The death of a prairie remnant
Railroads have been a sanctuary for prairie remnants. The right-of-way along the tracks goes largely undisturbed, allowing patches of native plant communities to survive amidst urban development and expanding agriculture.
At Long Lake Regional Park in New Brighton, one of my favorite places to be, the railroad runs the length of the park, forking at the north end near the old train depot. There are prairie remnants scattered along the tracks, with 2 especially nice spots: one near the fork and another near the swimming beach.
This week I discovered what is most likely the death of one of those remnants. 
As part of the Northwest Quadrant Redevelopment project, sections of the railroad tracks are being dismantled. The rails and ties are being piled up next to the tracks near the swimming beach and construction workers and equipment have heavily disturbed the surrounding soil. Last year Nuttall’s evening primrose, wild licorice, Virginia ground cherry, prairie coneflower, butterfly-weed, and a number of native grasses had been found growing there. I have little hope they will survive this and expect to see more sweet clover and spotted knapweed take over in their place.
It makes me very sad.
Tags: conservation, nature, prairie
