Northstar Park

Iris-lined pond at Northstar Park

Northstar is a great place to run, in-line skate, or visit on a bike trip through the greenbelt. It appears that the city's open container ordinance does not apply to this park.

A large pond at the eastern edge of the park is a great place to play frisbee and goof around, but be careful you aren't attacked by the crazy domestic Chinese geese that live in the water! They poop a lot, so walk barefoot at your own risk. The pond is lined with yellow-flowering iris (Iris pseudacorus) which are very pretty, but this species is an invasive species that really should not be used here. Observant and quiet explorers are likely to see pied-billed grebes, coots, mallard ducks, Canada geese, and the usual set of birds that live in town. But on the whole, the bird watching at the pond is mostly a matter of watching to make sure you don't get the Chinese geese mad at you! Far better bird watching is at the fenced-in North Area Pond at the eastern boundary of Northstar park, where there are two wooden observation "docks" that extend into the preserve. There's also a small Northstar Nature Trail with informational signs about the area and its wildlife. Down the greenbelt is the Northstar Pocket Park, which has a play structure for children and a bbq.

Also see Parks for info on other local parks

Two new attractive aerating fountains were recently installed to combat growth in the small pond.

California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) by the side of the pond. A island festooned with iris. (I was attacked by geese when taking this photo! -cm)

These domestic Chinese geese are vicious! And incredibly loud! Also, don't drink the water!

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