On October 5 close to 40 individuals joined us for a day-long behind the scenes tour of sites where MNTU has completed habitat improvement projects. Our Executive Director John Lenczewski and Habitat Director, Jennifer Biederman led the trip, sharing their knowledge of how a project is planned, executed and monitored. We were also lucky to be joined by habitat improvement project partners, Mark Nemeth, Trout Habitat Specialist, Minnesota DNR; Mike Majeski, Project Design Consultant, EOR Inc.; and staff from Barth Excavating who generously set up some bridge crossing and provided rides to those that needed a little boost on our Trout Brook adventure.

Our first stop was the Vermillion River where MNTU has done several improvement projects over the years and a fair amount of maintenance much of which was focused on Buckthorn eradication. The Vermillion River is one of the trout streams closest to the Metro Area.

Our second stop was Trout Brook.

The day before MNTU was set to break ground on its Trout Brook stream project in Miesville Ravine County Park, Dakota County staff discovered the state threatened Snowy Campion, Silene nivea, throughout the project area. The project was halted as MNTU worked with the consultants from EOR, Inc to develop a mitigation plan to alter the project to avoid and protect Snowy Campion for a DNR special collections permit. Working with plant conservation experts from the University of Minnesota Arboretum, the construction plans were carefully revised to:

• avoid 50% of the occurrence area of the plant,
• carefully remove and protect large mats of sod with Snowy Campion from grading areas to be replaced following construction,
• allow for seed collection for propagation at the University of Minnesota. September 2023

The MNDNR approved the permit and MNTU moved forward with project construction in September 2023. MNTU and UMN collected seeds for propagation. Seeds were propagated over winter at the UMN and several 100 seedlings were successful. MNTU, UMN Arboretum staff, and EOR consultants visited to survey for plants in the project area in the spring and were pleased to find many Snowy Campion growing within the project area, both in areas that were avoided and protected, and within the project area where grading had occurred.

Our last stop of the day was Hay Creek. In 2023 MNTU completed a massive 8000 foot habitat improvement project.

The day concluded at Summit Brewing Company with a cold brew generously donated to our crew!