Located off of Co. Rd 50, west of Hwy 25 and south of Co. Rd 11, Bridgeview is the perfect spot to soak in the outdoors from dawn until dusk.
Bridgeview Park Reserve was created in 1999 with the help of $180,000 from the DNR’s Natural and Scenic Areas grant program and a $5,000 grant from Central Minnesota Initative Fund’s ScenicArea Land Preservation Program.
Bridgeview is the second of Sherburne’s county parks, Oak Savanna Land Preserve in Becker Township being the first. Both parks preserve protect natural features that have been documented by the Minnesota County Biolog-ical Survey.
The Minnesota County Biological Survey documented any rare features Bridgeview had prior to its creation. MCBS noted that the forest was a high quality oak woodland-brushland. Only five percent of Sherburne County still contains intact native plant communities like prairie lakespur, sand-reed grass and little bluestem.
Bridgeview was designed and managed for low impact use by the public. Gina Hugo from the Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation district mentioned many activities that take place year round at Bridgeview.
“Some activities include cross country skiing, hiking, snow shoeing and bird watching.” Hugo said.
There have also been classes offered to demonstrate how to control buckthorn. Buckthorn was first brought to Minnesota from Europe in the mid-1800s as a popular hedging material. Nurseries stopped selling it in the 1930s but buckthorn can still be found in old neighborhoods in Minnesota.
Buckthorn is a problem because it competes with native plants for nutrients, light and moisture. It degrades wildlife habitat, contributes to erosion by shading other plants on the forest floor, hosts pests such as crown rust fungus and lacks natural controls like insects or disease that would slow its growth.
“Buckthorn controls consist of a series of mechanical and chemical use as well as burning. Then we are able to do follow up control.” Hugo said. “Our goal is to restore the interior trail of Bridgeview to the oak savanna native woodland.”
Hugo doesn’t see any changes to Bridgeview in the future.
“We’re just hoping to continue buckthorn control.” said Hugo.
For more information about Bridgeview Park Reserve visit www.co.sherburne.mn.us.
