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Sherburne County receives Blazing Star Award for enhancing access to nature at Grams Park
Sherburne County received the Blazing Star Award from Conservation Minnesota at their Board of Commissioners meeting last month. The award acknowledges exceptional local government projects that advance conservation, climate resilience, environmental protection, or outdoor recreation opportunities. The award is named after the Blazing Star, a perennial flower native to Minnesota prairies and known for its hardy and adaptable characteristics.
Sherburne County received the award for their enhancements to and management of Grams Park. These improvements help at-risk pollinators thrive and provide a platform to teach the public about the importance of native landscapes and pollinators. The county used prescribed burns and sheep and goat grazing to help foster a healthy environment and avoid the use of harmful chemical pesticides in land management. They also created a new natural playscape using sustainable materials with the primary goal of providing an accessible experience for children with limited mobility and sensory processing disorders.
“This project is an exciting and multipronged approach to land management that makes Grams Park a healthier and more accessible place for all to enjoy,” said Avery Hildebrand, Public Land & Outdoor Recreation Program Manager at Conservation Minnesota.
- Phase I: In partnership with the Sherburne Soil & Water Conservation District, County staff worked under a grant from the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) to restore 24 acres of native prairie habitat. With funding made possible through an appropriation from the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF), this effort focused on restoring and enhancing diverse native habitats to support at-risk pollinators and other beneficial insects. The Grams Park project consisted of a prescribed burn, three conservation grazing sessions—using a combination of sheep and goats—and seeding with a diverse mix of native grasses and wildflowers. This environmentally friendly and innovative approach to conservation was implemented over a twelve-month period.
- Phase II: The County then created a new space for individuals, families, and children to engage with nature through creative play to foster appreciation for the value of natural space and native habitats. This large-scale nature playscape was designed and constructed through a DNR Outdoor Recreation Grant (also utilizing the ENRTF and the Land and Water Conservation Fund). This fully accessible space invites park visitors of all abilities to play in and with nature in an active nature play area, a loose-parts free play area, and on a kinesthetic trail loop.
Grams Park is highly used by people with children and dogs, as Sherburne County seeks to avoid broad chemical use for the well-being of human, animal, and insect visitors. In lieu of conventional restoration methods such as herbicide and tillage, a summer-prescribed burn stimulated the competitive vegetation to produce ideal forage for grazing animals. Combining the right conservation grazers enabled us to target the grassy and herbaceous vegetation with sheep and the woody vegetation with goats. The following spring, a diverse mix of native prairie seed was planted—specifically, important obligate host plants for threatened and at-risk pollinators.
The playscape features natural materials sourced from the site and, through a company that uses black locust trees, an invasive species harvested in the process of habitat restoration. Native plantings are incorporated throughout the playscape, and signage includes instructions for “being kind to the plants so butterflies can use them.”
Sherburne County partnered with the Sherburne Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), Xerces Society, US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Private Lands Program, and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). MNL Corp provided conservation grazing services, prescribed burning, and native seed installation. This project attracted the attention of MN Bound, one of Minnesota’s favorite television shows. After a 2022 visit to the site to conduct interviews, the show aired during the summer of 2023 featuring our project. Click here to view the show’s featured segment.
In designing the nature playscape, we conducted a robust public engagement process that included several early childhood education and daycare centers in the region. We also hosted an open house to solicit the community’s preference for play features. Families that visited viewed mockups and voted on their favorites, helping guide our final selection.
The guiding priority for designing the nature playscape was rooted in physical accessibility and natural sensitivity. We designed all the new park features to be inclusive, with packed aggregate trails to each play feature to accommodate those with limited mobility. The kinesthetic trail loop leads from one obstacle or challenge to another, with side-by-side opportunities to always accommodate a mobility-assisting device.
Willow thickets provide quiet, calm respite in the active nature play area for those with sensory processing challenges. Even the loose parts and free play area provide aggregate access to fort-building sticks, tree cookies, and other natural media for creative play. Together, the playscape features function to provide equitable access to nature and play for individuals who have historically not been thoughtfully considered in the design of outdoor play spaces.
Visit the Grams Regional Park page on the Sherburne County website to learn more and plan your visit today!
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