From a distance, a passerby traveling down Minnesota's back roads might miss the heads bobbing just above the prairie in Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve. Swaying bluegrass and budding plants stand taller than many of the volunteers collecting seeds, engulfing their view from the gravel road.

They work through the morning to ensure that wildlife will always have open-air havens in the state.

"It's just nice, easy work for those who want to get back to the land and don't have the opportunity," said Sara Brice, a stay-at-home mom from Northfield who occasionally volunteers to help relax. Brown paper bags tied around her waist act as a sorting mechanism as she meanders around the field plucking seeds.

The Three Rivers Park District, which oversees eight regional parks in the metro area, has followed a national trend in returning undeveloped land back to its "pre-settlement state," said wildlife specialist Steven Hogg. "The Native Americans understood that if you take care of the land then it will take care of you."

Since the 1970s, Three Rivers has restored about 1,000 acres of open prairie in hopes of saving Minnesota's endangered species. The Blanding's turtle was nearly wiped out because it migrated long distances and was often hit while crossing busy roads, Hogg said.

Less than 1 percent of the state's native prairies were spared from destruction due to farming, he said. So, many parks took it upon themselves to harvest seeds and grow their own man-made prairies. Murphy-Hanrehan used to be a cornfield before volunteers helped establish a diverse enough seed bank to start anew.

Wildlife specialist Steven Hogg collects grass seed at Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve.

"They look at this [prairie] and think 'Wow, that was always there,' " said Hogg, gesturing toward the seemingly untouched field. "Not everything uses the woods; a lot of wildlife uses open spaces."

Saving $50,000

Each year, volunteers collect hundreds of pounds of native wildflower seeds for restoration and enhancement projects — saving the parks thousands in retail costs. Last year alone, volunteers collected 210 pounds of seed, Hogg said, a quantity that sells for upward of $50,000 simply because manufacturers have to prove it's genetically local.

Last week, volunteers at Murphy-Hanrehan in Scott County spent three hours learning about different plants and picking seeds to help fuel future restoration projects. Partners Betsy Gardner and James Dobbs drove an hour from their home in north Minneapolis to take part in the activity.

"We try to make sure we volunteer every once in awhile because it's good for your mental health," said Dobbs, while examining the top of a plant to determine if it was the golden Alexander or bergamot seed he was tasked with collecting. Hogg "gave us some bags, showed us what to look for and set us loose."

Dobbs said the couple saw a brochure for the activity in their local library and thought it would be a productive way to spend a Tuesday morning. As gardeners at home, they had an appreciation for their time outdoors.

Once seeds are collected, Hogg takes them back to the Three Rivers nursery where they are weighed and crushed into smaller pieces more suitable for distribution.

Training and collection bags are provided for free twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m.to 1:30 p.m. Seed collection also occurs at Crow-Hassan, Elm Creek and Carver Park Reserves.

After the picking session ended, volunteers combined their loads into one bag of each type of seed. Three hours had yielded half a brown shopping bag of golden Alexander and half another bag of bergamot ­— not a bad haul for just three people, Hogg said.

"I love what I do. It always changes because something new is always blooming."

Liz Sawyer • 952-746-3282