4 new bison calves born at Spring Lake Park Reserve in Dakota County
HASTINGS, Minn. -- When it comes to bison, Dakota County is in the middle of a baby boom. Last month, Spring Lake Park Reserve was surprised by the birth of not one, but four new calves.
As Natural Resources Manager, Tom Lewanski has had a hand in restoring about 150 acres of prairie between Rosemount and Hastings. The land has responded, but one thing that's been missing are the grazers.
"The native grazer in North America was the bison. At one time there were between 40 and 60 million bison that roamed across the prairies of North America," said Lewanski.
One-hundred-and-eighty years ago, they were killed or driven off by European settlers and close to extinction. But last fall, eight females were reintroduced to the park, coming from Blue Mounds and Minneopa State Parks, where similar efforts are taking place.
Little did Lewanski know, the bison arrived with a bonus.
"We were surprised. We knew that they could be pregnant," said Lewanski. "And low and behold, one of the 2-year-old cows gave birth. And 24 hours later another one of the 2-year-olds gave birth."
Two more cows also had calves last month, for a grand total of four babies. Each one will play an important role in prairie restoration.
Bison can weigh up to a ton and their impact is huge. By being here they are helping wildflowers, insects, and much more. About 95% of their diet is native grasses. By eating them, native flowers can flourish.
"It's a cascade effect if you will. The more flowers you have the more insects you have. The more insects, the more birds and mammals and things like that. It really helps to develop the whole community," said Lewanski.
By doing so, they also hope to educate visitors on what the bison of yesteryear and today, mean to the Dakota people.
"Providing the opportunity to help tell that story is another exciting component of this project," said Lewanski.
In addition to Spring Lake Park Reserve, Blue Mounds, Minneopa and Zollman Zoo in Rochester are also part of the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd, and their goal is to eventually have up to 500 bison roaming prairie lands. On June 7, they'll have a bison welcoming event from 4 to 6 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend. They ask visitors who want to see the bison, to please keep a safe distance from the fence.