It’s been a fulfilling year for Olmsted County Parks and we are excited for what is to come. As you read this year’s newsletter, you will notice we are trying something a bit different. Every year we look for ways to serve our readers more efficiently and this year is no different. We have combined the newsletter so you have the opportunity to read about Chester Woods, Oxbow, Graham and Root River Park all in one place. In addition to this change there will no longer be an annual newsletter as we transition to our very first Quarterly issue of “ The Olmsted County Parks Quarterly”. The first issue will be published May of this year. Ultimately, in this final annual edition, as we always attempt to do, we present to you an array of both the here and now and the near and exciting future of the Parks. As you read, you will meet new additions to the parks, past traditions, and hopefully find something you have in common with our parks. So grab your favorite hot beverage and enjoy reading what has taken place in Olmsted County Parks during 2014.

Brittney Marschall Olmsted County Parks Quarterly Editor

Olmsted County Parks Tracker 2014

Changes at the Parks:

“Find a purpose in life so big it will challenge

every capacity to be at your

best.” ~ David O McKay

Articles in this year’s

Tracker: • Chester Woods Camper

Cabin • Chester Woods Resource

Management • Volunteer Recognition • Intern Insight • Critter Catch-up • Oxbow Park-Path of

Imagination • The Fox Den • Graham Park Highlights • Root River Park

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For information about reservations, please visit our website at: http://www.co.olmsted.mn.us/pw/parks/chesterwoods/camping/Pages/default.aspx or call

507-287-2624

In 2014, Chester Woods Park began building its first camper cabin in the campground. The project began in late spring with leveling and prepping the site. The cabin is located on site 15, which was a former tent site, and to minimize interruption on the main camping season, construction really did not “begin” until after Labor Day. As weather allowed, staff and sentence to serve crews plugged away on the cabin.

The first noticeable development was the pouring of the concrete pad and forming of the floor. Troy Helget, a sentence to serve crew leader, put in many long days this fall building Chester Woods Park this beautiful

cabin. From the construction of the floor and walls, placing of the rafters, roofing and siding the cabin, building the ADA ramp and finishing off the beautiful pine interior and cedar porch, the exceptional work was done with pride.

Below is a time line of the work that was done on this exciting new addition to the campground at Chester Woods Park. This cabin will be available for reservations starting the 2015 camping season, and we hope that many of you will be able to utilize this beautiful new addition. Celeste Lewis Staff Naturalist

Chester Woods Camper Cabin

Chester Woods Resource Management 2013-2014

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“I always like going to Chester Woods because I always hope to catch a glimpse of the Chester Yeti. Best Chance is early morning when the yeti comes to the lake for a drink. Never saw it, but hoping to while pitching jigs on the lake shorelines. ” -Kevin Crilly, Park User

(The Crocus flower is one of the first signs of spring. Crocus is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family comprising of 90 species of perennials growing from corms.)

Chester Woods Resource Management 2013-2014

Once again, a cool wet spring prevented Park Staff from obtaining the prescribed burn goals

that had been set with only a few optimal days to burn prairies. This was our third year in a row that we have had less than desirable conditions for

prescribed burns. With our current management practices of rotating with either burning or mowing roughly every 5 years we are able to adjust to wet springs like the one we experienced in 2014. Our restored fields and native prairies are all in great shape with 75 acres being managed this year with a prescribed burn.

Because we did experience less than desirable spring burn conditions and with early snow in November, the woodland acres, which we had scheduled to burn, were also postponed. In response to this, the Parks Division rented a forestry mower to manage the woodland invasive species at Chester Woods and Oxbow Park. In 2014, approximately 145 acres were managed with the forestry mower for improved woodland habitat. Our goal is to continue to maintain minimal growth on

those acres that forestry contractors, park and sheriff staff, corrections staff, and volunteers have cleared of European buckthorn and other invasive species.

