SOUTHWOOD NATURE PRESERVE
North St.Paul MN
Long Range Management Plan
Leah Andersen, Austin Christensen, Erin Denny, Shaun Hansen, Brandon Liddiard, Adam Maxwell
Southwood Nature Preserve
● 28-acre natural area in
North St. Paul
● Managed by Parks &
Recreation department
● Recreational facilities,
outdoor classroom and
wildlife habitat
Image taken by Austin Christensen
Mission Statement
City of North St. Paul Parks and Recreation
To help make Saint Paul the most livable city in
America, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation will facilitate
the creation of active lifestyles, vibrant places, and a
vital environment (North St. Paul, homepage 2013)
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Vision Statement
North St.Paul vision
North St. Paul Parks and Recreation will make North St. Paul
the most livable city in America by:
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Responding creatively to change
Innovating with every decision
Connecting the entire city
Significance
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Near several schools and a large
wetland
Natural learning area for students
Historical significance and
interpretive opportunities
Natural area in an urban setting
Important to the community and
ecosystem of the North St. Paul
mage taken by Austin Christensen
Goal
Set By Management Team:
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Increase use and quality of experience
Create interpretive curriculum for
Southwood Nature Preserve
Objectives
● Renovate maps and signage within SNP
● Remove trash and debris within SNP
● Monitor use of the SNP
● Build a structure to allow educational programs protection from the
elements
Southwood Nature
Preserve
Natural Features
Hydrology
Water in SNP
Pond in center of preserve
Kohlman Creek,
intermittent stream
Collects runoff from
surrounding
neighborhood and streets
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Image taken by Austin Christensen
Holloway Marsh
● Managed by Ramsey County Parks
and Recreation
● Located in the city of Maplewood
● North of Hill-Murray School
● Roughly 38 acres, primarily cattail
marsh
image from maps.co.ramsey.mn.us
Watershed
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Mississippi RiverTwin Cities watershed
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Empties into Gulf of
Mexico
● Kohlman Creek
subwatershed
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Empties in Kohlman
Lake
Image from Ramsey- Washington Metro Watershed District
Geographical Information
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North St. Paul population
11,460
Southwood Nature
Preservation 28 acres
Part of 66 acres natural area
Image from googlemaps
Geological Features
● The St.Paul - Baldwin
Plains and Moraines
Subsection
● Dominated by a Superior
lobe end moraine and areas
of an outwash plain due to
the glaciation of the area
around 7,000 years ago
● low lying and urban
image from: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/
Geological Features
● Bedrock is mostly limestone, sandstone and shale
Soil composition in this subsection is mainly alfisoils
and mollisoils with sandy parent material present in the
outwash plains
o Alfisoils - soils formed under forested vegetation
o Mollisoils - soils formed under prairie vegetation
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Biomes
Within Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province of
the Deciduous Forest Biome
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Section- Minnesota and North East Iowa Morainal
Intersection of wetland and
deciduous forest
Habitat
The western and northern portions of the
preserve are oak and maple forests, with
the southwest corner resembling an oak
savannah
Image fromwww.buzzle.com
Image from www.hdwallpaperstop.com
Habitat
The eastern half is a maple forest
with some aspen, and a stand of
large basswood trees near the old
homestead foundation.
