Twin Cities singles trade dating apps for buckthorn removal
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No swiping on dating apps. No awkward dinners or drinks at a bar. Just gloves, loppers and a lot of buckthorn.
That’s the idea behind a new Minneapolis group bringing singles together to restore a Minneapolis park. More than 50 people met Sunday as part of the Buckthorn Removal Singles Club at East River Trail in the Prospect Park neighborhood.
For an hour and a half, they cleared invasive shrubs, piled branches and stopped every so often to introduce themselves. Andrew Johnson drove down from Blaine after spotting the event on Reddit.
“Well, I'm single, ready to mingle, whether that be for a romantic partner or, I guess, making friends around the Cities,” he said. “I don't really like dating apps. I think seeing people in person mingling is more organic.”
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Buckthorn is an invasive plant that's spread across much of Minnesota's woods and parks. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, it was brought over from Europe as a popular hedging material.
It grows fast, crowds out native trees and wildflowers and makes it harder for forests to grow back naturally. Removing buckthorn gives native plants and wildlife a better chance to thrive.
Club organizer William Cooke said the idea came to him after noticing how much buckthorn had taken over one of his favorite parks. He posted four flyers in neighborhood coffee shops, which quickly circulated online.
“People are tired with the dating apps and the way things are,” he said. “People are interested in environmentalism, and I think there's just a real culture in Minneapolis right now of trying to do things a little different and trying to find ways that the community can care for itself. And I think people are excited about that.”
Some club attendees came Sunday looking for a date. Others just wanted to meet new people while helping the environment.
For Corinne Buie, who lives in Crystal, the event checked both boxes.
“As a queer person, it's harder to meet people,” she said. “But I figured there's got to be some gays out here trying to help the earth.”
She said reducing invasive species like buckthorn so native plants can grow was part of the appeal.
“It doesn't hurt that buckthorn is just such a fun word too. Singles Buckthorn Removal Club, come on,” Buie said.
Emily Szeliga of northeast Minneapolis said it was a wholesome experience with the goal of not simply finding a romantic connection, but protecting the environment from buckthorn.
“It was really, really fun,” Szeliga said. “I met some cool new people. I reunited with an old friend from high school, and we got a ton of buckthorn.”
She said the event also offered something she hasn’t always found on dating apps: the ability to focus on the moment without expectations.
“In the past when I’ve tried dating apps, I’ve gone into it feeling like, OK, I’m on a date, so I should feel particular things about this person,” Szeliga said. “This is a space where there’s no expectations for how this date is supposed to go and what comes next.”
By the end of the morning, volunteers had cleared large piles of buckthorn from the park. Some exchanged phone numbers. Others grabbed coffee afterward.
Cooke said the club will continue meeting on Sundays until the weather gets too cold.
For now, the group is giving people a new way to meet others one invasive shrub at a time.
