Bailey Point Nature Preserve Habitat Restoration Open House

Description

Bailey Point Nature Preserve has been a destination for local outdoor enthusiasts since the City of Elk River purchased the property in 2012. The site offers acres of expansive grasslands and stunning views of the confluence of the Elk and Mississippi rivers. In 2015, Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) wrote a natural resource management plan for the site, which combined historical conditions with an inventory of current natural features in order to guide future ecological restoration of the preserve. Now, FMR has secured funding through a grant from the state of Minnesota's Outdoor Heritage Fund and will begin restoration of the property. The project will continue the work volunteers have already begun: removal of invasive plants and restoration of historical prairie and oak savanna. Please consider attending a public open house at Elk River City Hall on Thursday, November 15 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. to learn about how the site will change over the next three years of this restoration and the project’s benefits for habitat, wildlife and water quality. Meet staff from the city's Parks and Recreation Department, Friends of the Mississippi River, and Applied Ecological Services, who will be conducting most of the on-the-ground restoration work. Information on how to get involved in the restoration of the site will also be provided.