Conserve and Restore

The Green Crew’s goal is to conserve and restore the land. We value the land by valuing its plants, insects, animals, and fungi for their inherent value, not solely how it is usable by humans.  Conserving the land ensures it can be enjoyed by generations to come. Restoring the land encourages a vibrant, healthy ecosystem that can respond to a changing climate.

Trail Restoration

We want to enjoy nature, and we want to welcome others to enjoy it as well. Well-established and marked trails are essential. We ask that visitors walk on established trails (Leave No Trace Principle #2). To support them, we design, build and maintain trails that reduce human impact, prevent the spread of invasives, and reduce erosion.

Preventing Erosion

There are unique challenges at the Green Crew’s home with erosion. Our southern dry-mesic oak forest on the north side of the property has a valuable ravine with a native spring that feeds the Minnesota River. We are in the process of designing a significant upgrade of the legacy erosion prevention projects on the site. Science has improved — and so will our strategies! 

Land Management Plans

During the winter, we review and renew the land management plans. We update our plans to reflect the latest science. We lay out our goals and design the projects for the following spring and summer. We are building 3D and digital models to track the evolving biosphere on the property.