Nearly 4,000 of Great River Greening's 35,000 volunteers have helped restore metro sites that are now healthy enough to be used for research in pollinators, forest ecology, and citizen engagement.Our ecologists have teamed up with experts in these fields to conduct multi-year studies on a number of our restoration sites.In Lindstrom, volunteers will be planting trees this fall (10/29) for a climate resilience study in partnership with The University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology.

Studying Bur Oak Ecotypes for Climate Resilience

The oak tree is revered in Minnesota for its strength, shade cover, and longevity. But the slow growing acorn dropped from a Twin Cities’ tree today may not mature well in tomorrow’s Minnesota weather. Other, faster growing, often weedy, plants adapt quickly to change and can take over.\This study is aimed at discovering what we can do to help new trees to take root and thrive under extreme weather conditions. It will complete early year growth and survival comparison of three ecotypes of bur oak – local, southern, and northwestern – planted in Lindstrom and three other metro site.

“We are looking at human‐assisted accelerated migration, to defend the oak from faster adapting plants. If we can determine which if any ecotype of bur oak fares better, it will inform and guide oak restoration throughout the state.” -Great River greening ecologist Wiley Buck.