Celebrating the restoration of Fish Creek

A new trail winds through park restored by volunteers

This fall, a hiking trail opened in Maplewood’s Fish Creek Natural Area that winds through a prairie of grasses and wildflowers, and uphill through a forest, opening to scenic views from the bluff.Since 2012, Great River Greening volunteers have pulled buckthorn and planted wildflowers to restore this 70-acre site. Through both public events and the help of employees of 3M, Thomson Reuters, and other corporations, more than 700 people helped restore diversity to it’s habitat and create a healthier forest.The parcel is adjacent to Ramsey County’s 142-acre Fish Creek Open Space and connects trails from St. Paul to Woodbury. It is one of the last wild places in the Mississippi wildlife migration corridor, and an international flyway.Up until 2011, the land was slated for housing development. But a growing concern for the loss of natural areas in Maplewood prompted the City to acquire it, and partner with Great River Greening to restore it.(photo:nimmerphoto.com)Read Pioneer Press article