Vegetation

The City of Brainerd and Great River Greening are partnering to host a Biochar Demonstration at Rotary Riverside Park:

• Live demonstration converting buckthorn wood waste into biochar using on site kilns
• GRG staff will be onsite running the kiln and answer questions/educate on biochar, its uses and how flame capped kilns work
• GRG Staff will walk participants through the process of managing a kiln from loading to ignition to quenching
• Demonstration will be with Big Box and Ring of Fire kilns

Join Great River Greening in cooperation with the Stearns County Parks. Great River Greening will be on site demonstrating and discussing the use of biochar kilns, and how brush piles and wood waste are processed into biochar.

GRG staff will be onsite running big box flame cap and ring of fire kilns, converting waste wood into biochar, answering questions/educate on biochar, its uses, and how the kilns work.

GRG Staff will walk attendees through the process of managing a kiln from loading to ignition to feeding to quenching.

Fire has long been a natural and valuable tool for maintaining healthy landscapes, yet many farmers and landowners are unsure how to use it safely and effectively. “Bringing Fire Back to the Farm” is a hands on learning event designed to remove the mystery and fear around prescribed burning while demonstrating its practical benefits for working lands.

Join us for a classroom primer followed by a hands on field session focused on identifying native plant species in working conservation landscapes. The classroom segment will build skills in diagnostic features (leaf and stem morphology, inflorescence types, growth forms), seasonal cues, and “look-alike” differentiation.

Join Karin Jokela, Xerces Society and Reva Ruehling, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist, for a half day field based training focused on identifying native plants and common weeds in a first year native vegetation planting. This training will emphasize early stage plant identification to help you better support landowners who are managing weeds during establishment. We will explore key ID features, discuss helpful resources and techniques, and review how site preparation influences successful establishment.

We will be visiting the same site twice this summer to get a sense of how plants change over their growth cycle. Participants in this field based training will learn to identify native and weedy herbaceous plants, practice teaching plant ID skills, and evaluate long term establishment of species in different prairie seed mixes. They will also explore pollinator identification, grassland management practices, and engage in quizzes and discussions to reinforce learning.

We will be visiting the same site twice this summer to get a sense of how plants change over their growth cycle. Participants in this field based training will learn to identify native and weedy herbaceous plants, practice teaching plant ID skills, and evaluate long term establishment of species in different prairie seed mixes. They will also explore pollinator identification, grassland management practices, and engage in quizzes and discussions to reinforce learning.

This half day, field based tour will guide participants through two native planting sites in the Brainerd/Baxter area, highlighting how upland prairies, wetland edges, stormwater features, and shoreline areas respond to different installation methods and management approaches. Using real world examples - including recent no-till seedings, perimeter plug plantings, and weedy edge challenges - participants will practice identifying key native species, common lookalikes, and indicators of site history and management needs.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Technical Training and Certification Program (TTCP) work in partnership to provide a variety of annual trainings related to native plants and native plant communities. Trainings include online modules, in person coursework, and in field, hands on workshops. Subjects range from the use and application of the DNR Field Guides to the Native Plant Communities of Minnesota to identification of species within specific plant groups such as grasses, sedges, or prairie plants.