Our Critical Habitat Restorations
Powered by our volunteers and partners, Pollinator Friendly Alliance restores pollinator habitats large and small. Collaboratively, we are dedicated to restoring 1,000 acres into biodiverse pollinator habitat using regenerative practices such as animal grazing, timed mowing, controlled burns, soil enrichment and cover or smother cropping. We do not use chemicals. Learn more about ecologically sound tactics and best practices for pollinators from our library of webinars.
Lake Elmo Park Reserve
Controlled burn prep for cover crop and then prairie seeding
Soil inversion (mold board) in process by Stantec
Prairie area growth after soil inversion (mold board)
Late fall site ready for prairie seeding
Loading drill seeder for fall prairie seeding
Shoreline restoration area along Eagle Point Lake
Oak savanna understory cleared
Forestry mower removes understory of oak savanna at Eagle Point
Understory oak savanna restoration along Eagle Point Lake
Goats browsing savanna understory and pounding shoreline seed mix in
Winter seeding crew shoreline and oak savanna 2021
Corridor planting of 2500 native flowers along native prairie area 5/2022 near old barns
Volunteer gardeners planting 2500 native plants in corridor near old barns 5/2022
Volunteer gardeners 5/2022 planting baptisia, prairie clover, milk vetch and false indigo
Purple prairie clover in corridor along prairie near old barns growing 7/2022
Prairie with cover crop growing adjacent to flowering corridor near old barns 7/2022
Native flower and grass seed for winter seeding 11/2022 near eagle point lake
Winter seeding crew Eagle Point restoration 11/2022
Lupine in prairie seeding Eagle Point restoration 2023
Wildflower corridor at Eagle Point savanna 2023
Planting a native shub row in the savanna canopy 10/2023
Proposed future pasture for bison 2023
Phases 2019 and ongoing: PFA is collaborating with Washington County to restore 100’s of acres including a 36 acre oak savanna, shoreline and native prairie in multiple locations in Lake Elmo Park Reserve.
Tactics: Controlled burns, timed mowing, cover and smother cropping, forestry mower, hand seeding, broadcast seeding, drill seeding, and goat browsing.
Seed mixes include: 2022 plants: purple prairie clover, white prairie clover, cream white indigo, leadplant. 2019-2020 MNL woodland mix, buckthorn replacement mix, savanna shortgrass mix, mesic prairie mix. 2021 white prairie clover, purple prairie clover, wild bergamot and more.
2019, Late fall, Washington County Parks cleared the understory of woodlands surrounding Eagle Point Lake. No herbicides were used, rather the non-native trees were cut down and goats chewed down the remaining woody vegetation leaving stands of mature birch and bur oak. 2020, The goats are back to chew down re-sprouting of seed bank woody plants and stomp in the MNL shoreline seed mix. The second prairie area was brush hogged to remove woody and other vegetation in preparation for this fall’s cover crop seeding which will grow in the spring to replenish the soil and smother weeds from the seed bank. 2021, Native prairie winter seeding. 2022: Volunteers planted, weeded, watered and mulched over 2500 native plants for plant propagation corridor along the edge of 23-acre site of conversion from soybean crops to native priarie, near the historic barns (false indigo, Canada milk vetch, baptisia, purple and white prairie clover). 2023: Native plant corridor we seeded along Eagle Point Lake is flowering. We planted mature shrubs (dogwood, rose, elder) along the oak savanna area.
Partners: Washington County Parks, Stantec, Washington Conservation District, Minnesota Native Landscapes, St. Paul Garden Club.
Pollinator Park, Stillwater
Before restoration
Solarization lower prairie
Burn on slope
Establishing blanket for flower garden
Planting native flower garden
Layer of compost on lawn
Monarch in upper prairie
Flower garden established
Flower garden established
Berm work on upper prairie
Upper prairie signage
Upper prairie first year
Upper prairie second year
Creeping thyme in pollinator lawn
pollinator lawn with self heal, clover, thyme
Bumble bee on self heal in lawn
First spring after seeding lower prairie
Lower prairie 2021
burn lower prairie 2023
Established 2015: 523 Owens Street, Laurel & Owens, Stillwater. This five lot city-owned area was converted from turf to prairie, pollinator lawn and flower garden. The city’s water reservoir rests underneath, the popular Mulberry Creek trail run alongside and the historic pumphouse resides here.
