Volunteers take to St. Paul's Crosby Farm Park for National Public Lands Day

Saturday marked National Public Lands Day. Parks of all sizes held volunteer opportunities in Minnesota and nationwide to help preserve these precious spaces.

Hugging the nation's largest river, a group of 50 volunteers with the Mississippi Park Connection removed buckthorn Saturday at Crosby Farm Regional Park in St. Paul.

"[Buckthorn] makes it very difficult for the natural ecosystem in this area to thrive," said Ellen Reed, the organization's executive director.  

The Mississippi Park Connection supports the 72-mile corridor of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. To honor the day, they organized an event removing the invasive species near St. Paul's Watergate Marina.

"This is hard work, right, this is big work," said Reed.  

National Public Lands Day coincides with the 75th anniversary of Minnesota's Wildlife Management Spaces. Those are areas managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR says Minnesota has 1,521 of them encompassing 1.4 million acres statewide, and that's not even your local city park.

"If these places disappear, it will have long-term quality-of-life implications for all of us," said Reed.

The day doesn't only recognize national park land, but any land provided to you, like your city park, county-managed park and more.

"So many people, once they have a connection to nature, it is transformational," said Reed. "And it's healing, and it is comforting and it is connecting."

When it comes to preserving the spaces, she encourages you to think about it, too.

"It's all of our jobs," said Reed. "These places are important to us, even if you never come to a park."

Reed says you likely have buckthorn in your yard. Its leaves are usually the last to change colors during the fall.

The Mississippi Park Connection has volunteer events throughout October. Find more information on its website.