Lake Edith Savanna Restoration

The Lake Edith Natural Area Restoration project seeks to enhance and restore habitat at Belwin Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to the permanent protection and restoration of native habitat. In addition to the permanent protection offered by ownership from Belwin Conservancy, the Minnesota Land Trust holds an easement over much of the project site. The Lake Edith Natural Area is a mosaic of high quality wetlands; oak savanna and woodlands; and restored prairie and grasslands within the St. Croix Valley. Beginning in 2009, over 110 acres of savanna and prairie were cleared of invasive woody plants and interseeded, improving habitat for rare species such as the Red-headed Woodpecker and the Blanding’s turtle. The project outlined here includes enhancing this oak savanna restoration as well as beginning the restoration of an adjacent oak woodland and savanna. In all, these restorations would complete over 200 acres of high quality of prairies, savannas,and woodlands.