The Hastings Environmental Protectors describe themselves as, “A group of concerned and passionate citizens of Hastings, Minnesota working toward the preservation and enhancement of our natural heritage.”
That passion was manifested Wednesday, May 15 when a group of volunteers worked at maintaining the Hastings Sand Coulee South Unit, located on the west side of Hwy. 316 just south of the Hastings city limits.
Volunteers were urged to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes and long-sleeved shirts because of poison ivy on the site. Workers joined the Minnesota DNR to lop smooth sumac and Eastern red cedar on the property.
The Hastings Sand Coulee is a scientific and natural area.
“Those are areas all throughout the state of Minnesota that are special for some reason,” said Joe Beattie of the Hastings Environmental Protectors. “This one is special because it’s some of the very little prairie that we have left in Minnesota. There’s less than 2% of the original prairie in Minnesota.”
Beattie said work on the Sand Coulee prairie restoration “is a work in progress.”
The area was identified to be restored in 2007.
“That’s when it was originally identified that this is an area that was really unique, really special, really worthy of restoration, and it’s just gone from there,” said Beattie. “Every year they have a management plan that’s in place that might be planting. It might be doing a prescribed burn. It might be removing plans that should not be here. There’s a whole long-term plan for this area.”
Both the smooth sumac and eastern red cedar are native to Minnesota. Both grow aggressively.
“They do live here, but we don’t want them to get out of control. They’re fine until they get out of control. We’re just trying to kind of keep a lid on things. The sumac is a beautiful native plant, but sometimes when it’s doing really well, it gets out of control and then you have a problem,” said Beattie.
The Sand Coulee is home to a variety of wildlife (watch out for gopher holes). There are white tailed deer, coyotes, what Beattie termed as “some beautiful snakes” and species of birds galore.
He said the area is a community treasure.
“It’s kind of a gem that we love to see preserved so close to Hastings. Right over this hill, there’s a sand gravel mine. I’m glad this did not become a sand gravel mine as well. This was and will never be developed,” he said.
Across the street, there is another Sand Coulee that is slated to be donated to the DNR by developers of the proposed 500-unit Walden of Hastings.
“But this beautiful place will never be developed,” Beattie said.
He explained that the parcel doesn’t have trails but there is a small parking area.
“There are very purposely no trails. There are not facilities. It’s a scientific and natural area. It’s not a park. It’s more like an area that’s been set aside because of its uniqueness,” he said.