Our Parks Department continues to use the native prairie seed bank that was established in 1997 at Chester Woods Park to restore County owned property. Additionally, pasture land

at Root River Park and old field perimeters around the Public Works Service Center were planted in June with a Truax no-till drill. In early December, 20 acres of cropland at Root River Park were also planted with a broadcast spreader for a total of 37 acres restored back to native prairie.

As the land surrounding the Olmsted County Public Works Service Center continues to be developed, the Parks Staff has been involved with planting for the future. This spring 75 Norway spruce, 25 hazel nuts, and 80 hardwood seedlings including white, bur and red oak seedlings from the Chester Woods Park seedling stock were planted. The goal is to improve windbreaks, restore the land that has been quarried and provide native habitat for the future. All told, 250 trees were planted at the Public Works Service Center in an effort to reclaim and beautify the entire Public Works Service Center Campus.

Since 2008, the Public Works Department has been actively trying to prevent emerald ash borer from entering the parks by prohibiting patrons from transporting firewood into the parks. In August, an infestation of the non-native invasive emerald ash borer was discovered just north of Stewartville, MN. Olmsted County now joins Ramsey, Hennepin, Houston, and Winona counties in implementing a quarantine on moving any ash products, or firewood within the counties. It is likely that someday this pest will make its way into our parks and we will continue to monitor our ash trees. In preparation for this invasive insect as part of our strategic long-range forest plan, the Parks Division has been actively removing less desirable ash trees from the campgrounds and picnic areas and planting a diverse mix of native trees. With nearly 65% of our recreational area being shaded by ash trees, we know it is the right thing to do.

Despite the unusual weather creating management challenges, the critters and plants don’t seem to mind unless I have missed their murmurs. Help me by keeping an ear to the ground!

By Tom Eckdahl Parks Supervisor

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Upcoming Events Chester Woods Park

Saturday, February 21 at 1:00 p.m. – Fitness in Nature

Check the Olmsted County Park’s website for additional program

opportunities, call 507-287-7070 or E-mail

chesterwoods@co.olmsted.mn.us.

Friends of Chester Woods Recognizes Dennis Tooley

What happens when one has visited numerous state and national parks over a period of years with his family? He realizes that there are many fun volunteer opportunities in these parks. This is exactly what occurred in the life of Dennis Tooley, first president of Friends of Chester Woods. Dennis would be the first to tell you that Friends of Chester Woods came about through a process of events. Dennis is a long-time resident of Rochester and an active member of the Civitan Club, which works with people with developmental disabilities and handicaps. Volunteering is a part of Dennis’s genetic makeup. As Dennis was preparing for retirement, he, of course, wanted to pursue his passion of outdoor activity and remembered how parks need volunteers. Chester Woods seemed like the perfect fit. He began his weekly volunteer activity at the park in 2002. He soon realized that volunteers in Olmsted County Parks are not only appreciated but listened to. He thought it would be a great idea to host a “Day in the Park” for individuals with developmental disabilities. This annual September event began as collaboration between Chester Woods and the Civitan Club. Some years, as many as 70 participants and their care providers attend and enjoy the activities that are staffed and led by many volunteers. It didn’t take long after Dennis began his volunteer service that he saw a need for a Chester Woods advocacy group that would offer general support, development and publicity of the park. Friends of Chester Woods was launched, but was unofficial for its first couple of years. They hosted volunteer work days and recruited more individuals to use their talents at the park. When Dennis was asked what was difficult about starting the FOCW, he immediately shared how the county parks and Chester Woods staff gave their full support. After this advocacy group was started, it became an official state approved 501 (c)(3) organization in 2008. Since this time, FOCW members continue to support the

park through volunteer help by developing the Kisrow Classroom located in the campground, constructing the Natural Playscape near the present handicapped playground, sponsoring an intern who is on a career path in park management, and supplying watercraft storage racks for individuals who want to keep their canoe or kayaks at the park. The rental funds generated from these racks then are used by FOCW to fund other projects. In the fall of 2014, Dennis stepped down as President of FOCW, but not as an active volunteer and advocate for Chester Woods. Under Dennis’s leadership, the FOCW board has been actively working with the Chester Woods staff to develop a memorial garden. Since many local citizens regularly make use of the varied recreational activities in the park and volunteer their time to enhance Chester Woods, families are asking how their loved ones can be remembered at the park. The FOCW board has placed priority on this project for 2015.