Tactics: Turf was removed with a sod cutter from upper prairie, flower garden and lawn areas then left at curb for locals to re-use. Flower garden was planted with 6” potted plants. Woody veg. on the slope was lopped, mowed and burned. White vinegar sprayed on unwanted grasses.The lower prairie turf was solarized with plastic followed with a smother crop of buckwheat which rejuvenated the soil in prep for a fall prairie seeding. In 2018, the pollinator lawn received a layer of compost and was inter-seeded. Ongoing maintenance of all includes weed whipping and lopping of foxtail and woody veg plus weekly hand weeding and timed mowing during growing season.
Plants: Flower garden 2015: Penstemon, Liatrus, sedum, anise hyssop, oxeye, lobelia, monarda, joe pye weed, blazing star, prairie smoke, mountain mint, yellow headed coneflower, compass plant, golden alexander, meadow rue, butterfly weed, marsh milkweed, ironweed, purple coneflower. Bee lawn 2015: self heal, fine and creeping fescue, dutch white clover, creeping thyme; Flower garden: wild bergamot/bee balm, rough blazingstar, yellow headed coneflower, joe pye weed, compass plant, oxe-eye, new england aster, fragrant hyssop, heart leaf golden alexander, meadow rue, butterfly weed, creeping sedum, prairie smoke, penstemon, marsh milkweek, common ironweed, purple coneflower, meadow blazing star.
Watch video on solarization tactic used in Pollinator Park
Partners: City of Stillwater, Natural Shore, Prairie Restorations, Minnesota Native Landscapes, Saint Paul Garden Club, Cheryl Larson Realtor, Bruce Lundeen and Many Volunteers.
2016-2020
Slope: bluestem, common milkweed, wild bergamont, stiff goldenrod, asters, pioneer mix, dotted blazingstar, foxglove beardtongue, switch grass, smooth wild rose, flodman's thistle, golden alexander, prairie clover, anise hyssop, common oxeeye, cup plant, hoary vervain, black eyed susan. Upper prairie: Native priarie was seeded early spring - little bluestem, june grass, blue gama, canada wild rye, butterfly weed, leadplant, purple prairie clover, black-eyed susan, hoary vervain, common ox-eye, dotted blazing star, stiff goldenrod, golden alexander, common milkweed, wild bergamot, showy goldenrod, canada tick trefoil, gray goldenrod, canada milk vetch, blue vervain, yarrow, prairie rose, western spiderwort. Lower prairie: The lower prairie was seeded 2018 and 2020 with wildflowers, grasses and sedges: anise hyssop, columbine, swamp milkweed, heath aster, new england aster, aromatic aster, tickseed, purple coneflower, rattlesnake master, boneset, sneezeweed, oxeye, meadow blazing star, cardinal flower, blue lobelia, bergamot, foxglove beardtongue, obedient plant, mountain mint, grey headed coneflower, black-eyed susan, blue vervain, hoary vervain, ironweed, culvers root, golden alexander, big bluestem, side oats gama, sprengel’s sedge, fox sedge, canada wild rye, little bluestem, indian grass, prairie cordgrass. The lower prairie was again seeded with a cover crop of oats and pollinator dry mesic seed mix including bluestem, blue gama, dropseed, yarrow, fragrant giant hyssop, leadplant, columbine, milkweed, canada milk vetch, partridge pea, coneflower, ox-eye, stiff sunflower, blazing star, wild bergamot, penstemon, prairie phlox, sky blue aster, spiderwort, hoary vervain, golden alexanders. Significant hand weeding and weed whipping on the lower prairie first year was needed to remove foxtail, thistle and sumac.
2021-2022: Diligent hand weeding of tansy, Canada thistle and tree saplings. 2023: Lower prairie burn in spring. Solarized small sections of canada thistle on slope and raspberry near sign which will be seeded with little blue stem. Selective mowing of upper prairie. Installing short row of hedges along forest and garden east prairie trail entrance.
