Join River Gorge Stewards partner the National Park Service to help remove felled trees from the Coldwater Unit at the former Bureau of Mines property in south Minneapolis near Minnehaha Park. Volunteers are needed 9 a.m.-noon and/or 1-4 p.m.

The 27-acre former Bureau of Mines site was once a stunning oak savanna and tall grass prairie, where oak trees reached out across fields of flowing grasses and wildflowers and native wildlife flourished. Over the years, this land has gone through many changes. Not only are there buildings and roads throughout the site, but it is also overrun by invasive plants which out-compete native species.

Working together with partners and community, the National Park Service is striving to restore natural beauty and function to the area by converting it to open space/park land. Included in current plans are invasive plant removal, reintroduction of native plant species, and removal of roads and buildings. The historic spring house and reservoir will not be removed, as they hold cultural and historical importance.

For more information, or to sign up, please contact Sarah Keefer of the National Park Service at sarah_keefer@nps.gov or 651-290-3030 x 231.