We thank Dennis for his vision and volunteer legacy, which continues to make Olmsted County a special place to reside.

Ernie Feudenburg FOCW President

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Graham Park

The Olmsted County Fairground has been utilized since 1919 and over the years, the use of its 57-acre grounds has resulted in significant infrastructure development to support activities including the county fair. This past year Olmsted County was able to finish a project involving the County Fairgrounds Drainage Analysis. This project identified opportunities to:

• Manage storm water runoff more effectively • Re-green the site to become more ecologically sensitive • Improve environmental stewardship • Reduce City of Rochester stormwater fees

A major joint effort project involving the City of Rochester and Olmsted County was to improve 16th street on the south end of the fairgrounds. The project was completed in time for the fair! A new path extends along the South and West side of the Fairgrounds to accommodate the walkers and bikers.

Of the many improvements completed at Graham Park in 2014, perhaps the highlight is the newly restored Blacksmith Shop, located near the Fair Office. This historical preservation project was a combined effort through the good work of the Olmsted County Fair, Olmsted County Parks, Sentence to Serve, and other individual citizens interested in the history of the Olmsted County Fairgrounds. By Tom Eckdahl, Tom Ryan & Brittney Marschall

2014 was another amazing year at Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo! It’s been a busy year with many projects,

events and programs. Visitors will find many changes taking place in the park, big and small. I will highlight some of those changes and invite you to come out to the park and see for yourself!

Many small updates happened in the nature center including painting walls, new cabinetry and carpeting in the classroom, acoustic tiles in the main display area, as well as some new mounts and display items. A new sign kiosk was built in the corridor between the Bison, Elk and Deer exhibit area to give visitors natural history fun facts about each of the animals. The new kiosk was prompted by the addition of a notably different looking deer. Almost completely white, this new critter is not albino, rather, a genetic color variation that rarely occurs in deer. It is a beautiful animal to observe and worth coming to see, although she may be a little more difficult to see in the winter!

Our picnic shelters received some needed updates with increased electrical service for user convenience. In addition, hardened pathways were installed to the shelters at Caulfield, Main and Second bridge picnic areas. Our biggest project for the summer was the start-up development of the new “Path of Imagination” natural Playscape. We broke ground in late spring and worked well into the fall. Many projects will be ongoing through the winter and we hope to have a grand opening late in the summer of 2015. For more about the Path of Imagination please refer to the full article located in this newsletter.

Each season gives us something to reflect on. Last winter gave us abundant snow, which was fantastic for our new fleet of cross-country skis that can be rented along with our snowshoes. Staff is determined to let more people know that we are, in fact, open all year round and just how wonderful Oxbow Park is in the winter! Spring was good weather for a productive Maple syrup season allowing us to bottle almost 4 gallons of syrup. Slight flooding in June led to closing parts of the campground and several picnic areas while we did some flood clean-up. The rest of the summer proved to have mild weather and allowed us to work on projects. The fall gave us a nice long season of mild weather and gorgeous colors in the valley. The park was a wonderful back drop for many people getting great photo opportunities.

Education, outreach and public programs are a big part of encouraging people to get outdoors and connect with nature. This year at Oxbow was no exception. Friends of Oxbow (FOX) had their annual events of Spring Fest and ZooDazzle, which were again, greatly successful. Many other programs took place throughout the year including SOAR at the National Eagle Center, hosting snowshoe and geo caching events, Disabilities Day in the park, the Olmsted County Fair, and Rochester Fest family night.

