News & Stories

Filling out the Forest- 55 trees planted in Wirth

Anyone who has wandered onto the Wirth trails this year has probably noticed a few bald spots in the park’s mighty green canopy.

It was one year ago that a spring tornado tore through Wirth Park. The storm downed over a thousand trees and ripped apart North Minneapolis homes. Ironically, the Nordic Ski Foundation had been out just weeks before planting young saplings on old ski trails, which escaped the storm unharmed. The Nordic Ski Foundation followed up this tree planting with another volunteer day to help North Minneapolis residents remove debris from their neighborhoods.

Last Tuesday, under threatening skies, volunteers from the Nordic Ski Foundation scurried into the forest on another tree planting mission. The Foundation planted 55 maples and birch. The idea is to provide a non-buckthorn understory to the park, beautify the space, and, at the same time, shut down old trails that are no longer used.  

“It is funny to see the trails without snow,” said Anwatin skier Liam Wulfman who came to the planting with his father. The two of them were joined by seventeen others who enjoyed exercising their shoveling muscles which were severely underutilized this particular winter.

The team retreated back to the Loppet office before the storm hit for pizza and beverages. “Will shovel for Surly,” remarked volunteer Chris Davis.  Don’t worry if you missed this one, it will happen again….