By Barb Spears, Metro Area MNWWN
This walk was hosted by MNWWN member Kim Melhus and her husband, Jon, for participants to learn about how they are implementing their woodland stewardship plan on their 40-acre property in Hugo. Their property includes 25 acres of oak woodland, 7 acres of seasonally flooded wetlands, 6 acres of freshwater pond, and 2 acres designated as the homestead.
Their stewardship goals are:
Maintain and create a healthy mature oak woodland through forest health improvement activities.
Foster a healthy and diverse native plant community for quality wildlife habitat, particularly for birds and pollinators.
Protect and improve water quality of the wetland and pond water features through vegetation (primarily cattails) and soil management in the associated forest buffer, wetland and riparian areas.
Manage the property in a manner that contributes positively to the greater landscape, enhances the local natural environment, and provides enjoyment to you and your family.
Kim and Jon enrolled in the Class 2c Managed Forest Land program (2c) one of the incentive programs described by the MN DNR on its Forest Stewardship webpage.
Since their plan was finalized in 2019, they have accomplished many things, including:
Planted chokecherries and red-osier dogwood throughout the property.
Restored ATV Trail area in back field and planted oats, clover and native wildflowers.
Planted over 100 small conifers throughout property and back field.
Bees – secured bee hives from visiting bears. (bears and bald-faced hornets destroyed the hives in 2021)
Removed debris and railroad ties in pond area next to the shop. (Blanding’s turtle habitat and sightings)
Removed buckthorn on hill next to the house – adjacent to sunroom and throughout various areas of the property.
Buckthorn removed on small hill to the right adjacent to bee hives and planted chokecherry trees.
Removed over 60 dead standing oak (died from oak wilt) trees next to the pond and adjacent to ATV area.
Restored 1 of 2 old Campfire Girl Shelters.
Established brush piles just off of ATV area for wildlife and bird habitat.
They also enjoy recording their observations. Here are a few from 2020- 2022:
Numerous otters and otter families on the ponds on the property.
Blanding’s turtle sightings every year.
Beaver activity is increasing across from the house – they are destroying oak forest across from the house on the peninsula to the right.
Other wildlife/birds observed: fisher, many owls, red-headed woodpecker, Blackburnian Warbler, indigo bunting, scarlet tanager, sora, American redstart, common yellowthroat, Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, sharp-shinned hawk and Trumpeter Swans.
Nesting Sandhill Cranes return every year and raise their young on the big pond.
Geese nesting every year on big pond.
We started our woodland walk in the workshop with an overview of the property and trail map, a discussion of forest stewardship plans, handouts and treats! Kim was recovering from knee surgery, so she couldn’t walk with us on the trails but she did ride along in her Kubota.
Jen Teegarden, MN DNR Outreach Specialist discussing forest stewardship. DNR Forester Madisson Masucci also shared information. In the foreground is Jon and Kim Melhus (Kim with crutches).
Above three photos are John Melhus discussing some of the land improvements they have made since 2019.
We had fun identifying trees and shrubs and used the iNaturalist APP to help us identify this common haircap moss, Polytrichum commune that was one of the few green things we saw on this rather chilly and windy March afternoon!
Thank you Kim and Jon for your hospitality and sharing your wonderful woodland property with us!!
This walk was part of the 2022 Wild Rivers Forestry Conference.