We would never be able to accomplish everything we do without the help of our volunteers that put so much heart and soul into the park and zoo. There are many days that the volunteers outnumber the staff. We appreciate every single volunteer that takes time out of their day and lives to help make this park a better place for all who visit. By Karlin Ziegler Parks Supervisor

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Intern Insight My name is Jessica Blom and I interned at Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo from October 2014- January 2015. Interns at Oxbow Park are offered

invaluable learning opportunities that help gain experience in the field of zoo keeping or as a naturalist. Through this exciting hands-on experience, I had the chance to practice and learn about animal husbandry and park management with the support of an amazing staff.

Some of the daily responsibilities expected of an intern are cleaning and maintaining exhibits, feeding and caring for animals, and other general park tasks.

Through an internship, one will develop interpersonal skills such as taking a leadership role with volunteers and leading education sessions.

The Park also offers a variety of educational programs to the public which interns are strongly encouraged to participate in and lead. These educational programs vary from environmental education to animal facts classes where we gather information on the subject and present to our visiting public, which consists of a variety of age groups.

This internship would be perfect for anyone who is looking for work experience, who is in college and is interested in a career with animals, and for those just out of college who are looking to gain more experience in the field. If you are interested in the position, call (507) 775-2451 and ask for Karlin or Clarissa.

Jessica Blom Winter 2014 intern

Critter Catch-Up Zollman Zoo, located in Oxbow Park, is a zoo

dedicated to displaying animals native to Minnesota. If you have visited in the past year you may have noticed some changes to the animals on display. Let me give you a quick up-date.

This past year we had one large change with zoo animals across the road in the deer pen. We now have one new buck and one new doe (that you may have a tough time spotting in the snow!) The doe we have is a “white” white-tailed deer. She is easily mistaken for an albino deer that would also display a snow-white coat. However,

Oxbow’s white doe has blue eyes and a tan nose, whereas an albino deer would have red eyes and a pink nose. White, piebald and melanistic (black) are rare color variations found in deer. This winter is the time to see the white deer in full camouflage.

The Zoo also welcomed a new resident female snowy owl. The new snowy owl came to us after being rehabbed at Garrison

Animal Hospital when it was found near Brainerd, MN after suffering injuries from an unknown cause. All the birds of prey we have are non-releasable either due to injuries or are from other zoo’s captive stock. The injuries of the resident snowy owls were to the wing’s elbow joint making both owls unable to fly well enough to survive in the wild. These two snowy owl ladies will now be able to live the rest of their lives at the zoo where they are safe from predators and are fed very well!

As always, the spring time brings babies for some of the critters. This year we had two baby porcupines born in late March! With the two new babies from this year and the baby born last year there were a total of 8 porcupines in one exhibit. With all the porcupines living in such close quarters, zoo staff found the porcupines were quilling each other too frequently. The three youngest porcupines were taken back to the breeder, where mom and dad were first acquired, to relieve the rest of the family from a full house. Check-in with the zoo this upcoming spring for more baby porcupines!

If you have further inquires about the animals in the zoo, please stop out and ask zoo staff! We are open all winter long and the animals really enjoy the snowy days of winter! Clarissa Josselyn Staff Naturalist

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Oxbow Park- Path of Imagination

Friends of Oxbow Park (FOX), Oxbow Park, and Zollman Zoo are very excited to announce their newest project, Path of Imagination. This project will be a two-acre natural playground that will challenge the imaginations of all our visitors, from age 1 to 99. It will provide a pathway through areas of adventure, art and education. By incorporating natural “fort building” materials, hills, logs, butterfly gardens, and other natural features, this new type of playground will give them the opportunity to stretch their imaginations and be creative in ways a traditional playground does not. Much of the playground will be accessible to a wide range of people with various physical capabilities.

Many educational elements will be added into the Path of Imagination in an effort to teach people about our natural world. Points of interest will include, but not be limited to fun facts such as tree and plant identification, wildlife biology, and discovery of our solar system and the sun. This area will also serve as a living laboratory for Oxbow’s expanding environmental educational classes. Staff

will facilitate and welcome other teachers to use this area in their own lesson plans.