St. Croix Bluffs, Hastings
2020 13-acre conversion: before corn crop was tilled
2021 spring, 13-acre conversion: corn crop disc'd
2021 Beneficial insect research - beetle bumps (compost piles)
2021 Stem nesting reseach - wild bee huts
2021 May 13-acre conversion: seeding oat cover crop
2021 June 13-acre conversion: oat cover crop
2021 July: 13-acre conversion, seeding sunflower smother crop
2021 Aug, 13-acre conversion, sunflower smother crop
2021 Sunflower before fall harvest
2022 June 13-acre conversion, after prairie seeding, first plants emerge (partridge pea)
2023 May 13-acre conversion, overseeding south end
2023 May 13-acre conversion, prairie emerging, wild bergamot
2023 May 13-acre conversion, prairie emerging, gray headed coneflower
2023 May 13-acre conversion, prairie emerging, common yarrow
2023 July spotted bee balm
2023 July prairie south 6 acres
2023 July flowering prairie bumble bee
The St. Croix River Bluffs Restoration Project, along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, has three major species communities—the topography and wet and dry riverine areas, plus relatively unbroken stretches of riverside forests, make this an important wild corridor refuge for pollinators, birds and other animals. Birds follow natural river landmarks during migration. This is home to a long list of endangered or at-risk species including Rusty patched bumble bee, Karner blue butterfly, Lightening bug, Splendid clubtail dragonfly, Wood frog, Blandings turtle, Blue racer snake, Red-headed woodpecker, Red shouldered hawk, Gray wolf and many more. PFA is raising funds to support a conversion of 18 acres of corn crops and 20 acres of under-managed savanna just 150 yards off the Riverway. Restoring the first phase 12-acre conversion to native habitat removes 22 pounds of crop phosphorus runoff downslope to the river every year. Tactics: Variety of tactics were employed including timed mowing, mold board, cover and smother cropping, forestry mower, hand seeding, broadcast seeding, drill seeding, discing and goat browsing. We experimented with sunflower as a smother crop with excellent results.
U of M Entomology 2020-2022 beneficial insect study to evaluate if beetle banks (compost piles) and wild bee habitat (reeds huts) encouraged insect nesting and overwintering.
Phases 2020-2024: 10191 St. Croix Trail South, Hastings. This multi-phase restoration is planned throughout the park on over 60 acres of land including conversion of 18 acres of corn crop into native short grass prairie, restoration of shoreline, grasslands and 20 acres of oak savanna.
Seed mixes include: (prairie) Canada milk vetch, wild lupine, butterfly milkweed, northern bedstraw, stiff sunflower, great blazing star, wood betony, prairie phlox, prairie rose, beared birdfood violet, leadplant, Canada anemone, common milkweed, partridge pea, show tick trefoil, common ox-eye.
2020-2021: Beneficial insect research conducted by U of M Entomology. Corn crops harvested and disc’d.
2021: Oats cover crop seeded spring on 12-acre ag conversion. Sunflower smother crop seeded and harvested on 12-acre conversion.
2022: Drill seeding May 17 of 12-acre conversion with native prairie seed mix.
2023: May 14 Hand overseeding of south 6 acres in conversion and weeding of canada thistle.
Partners: Washington County Parks, Washington Conservation District, Prairie Moon Nursery, Stantec, Minnesota Native Landscapes.
Watch video of buckthorn removal with fungus at St. Croix Bluffs
Pine Point Park, Stillwater
Discing to ready for seeding
Volunteers planting forbs
Plants growing in coconut mat
Spider wort
Monarchs on liatrus
spider wort
Purple prairie clover
Mountain mint
Seed and plant list
Black eyed susan
Citizen science pollinator count
July 2022 established prairie
Winter seeding
May 2023 Controlled burn at Pine Point, 14-acre established prairie (Butterfly Landing)
1,000 native flowers planted in burned area, Pine Point West (Butterfly Landing)
Restored 2016-2020: Butterfly Landing sits on the northeast end of Pine Point Regional Park, a 296 acre park in Washington County that draws 82,000 visitors per year. In a collaboration, we converted 14 acres of old agricultural land from corn crops to prairie grasses and wildflowers. Butterfly Landing also serves as an ecology education demonstration and field study area. A multi-year citizen science pollinator count collects floral visitors with an emphasis on the Karner blue butterfly, Monarch butterfly and Rusty patched bumble bee. There are two areas in this park in conversion: 14 acres west of Norell Avenue (work began 2015).
Tactics: Controlled burns, conservation haying, cover and smother cropping, hand seeding, broadcast seeding.
Plants and seed mixes include: Forbs: Liatrus corms, Showy Goldenrod, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Milkweed, Butterfly Milkweed, New England Aster, Prairie Coreopsis, Fireweed, Giant Anise Hyssop, Monarda, Wild Lupine Perennis (for Karner Blue Butterfly).
