The Anoka Conservation District offers trees for three primary reasons:
- Soil and energy conservation planting
- Wildlife habitat plantings
- Native ecosystem restoration
The Anoka Conservation District promotes the restoration of native ecosystems by offering native species that are best suited to Anoka County's conditions. They can survive the soils, moisture and climate without needing additional care. They are capable of forming complex and resilient ecosystems, thereby providing the most benefit to local wildlife. Plus, most of our natural communities have been reduced to a few acres by agriculture and development and are in need of restoration. A tree and shrub matrix showing which trees and shrubs are found in various ecosystems may be useful when making your selection.
The natural ecosystems found in Anoka County include twenty different types of dry, mesic and wet prairies, shrublands, woodlands, and forests. Complete descriptions of these can be found in "Minnesota's St. Croix River Valley and Anoka Sandplain, A Guide to Native Habitats," MN DNR, 1995. Of these twenty natural community types we are able to offer trees, shrubs and seed that fit into fifteen.
