This Minnetrista homeowner’s restoration journey with us began in 2022, when she approached us about restoring a small cattail pond into a native plant shoreline. She found the process so rewarding that she came back the very next year to transform her turf grass lawn into an oak savannah, and then again in 2025 she restored additional sections of her yard into a beautiful prairie. Her dedication to ecological restoration has paid off with nearly 40,000 square feet of restored native habitat enjoyed by people and wildlife alike.

This multi-phased project started with invasive plant removal, with turf grass, reed canary grass, and cattails making it difficult to even see the pond. After removing invasive plants, we installed native plants—some areas received mulch-and-plant restoration, others a combination of seed and plants. Using seed mixes is beneficial for covering large areas for a relatively low price compared to live plants, and offers greater diversity in plant species. On the other hand, mulch-and-plants offer a more immediate “groomed” look that can better fit urban/sub-urban spaces.

The different sections of this restoration show the yearly progress involved in the process. The more established pond is characterized by a great diversity of flowers, emergent plants, and grasses that attract many pollinators and wildlife. The 2023 savannah features lovely native grasses and forbs that continue to fill in and outcompete native plants. While the 2025 prairie was a flash of yellow in its first year, dominated by the pioneer species black-eyed Susan blanketing the landscape and protecting slower growing species while they grow roots and establish. From a plain turf grass lawn and degraded cattail pond to a mosaic of native wetland, prairie, and savannah, this Minnetrista site showcases the diverse potential of ecological restoration.