The Year in Review

It’s been an exciting year at Cullen Nature Preserve. Here’s a brief summary:
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• Due to a wet spring and as a result of the Friend’s and contractor’s seeding efforts the Preserve really greened up with an abundance of grasses and some forbs. Now there will be enough fuel for a future burn.
  
  
• Along with the City we kicked off the Master Planning process. Three Open Houses were held to inform the public and gain input. It’s exciting because the Master Plan specifies the human uses (e.g. trails, interpretation, parking, structures) and that gets us closer to the day when the Preserve will be open to the public.
  
  
• The Preserve has been serving as a living lab. From community science to university studies, a lot of research is going on at Cullen Nature Preserve. The Friends have been conducting vegetation surveys at 17 plots throughout the Preserve. We’ve also been documenting bird species through our birding spring surveys and recorded double the number of bird species in only 6 years. Now that we have ground layer vegetation Heather Holm, pollinator conservationist, author and board member, has been conducting pollinator surveys. Additionally, Dr. Mike Schuster from the University of Minnesota and his team have been researching methods to remove buckthorn without the use of herbicides. They have several test plots at the Preserve.
  
  
• Highlights of the year have also been the pair of Sandhill Cranes that made the preserve their home. Sighting of our aspirational species, the red headed woodpecker, was very impactful and provides hope that we can lure a nesting pair(s) as the savanna is restored.

Read more in our latest newsletter

Photo © Russ Sandstrom

2025 Volunteer Opportunities

For all volunteer events, park in the Meadow Park parking lot on Oakland Road. 

Please RSVP: email us at [email protected]. All volunteers must sign a city and Friends volunteer waiver (once per year) on the day of their first volunteer event of the year.

Bird Surveys

DATE	TIME	EVENT
Friday, April 25th	8:00 to 9:30 am	Bird Survey
Saturday, May 3rd	8:00 to 9:30 am	Bird Survey
Saturday, May 10th	8:00 to 9:30 am	Bird Survey
Thursday, May 15th	8:00 to 9:30 am	Bird Survey
Wednesday, May 21st	8:00 to 9:30 am	Bird Survey
Saturday, May 31st	8:00 to 9:30 am	Bird Survey
Tuesday, June 3rd	8:00 to 9:30 am	Bird Survey

To participate in the survey, please bring binoculars, sturdy footwear, and install the free Cornell Lab of Ornithology Merlin app on your cell phone.

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Garlic Mustard

DATE	TIME	EVENT
Wednesday, May 7th	10:00 am to 12:00 pm	Garlic Mustard
Saturday, May 10th	10:00 am to 12:00 pm	Garlic Mustard
Saturday, May 17th	10:00 am to 12:00 pm	Garlic Mustard
Sunday, May 18th	10:00 am to 12:00 pm	Garlic Mustard

Please bring a dandelion puller or small trowel, a large bucket or garden trug, gloves, and sturdy footwear. 

A Legacy of Stewardship - New Video About the Preserve