In addition to more familiar birds, the “Woods” are home to indigo buntings, bluebirds, flycatchers, orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks. There are hawks and owls, warblers and ducks. The park even hosts the state’s largest Butternut tree. In 2004 it was measured at 76 feet tall and 236 inches in circumference (75.1 inches in diameter). The butternut tree is considered to be an endangered species of tree. It is remarkable to have an intact natural area like this so close to an urban core. 

In the twenty years since the City of Roseville Parks and Recreation Natural Resource Management Final Report was released, city staff, consultants and volunteers together have removed invasive species and restored the prairie and woodlands. It is gratifying to see rue anemone and Jack-in-the-Pulpits growing where invasive European buckthorn used to be, and wild lupines bloom in response to a prescribed prairie burn. The work is ongoing, but overall, restoration efforts have been successful.  

Over the last year however, regular walkers in the Woods have seen trees taken down and others girdled and have expressed concern. 

Why are Trees Being Removed?

To answer this question requires an understanding of oaks.  Reservoir Woods is home to red, pin and white oaks, with bur oaks on drier upland slopes. These trees are invaluable to wildlife both for food (acorns) and shelter.  As a vital link in the food chain, oaks support the largest diversity and biomass of insects (think caterpillars) that birds need to feed themselves and their young, of any tree in North America. That we have old oak trees in Roseville, particularly broad, spreading bur oaks, is evidence of the land’s history as an oak-prairie plant community that existed long before Europeans settled here. Incompatible and excessive levels of grazing following Euromerican settlement and in the absence of regular fire as practiced by indigenous peoples, the forest became choked with shade-tolerant understory shrubs and trees, much of it non-native buckthorn. Because oak seedlings cannot survive such dense shade, the next generation of young oaks have not been able to establish to take the place of the aging oaks. 

Removing invasive, non-native shrubs and thinning select trees will help sustain the health of the remaining large oaks and improve the conditions for oak seedlings to grow and take the place of aging oaks. In areas where buckthorn is largely under control, attention has turned to other species that, while native and beneficial in limited quantities, can be invasive. Boxelder for example, produces copious windborne seeds. Aspen and sumac spread aggressively underground. These are the tree species targeted most recently. The City’s plan is to protect and continue ecological restoration work at Reservoir Woods. In time, our generation will have an opportunity to experience the vibrant plant communities our forebears once found.  

What Can You Do?

• Manage invasive species like buckthorn and garlic mustard on your land. Plant a native oak tree in your yard. 
• Contact the Volunteer Coordinator for the city of Roseville at rachel.boggs@cityofroseville to learn about volunteer restoration projects.  
• Check out the Recreation Natural Resource Management Final Report for more information, including an inventory of species present in 2002, and a list of suggested native species to improve the quality of natural areas throughout the city.  

About the Author

Anna Newton has lived in Roseville since 2015, walks Reservoir Woods regularly with her husband and two Labrador Retrievers, and has volunteered in various capacities around town. She is an avid gardener and observer of nature.