by Dennis Dalman
As oak trees in Minnesota face endangerment from ongoing spells of drought, diseases and invasive insects, St. John’s Abbey Arboretum in Collegeville is doing something about it.
On April 23, the land manager of the Arboretum, Sartell resident John Geissler, led a mass planting of red and white oak seedlings (about 2,000 of them) on five acres of the Arboretum’s land. That massive undertaking was accomplished with the help of many volunteer staff members, as well as students from the St. John’s Prep School, the two area colleges, school alumni and area residents.
Always conscious of conservation, the Arboretum staff and volunteers have for years done similar mass planting of many types of seeds, including oak seedlings.
A plan is proposed to do a similar planting on Arboretum land of about 2,000 oaks every five years on five-acre plots of land.
The St. John’s Arboretum is a vast area of land (about 2,500 acres) where there is a unique mixture of prairie land, oak savanna, northern hardwoods, conifers, lakes, wetlands and bogs. It also includes a large oak forested area. Red and white oak trees cover about 700 acres of the Arboretum land that offers healthy habitat for a variety of species and ecosystems.
Founded in 1856, the arboretum is owned by St. John’s Abbey and St. John’s University. In 1933, the Abbey’s lands were officially dedicated as a state wildlife refuge. Later, in 1997, Abbey monks decided to preserve the land as a natural arboretum based on Benedictine principals of conservation, education, research and spiritual renewal.
Con Brady of St. Joseph hikes into the woods carrying a bundle of oak trees and a shovel April 23 at St. John’s Arboretum.
Ian Knight of Sartell digs out a new spot for an oak tree April 23 at St. John’s Arboretum.
John Geissler of Sartell prepares a space to plant a new oak tree April 23 at St. John’s Arboretum.
John Geissler of Sartell tamps down soil around a new oak tree April 23 at St. John’s Arboretum.