Construction began in the summer of 2014 and we have made a lot of progress with the design of the entire area. Work continues this winter as staff and volunteers fabricate and build additional amenities such as signage, sculptures, and other objects of fine detail. As soon as Mother Nature gives us the warmth of spring we will begin again with more digging and major construction left to be done. We plan to have a grand opening in the summer of 2015.

In order to appreciate and foster the natural world around us, we need to immerse ourselves into our outdoor environment and gain an appreciation of the landscape, plants, and wildlife surrounding us. There is nothing more exciting than playing outdoors and letting nature lead your imagination towards wonderful adventures. By Karlin Ziegler Parks Supervisor

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Upcoming Events Oxbow Park

Saturday, February 7 at 1:00 p.m. – Build a Blue Bird Box Saturday, February 14 at 10:00 a.m. – Wildlife Storytelling Saturday, February 21 at 11:00 a.m. – Animal Tracks and Signs

Saturday, February 28 at 1:00 p.m. – Snowshoeing

Check the Olmsted County Park’s website for additional program

opportunities.

The FOX Den – Oxbow Park

Since 1982, Friends of Oxbow (FOX), an independent 501(c)3 support group, has been working to help Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo be the best it can be. We have funded materials for several new exhibits, such as the state-of-the-art Otter and Wildcat habitats.

Due to greatly increased visitation, the park’s most critical requirement is for more personnel. Olmsted County simply does not have the funds to keep up with the increased need for more staff. Thanks to the incredibly generous support we have received from our members and the

public, we are now able to help fill that need. Here are some of our completed projects for 2014: • Funded three summer interns, one winter intern and a

winter seasonal employee. • Matched Dr. Zollman’s bequest of $25,000 for a

natural playscape with over $12,600 in donations so far.

• Brought in over $1000 from the Adopt-an-Animal program.

• Netted over $11,000 for park improvements from the 2014 Spring Fest, attended by over 3000 people.

• Netted about $3000 from Zoo Dazzle, which was attended by approximately 1500 people. This festive attraction gets more popular every year!

• Smaller fundraisers at Five Guys and Wendy’s brought in more money for park improvements

• FOX members and others volunteered 6609 hours in 2013, 4354 so far in 2014(not including STS and CWS crews).

• Volunteers promoted FOX and Oxbow at the Byron Chamber of Commerce event and Volunteer Opportunities event at the Rochester Library

• Several board members spoke at various local civic groups to raise funds for the new Natural Playscape.

We are proud of these accomplishments, but will not be taking a break in 2015! We will not only be funding the interns and a winter seasonal naturalist again, but also plan to ramp up our campaign to build a new Nature Center for the park. The current center has simply been outgrown. Many more visitors, increased need for exhibit space, classrooms and a real office have combined to make a new Nature Center a critical need. We have been allocating several thousand dollars a

year to this cause for some time, but it is clear that this will be our most ambitious project yet – it is likely to cost nearly a million dollars, even with staff providing much of the labor. Accordingly, for 2015 we will:

• Earmark up to $50,000 more toward the new nature center renovation and start a serious campaign for funds.

• Fund smaller projects such as a roof over the Zimmerman outdoor classroom and update the bear exhibit.

• Fund a 2nd winter intern if a candidate is available.

Coming Attractions! FOX will present its Annual Spring Fest on Saturday, May 16th. There will be food, fun and games for everyone of all ages. In addition, our popular Silent Auction with fine items such as hand crafted fish poles, tickets to leading attractions, gift certificates, tool boxes, and hand crafted jewelry will again be featured.

An exciting new attraction for 2015 will be the Ugandan Children’s Choir at the park in July. These kids are amazing, so stay tuned for a foot-stomping, rollicking good time! The children bring a message of hope - sharing their African folklore through music and dance. They are the

fortunate few who have been rescued from poverty and are now a voice for children who are still waiting to be sponsored. Each year, the choir tours around the country and gives people an opportunity to provide children in developing countries with an education and a hope for a future.

Our 6th Annual FOX Zoo Dazzle took place on December 4th and 5th. The park was truly dazzling with thousands of lights, snacks, crafts and carolers to add to the fun.

