.
The program began with live music provided by Cold Spring performer Ryan Fiskwold who played his guitar and sang for the invited guests in the social hour before dinner. The menu included locally-grown grass-fed beef for burgers, an old-fashioned blueberry cobbler baked in a cast-iron Dutch oven, hand-crafted cookies, coffee and apple cider.
Becker City Administrator Greg Pruszinske and SWCD’s Bill Bronder handled the massive gas grill, while SWCD District Manager Francine Larson and staff members Gina Hugo, Franny Gerde, Tiffany Determan and Andie Bumgarner greeted guests and set the stage for the program. Also attending were Sherburne County Commissioner John Riebel, Clear Lake Township Supervisor Bud Stimmler and SWCD Board Member Larry Goenner.
The first presentation of the evening was a welcome and thanks to the volunteers who took part in the county tree survey from Hugo, who said that there had been over 1,300 hours of volunteer time donated and 21,500 trees surveyed in the county. Volunteers had worked in Becker, Big Lake, Elk River, Princeton and Zimmerman in the past year.
Hugo cited the importance of trees in urban landscapes, both for their intrinsic value and for the “softening” effect they have on stark urban landscapes by providing beauty and shade to residents, as well as managing stormwater runoff, producing oxygen and adding to the quality of life.
She said tree surveys provide the information urban planners need as to what and where to plant trees to create sustainable environments, and she thanked the audience for providing that vital “first step” in the process through their survey work.
A new project called the Woodpecker Damage Survey is set to begin this winter, Hugo said. Woodpeckers are attracted to trees that have been infested with the emerald ash borer (EAB), a looming threat to area trees, and locating the bird-damaged trees in an area can help planners in their efforts to control the destructive insects.
Guest speaker for the event was Valerie Price. Forestry volunteer program coordinator for the University of MN Forestry Dept. Price also thanked the volunteers for their many hours of work and described other efforts underway in various urban environments around the state.
Volunteers
Citizen Pruner Volunteers: Clark Nelson, Meg Ciccateri, Sue Hix, Jesse Belair, Stefan Brennan, Jason Belair, Julie Schmidt, Sue Bergstrom, Dean Kleinhans, Gordon Oehrlein, Julie J. Condon and Carol Rudy.
Clear Lake Tree Inventory Volunteers: Doug Nordang, Bud Stimmler, T. Vander Eyk, Sue Hix, Dean Kleinhans, Connie Achman, Sue Bergstrom, Michael Benson, Clark Nelson and Steven Pignato.
Donations for Event: McDonalds Meats, Kick A Dollar Farm, Big Lake, Norm's Farm Market, Becker, Caribou Coffee, Big Lake, Coborn's, Big Lake, Diamond City Bread, Elk River, Dunn Bros. Coffee, Elk River and several private anonymous donations.
