FERGUS FALLS, Minn. - Mother Nature can use a hand every once in awhile.
On a damp and overcast Saturday morning, volunteers flocked to the Prairie Wetland Learning Center's native prairie to pull weeds and prune invasive brushy plants.
A bit ironically given the light rain and drizzle that fell, the 55 to 60 volunteers were substituting for the role once played by wild prairie fires that swept grasslands.
Even with periodic controlled burns meant to mimic wildfires, the center's 330-acre prairie needs help to remove non-native plants.
Enter volunteers like Rud Wasson, who wielded a pair of pruning shears.
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"We're trying to get rid of all the thistle," he said between snips, adding that spotted knapweed is a growing problem, despite its pretty pink blossoms.
"The darn things are really invasive," said Wasson, a retired physician.
And don't forget the buckthorn. "That thing," he added with grudging respect in his voice, "is terrible about spreading."
That's how it went, volunteers young and old, cheerfully pulling and pruning and bagging as they pitched in to help observe National Public Lands Day.
The 330-acre Prairie Wetland Learning Center, run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, calls its hands-on celebration "Take Back the Prairie Day."
Light rain and drizzle that fell much of the morning weren't a major hindrance, said Kate Julian, a student intern who helped oversee volunteers.
"We are unhampered, except we couldn't collect seeds," she said, explaining that wet seeds develop mildew without proper drying.
Karen and Doug Dent and their children were among the helpers. They were assigned a hill and given instructions to pull wormwood weeds, which grow about 5 feet tall and have leafy bottoms resembling carrots.
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"We're trying to pull them out before the seeds drop," Karen said.
Matthew Conner, the center's director, stood grilling hotdogs for the complimentary lunch, thanks to Friends of Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, a nonprofit group.
A few yards away, at an outdoor amphitheater, an interpretive ranger gave a talk to a large group of Girl Scouts from the area, who got some instruction in return for their efforts.
"I'm thrilled with the turnout," Conner said, given the overcast sky and rainy weather. The motivating idea of the day, he added, "is just to make the public land a better place."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Patrick Springer at (701) 241-5522