FOX volunteers will also be found at various smaller events throughout the year. We are proud of our park and don’t hesitate to support it! We hope to see many of you this year and next.

By Ruthann Yaeger

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Root River Park In January of 2014, Olmsted County completed the purchase of 35 acres of additional property at Root River Park. This purchase secured a critical parcel that sets the stage for the long-term development of a third regional park in Olmsted County.

In an effort to secure working space for park operations, staff began compiling a “task” list to be completed. The first major project on this list was modifying the existing shed into and equipment storage area and park shop by cleaning, painting, and reroofing the barn with the help of Graham Park staff. In addition, the historic stagecoach

bridge at the park was in critical need of assessment as nature’s wear and tear had taken its toll. The stagecoach bridge is remnant of an earlier day when stagecoaches made their way through the land, a time when travel was much slower. The structure is made of native limestone

from the site and hosts a unique construction compared to bridges that are more modern. As

you can see from the pictures below, Park’s staff had their hands full patching up some sensitive areas on the bridge. (Roger Harty after finishing a repair to the stagecoach bridge)

Over the past three years, Root River Park has offered Wagon Rides to the public once a month, and in 2014, we had 187 participants. It is a great opportunity to tour the park! So bring a blanket, picnic basket, and your loved ones; we look forward to offering our visitors more rides in 2015.

By Brittney Marschall

Letter from the Editor

My sincere thanks to all who have contributed articles, ideas, stories, pictures, and your time to make this newsletter happen and, of course, a special thank you to all of our readers.

This is our final issue of The Tracker. Within in these pages, I hope you were able to identify with Park’s staff and maybe even one of our park “critters”, witness the hard work that goes into maintaining our parks, and find some joy in how connected the County Parks are through volunteerism and collaboration.

We are excited to offer you a “new AND improved” version of our newsletter May of this year. We will not only provide you with the same information you have become accustomed to in our annual newsletter, but will now be able to offer you current and

upcoming information on all the County Parks on a quarterly basis.

If you are looking for some encouragement, something to propel you into 2015, come out to the parks and experience with us what a sense of community and commitment to nature is really all about.

All the best, Brittney Marschall Olmsted County Parks Quarterly Editor

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Olmsted County Parks 2122 Campus Drive SE, Suite 200 Rochester, MN 55904 Phone: 507-328-7070 chesterwoods@co.olmsted.mn.us

Chester Woods Oxbow Chester Woods Park Hours 7:00 am - 10:00 pm

Chester Woods Fire Wood Sales Bundles at the Gate House Wood Shed Hours 5:00 – 6:00 pm & 7:00 – 8:00 pm

+ 5:00

Oxbow Park Nature Center Hours 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Daily Park Hours 7:00 am – 10:00 pm

General E- mail Address chesterwoods@co.olmsted.mn.usChester Woods (507)287-2624

Tom Eckdahl Park Supervisor eckdahl.thomas@co.olmsted.mn.us

Josh Drilling Park and Natural Resource Specialist drilling.joshua@co.olmsted.mn.us

Russ Jensen Park and Natural Resource Specialist jensen.russ@co.olmsted.mn.us

Celeste Lewis Staff Naturalist lewis.celeste@co.olmsted.mn.us

Tom Ryan Park Superintendent Office (507)328-7070 ryan.tom@co.olmsted.mn.us

Parks Staff

General E- mail Address oxbow@co.olmsted.mn.usOxbow Park (507)775-2451

Karlin Ziegler Park Supervisor ziegler.karlin@co.olmsted.mn.us

Clarissa Josselyn Staff Naturalist josselyn.clarissa@co.olmsted.mn.us

Lonnie Heble Park Crew Leader Heble.lonnie@co.olmsted.mn.us

Graham Rod Hanson Park Supervisor Hanson.rod@co.olmsted.mn.us

Roger Harty Park Supervisor harty.roger@co.olmsted.mn.us

Campus Pat Gerken Park Supervisor Gerken.pat@co.olmsted.mn.us

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