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St. Croix Savanna SNA, A Late Summer Hike above the St. Croix River
Sunday, August 18, 2019 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Where: Bayport, Minnesota (Washington County)
When: Sunday August 18th, 2019 (9AM-11AM)
Leaders: Jyneen Thatcher, Naturalist & MNNPS Program Coordinator
Come join Jyneen and other MNNPS members for a morning hike through St. Croix Savanna Scientific Natural Area. This SNA with its dramatic topography site protects one of the best remaining examples of hill prairie in the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Dry gravel prairie blankets the slopes and crest of the bluff, transitioning to savanna with widely-spaced burr and pin oaks on the flat terrace, then to oak woodland.
St. Croix Savanna SNA is a dry savanna that exhibits a significant diversity of grasses: hairy and side oats grama, needle and thread, prairie dropseed, and many others. Several species of goldenrod, sunflower, aster, and blazing star join the prairie gentian, coreopsis, flowering spurge, potentilla, fleabane, coneflowers, and hoary vervain in an ever-changing palette of prairie color. Rare kitten tails grow in the partial shade of bur oaks; other rare species found here include James’ polanisia, Illinois tick-trefoil, and a species of pinweed.
Park at the end of the unnamed road on the north end of the SNA, lat/long 45.007117, -92.786157.
Field trips are open to MNNPS members only and pre-registration is required. Send an email to Ken Arndt at ken.arndt@mnrinc.us to register. This trip is limited to 20 participants.