as reported by Barsness Park volunteers

By Wayne Zimmerman 

Last fall volunteers worked hard to remove seed bearing buckthorn trees from an area just south and west of the Splash Pad. Many of the trees were 3 to 4 inches in diameter.  A few of the volunteers opted to hand pull small buckthorns from the moist soil. They pulled hundreds of small buckthorns which would have out competed the native plants.  After 5 plus workdays we had three large piles and many small piles of buckthorn.  Last week “all our work went up in smoke.”  Volunteers and city crew burned the large piles. Small piles were moved by a skid loader and added to the large piles. While the fires were burning volunteers continued cutting seed bearing trees in an adjacent marshy area now frozen which made access much easier. A portion of the work area will allow for a minor redesign of the disc golf course to reduce the risk of flying discs invading the parking area of the splash pad. The area includes a marshy area which feeds a small creek which runs into Lake Minnewaska. Removal of the buckthorn will assist in restoring native flora and fauna (plants and animals of a given area) and reduce hazardous erosion. Plus, it is a convenient area for park users to enjoy our parks diversity. Other piles around the park were also burned.  

On a different note, I had the opportunity to have several long walks and cross-country ski in the fresh snow throughout the park. At the time it was cold, but the trails were not icy.  It was enjoyable. In areas where the buckthorn has been removed or mulched the snow masked the covering of buckthorn debris (it will degrade). It reminded me of when I began enjoying the Park 50 years ago. Rather than walking through tunnels or having views and vistas blocked by walls of buckthorn I was able to appreciate the “wonderfulness” of the park. I was able to explore areas off the trails without struggling through the buckthorn. Winters are also different than 50 years ago. The number of days for good, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing have drastically diminished due to the snow becoming icy or disappearing due to the warmer temperatures.  Now I spend more time in ice cleats. I encourage all to enjoy the park, especially when we have several inches or more of new snow.