Exciting News from Bush Lake!

We’re thrilled to announce that our chapter has been awarded a $1,410 Adopt-a-Woodland Grant from the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District! These funds will go directly toward restoring the half-acre woodland section just north of the chapter property.

Restoring native habitat takes a village, and this project is a true community effort! Check out our Buckthorn Removal Plan map to see how it all fits together:

• The Chapter Property: Our half-acre restoration area sits at the north end of our grounds.

• East Pond Clearing: A joint effort between the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, Three Rivers Park District, and the City of Bloomington to clear surrounding buckthorn.

• Neighboring Lands: Local landowners are also tackling invasive species on their adjacent properties!

By working together, we are making a massive impact in restoring native plants, trees, and wildlife habitat across the entire area.

How the Grant Funds Will Be Used

Every dollar of our $1,410 grant is going straight into the ground:

• $500 – Professional contractor services to cut down large-diameter buckthorn

• $230 – Pathfinder II Ready-To-Use Herbicide for targeted stump treatment

• $310 – MNL Buckthorn Replacement Seed Mix (grasses for 1/4 acre)

• $139 – MNL Woodland Seed Mix (1,000 sq. ft.)

• $230 – Native replacement shrubs

Work will commence Oct. 3 in two shifts with a pizza break in the middle:

We need your help to make this happen! Take a moment to sign up for the Buckthorn Bust HERE.

Additional Details: Multi-Year Restoration Plan

Winter 2026

• IKE Volunteers cut buckthorn and treat stumps (TRPD is assisting with the first work day). IKE Volunteers haul and pile brush conveniently for TRPD to burn over the winter.

• IKE Volunteers prep soils where possible to dormant seed a buckthorn suppression mix (grasses only). Prefer right before a snowfall.

Spring–Summer 2027

• IKE Volunteers fence 5 to 10 small 10'×10' plots for shrub or forb establishment. Locations to be field-identified as areas absent of or sparse in existing buckthorn. The Ikes will maintain these areas by hand.

• IKE Volunteers re-cut buckthorn if it gets over 2 to 3 feet tall by mid-summer to prevent it from being too tall to spray in the fall.

Fall 2027

• Contractor conducts a foliar spray when native trees have brown leaves while buckthorn leaves are still green.

Spring–Summer 2028

• IKE Volunteers maintain by hand the 10'×10' plots for shrub or forb establishment areas.

Fall 2028

• Contractor conducts a foliar spray when native trees have brown leaves while buckthorn leaves are still green.

• If possible, TRPD or contractor will burn off grass thatch (TBD).

• IKE Volunteers prep soils where feasible and apply native forb mix and/or native shrubs for re-establishment. A 2028 NMCWD grant may be needed for this additional plug or seed mixture.