Habitat
Southwood Pond
Intermittent water flow
Algae growth
Host wildlife including:
Turtles
Frogs
Image from nwbackyardbirder.blogspot.com
Migratory waterfowl
Nesting Gadwall
Image taken by Austin Christensen
Mesic Prairie
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Formerly named
Butterfly Garden
Plot of prairie grasses
and flower on east side
of pond
Created by Minnesota
Master Naturalists
Image from Nathab.com
Wildlife
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Several species of ducks
and geese
Urban wildlife including
White-tailed Deer, Gray
Squirrels, raccoons and
skunks and fox
Migratory and resident
song birds
Turtles in SNP and
southern wetland
Image taken by Austin Christensen
Native Trees
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Basswood (Tila americana)
Sugar Maple (Acer aaccharum)
Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)
Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila)
Box Elder (Acer negundo)
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
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Wild Plum (Prunus americana)
Mulberry (Morus rubra)
Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Cherry Tree (Prunus serotina)
Black Willow (Salix nigra)
Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
American Elm (Ulmus americana)
Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Native Shrubs
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American Beech (Fagus
grandifolia)
Carpet Moss (Mnium hornum)
Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)
Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
Northern Arrowwood (Viburnum
recognitum)
Tawny Milksap Mushroom
(Lactarius volemus)
Red Raspberries (Rusus Idaeus)
Common Elderberry (Sambucus)
Image from ://www.fs.fed.us
Non-Native Trees
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Weeping Willow (Salix
babylonica)
Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus
bathartica)
Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula
alnus)
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
Apple (Malus domestica)
Honeysuckle (lonicera)
Image from seaagri.com
Invasive Species
The 3 Big Invaders
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Buckthorn (Rhamnus)
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Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
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Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia
japonica)
Image from macalester.edu
Southwood Nature
Preserve
Social Features
History
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Of the 28 acres of land that makes up Southwood Nature Preserve, some
was bought and some was acquired by eminent domain in 1969-1970
● The parcels were purchased with the some help from a State of MN
Natural Resource Fund Grant, Federal HUD Grant and funds from other
State and Federal grants
Homestead site
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● 1969 - Home of Daniel Allan bought by
Southeast Area Village Park
● 1970 - the building was destroyed
● Currently remnants of the foundation exist
in the Southeast quadrant of SNP
1953
2012
Images from Google Earth
Recreation Facilities
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On street parking
Wooden deck overlook
Portable outhouse
Benches
Signposts
Trailhead posting board
Doggy bag dispensing
boxes
Garbage cans
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Recreation Resources
Multi-use trails
Interpretive signs
Informational
trailhead
Naturalist signs
identifying certain
plant species
Pond
Users
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Residents that live around the SNP
Children of the surrounding elementary and
middle schools
Citizens of the city of North St. Paul
Dog walkers
School Programs
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The University of Minnesota Master
Naturalist Program
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Maplewood Middle School
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Cowern Elementary School
Image from http://www.minnesotamasternaturalist.org/
Meeting State Standards
Cathy Troendle and Minnesota Master
Naturalist program
Third grade - leaves of native trees
Fourth grade - birds and binoculars
Fifth grade - Minnesota mammals
Images from Cathy Troendle
Social Influence
Due to the location of SNP and its very close
proximity to an urban area it provides unique
opportunities.
Negative Impact of Location
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Dogs off leashes
Disposal of yard waste
Introduction of invasive species
Runoff and litter
Recommendations
Mission Statement
Current Mission Statement:
To help make Saint Paul the most livable city in
America, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation will facilitate
the creation of active lifestyles, vibrant places, and a
vital environment (North St. Paul, homepage 2013)
Mission Statement
Option 1: Task force makes new mission statement
Option 2: Follow the mission statement our group has
provided:
Southwood Nature Preserve aims to make North St. Paul
a more sustainable city by increasing the use and quality
of green space by providing opportunities for outdoor
education and environmental education
Option 3: Keep the city of the North St. Paul Parks and Recreation
mission statement
Holloway Marsh
Option 1: Work in conjunction with the city of
Maplewood to utilize Holloway Marsh
Option 2: Do not incorporate Holloway Marsh with SNP
Invasive Species
Option 1: Eradicate one invasive species at a
time from different sections of the preserve.
Option 2: Eradicate all of the invasive
species in the preserve at once.
Option 3: Take no action
Parking Lot
Option 1: Build a blacktop parking lot in
the northeast corner of SNP
Option 2: Build a gravel parking lot in the
northeast corner of SNP
Option 3: Continue having visitors park on
Holloway Avenue
Improve Interpretive Signage
Option 1: Replace and update existing
interpretive signs
Option 2: Continue without improving signs
Increase Winter Recreation
Option 1: Continue without further attempts
to increase winter recreation
Option 2: Create a ski trail system
Monitor Usage
Option 1: Have an SNP employee count how many
people use the park on a given day
Option 2: Have a sign in sheet for users at entrances
Option 3: Continue loosely monitoring the use of SNP
Create a Shelter
Option 1: Build an enclosed shelter.
Option 2: Build a roof shelter.
Option 3: Take no action
Staffing Recommendation
Option 1: Hire an interpreter who also
monitor numbers and types of users
Option 2: Hire a maintenance crew for
trails, facilities and invasive species
Option 3: Keep current unofficial staff
members
Thank You
Image taken by Austin Christensen