Seed: Common milkweed, Liatrus, Native lupine perennis, Giant hyssop, Milkweed, Fireweed, Prairie coreopsis, Wild lupine, Stiff goldenrod, Prairie violet, Butterfly weed, and Prairie flox.
2015: Corn crops were tilled under and native grasses were seeded. 2016 Broadcast seeding pollinator grass and forb mix. October: 2018 volunteers planted over 2,000 plugs in a weed suppression mat: 2019: Volunteers winter seeded over the snow, interpretative signage and 100 Liatrus blazing star corms were planted. 2020 Fall: Big blue stem was conservation hayed to allow forbs a chance to grow. 2023: Six acres of Butterfly landing 14-acre established prairie was burned to pressure from tall grasses.
Partners: Washington County Parks, Washington Conservation District, Minnesota Native Landscapes.
Watch video on community science program at Butterfly Landing
Pine Point Park East, Stillwater
Plan of Pine Point East conversion from ag to native prairie
2022 Pine Point East corn crop harvested and 11 acres ready for seeding
May 2023 Seed mix for seed drilling at Pine Point East conversion.
May 2023 Pine Point East conversion from ag to prairie. Seed drill of native prairie seeding 11 acres.
A section in the oak savanna area solarized in prep for native forbs planting this fall
Installed 200 mature shrubs along the oak savanna 10/23
Installed 250+ native plants in solarized meadow area 10/23
Part of the installation team 10/23
Work started 2023:: This 40+ acre area is east of Norell Avenue and will have connectivity to the larger Pine Point Park. 2023: 11-acres is being converted from treated seed ag land to a wild and natural short grass prairie. The adjacent oak savanna area will be restored with native shrub rows, prairie and wildflowers.
Tactics: Controlled burn, solarization, cover and smother cropping, drill seeding, planting by hand, conservation mowing.
Plants include: blazing star, butterfly milkweed, wild lupine, silky aster.
Remnants after burn in oak savanna: stiff goldenrod, showy goldenrod, wild rose, monarda, large-leafed aster, prairie sage, yarrow.
Seed: Littlel & big bluestem, switchgrass, prairie dropseed, partridge pea, lead plant, milk vetch, white & purple prairie clover, Canada tick trefoil, wild lupine, yarrow, common & butterfly milkweed, creopsis, stiff & maximilians sunflower, alumroot, blazing star, bergamot, primrose, stiff & showy goldenrod, wood betony, beard tongue, prairie phlox, mountain mint, black eyed susan, smooth & New England aster, spiderwort, vervain, golden alexander, oats.
2023: On May 17th, 11 acres was drill seeded at Pine Point East conversion from ag to native prairie and adjacent oak savanna controlled burn. May 31st, 2000 native flowers planted by volunteers into new 11-acre Pine Point East restoration. June 16 controlled burn area was solarized in prep for fall forb planting. Volunteers planted 250 mature plants and seeded into three solarized area in the meadow adjacent to the prairie, and installed a hedgerow along the oak savanna (hazelnut, rose, dogwood, ninebark).
Partners: Washington County Parks, Washington Conservation District, Minnesota Native Landscapes, Hugh J. Anderson Foundation.
Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park
Map 9-acre conversion
May 2022 grasses before conversion
July 2022 smother crop interseeding with sunflowers
2023 Mold board turns soil over to cook the roots, remove unwanted grasses
Conversion 2022: Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park is 515 acres which sits 2 miles from the Mississippi River with a diverse topography of heavily wooded ravines, slopes, wetlands and dry open grassland areas that offer an unusual variety of habitats and attract a diverse population of birds and insects from the pawnee skipper to the golden eagle. A 9-acre area is being converted from corn crops to native habitat. Sunflowers were planted spring and smother crop summer to rebuild soil nutrition. Shortgrass native prairie seed mix will be seeded Spring of 2023.
Tactics: Discing, cover and smother cropping, drill seeding.
Seed Cover/smother crop: Common sunflower, annual ryegrass, mammoth red clover, tapmaster radish, polish rapeseed.
2022: Spring: Corn crops were disced and sunflower cover crop planted native grasses were seeded. Summer: Smother crop was interseeded. 2023: June 10 mold boarded and overseeded with native forb and grass seed mix. 2024: Fall interseeding and hedgerow installation.
Our Partners: Washington County Parks, Strofhus Farm, Audubon