For visitors wondering why the Trezona Trail appears brown this year, the answer is the Trezona Trail Pollinator Habitat Restoration Project, which is in progress along Miners Drive.
The City recently sprayed selective herbicide to target invasive species like buckthorn, black locust and peashrub, creating the driedout appearance along the trail.
In the fall, seeding will occur to promote native wildflower and grass growth for years to come.
“We’re targeting invasives, not natural features,” Kochendorfer said. “With the prairie grass restoration, that will help bring back birds, wildlife, insects, bees and pollinators.”
With invasives removed, views will be better, Kochendorfer said. This work represents the project’s role as part of a greater effort to enable more public access to the Miners Lake area.
“The Trezona is a very, very important piece of the city,” Kochendorfer said, and the City of Ely has leaned into improvement efforts in the area.
Last year, the city received a separate DNR grant to revamp the boat launch on Miners Lake and the kayak dock on the east end. With ADA compliance on the dock and additional parking installed, the project aimed to improve the lake’s accessibility, Kochendorfer said, as well as resolve parking issues.
The Trezona project is funded by a $20,000 Conservation Partners Legacy grant. Because the funding was specifically granted to City of Ely land, the open space near the trailhead on Miner’s Drive emerged as a natural best candidate for a project site, Kochendorfer said, due to the presence of prairie invasives.
“We have plenty of other areas to continue this down the trail,” Kochendorfer said.
Future projects will depend on grant funding, but may include thinning overgrowth along the trail, with the potential for an interpretive aspect along the Trezona site.
Moving forward, the City of Ely and volunteers will maintain the space. The city will engage in administrative support and the public works department will provide any mowing and watering assistance needed to supplement volunteer work.
The Ely Folk School will take the lead on volunteer engagement. Executive Director Lucy Soderstrom said the school plans to host dedicated work days next year when the site is ready for weeding, watering and other plant and pollinator care.
Soderstrom hopes the Trezona will offer volunteers the opportunity to engage in experiential learning about property management and native plants.
“Having community engagement and involvement in the continued success of these plants is critical to the continued beauty and success of the project,” Soderstrom said.
Interested individuals can register to receive email updates through the Folk School. Volunteer sign-up information will also be available on the Folk School’s program registration system closer to the date of the work days.
