Meadow Restoration
The (re)Making of a Marvelous Meadow
Grasslands (including meadows) have undergone a serious decline in southern Ontario and Rogers Reservoir has provided an amazing opportunity to increase grassland habitat in the Lake Simcoe watershed. This land was cleared for agricultural purposes many years ago, and was used as cattle pasture and hayfields at the expense of biodiversity. Over time, the result was hardened compacted soil that only supported a low diversity of non-native and invasive plants. That continued to be the case until the Meadow Restoration project commenced in 2019 through the support of partners including the Town of East Gwillimbury, York Region, Wildlife Preservation Canada, and the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation.
What's a grassland? What is a meadow?
“Grasslands” is an over-arching category of diverse habitat. Grasslands include meadows, prairies, oak savannahs or even pastures and hay fields. A meadow is a landscape consisting of grasses and wildflowers.
Meadows are vital to a healthy and resilient ecosystem for many reasons.
- They have a great ability to store a large amount of carbon and release it very slowly, mitigating the effects of climate change.
- The deep roots of meadow species help not only filter contaminants that accumulate in run off, but they also absorb more water and therefore prevent flooding.
- Meadows provide excellent habitat for a number of birds who will not nest elsewhere and are therefore at-risk: the Eastern Meadowlark and the Bobolink.
- The numerous native flowering plants that make up a meadow benefit pollinators, like bees and butterflies, who are essential to produce the food we eat.
Perhaps most noticeable of all to us, a meadow is a sight to behold year around: from the long swaying grasses of Big Blue Stem and Indian Grass, and the colourful flowers and winged visitors of the spring, summer, and fall.
The abundance of types of plants is more than just beautiful; it helps encourage biodiversity as a whole. With the increasing urbanization and fragmentation of our watershed, conservation of our local grasslands is critical.
Meadow Restoration Project at Rogers Reservoir
The Meadow Restoration Project at Rogers Reservoir Conservation Area is now substantially complete. This initiative has been a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, volunteers, and community partners, all working together to create a vibrant, thriving meadow that supports local wildlife and enhances our natural environment. A summary of project milestones can be found below.
Introducing the Meadow
As a first step, we had to get the local community on board. On June 5, 2019, we held an open house to introduce the project, explain what meadows are and why they are important, what habitat will be enhanced and what species will use them, and how the local community could get involved.
Getting Started
One of the most significant challenges, from a restoration perspective, was preparing the meadow and ensuring our planted species had a fighting chance. A grassland contractor was hired to mow the existing field and apply an herbicide to address some very aggressive undesired species such as reed canary grass, wild parsnip, and field bindweed. This gave our native species an advantage and helped to establish that vital seed base.
After that initial clearing, seedings were completed in the fall and early winter months of 2020, 2021, and 2022. This timing was deliberate as cold winter temperatures assist with germination the following spring. During the fall, native grasses and wildflowers were planted using a seed drill and in early winter through the snow layer using drill coulters. These methods help the seeds move down to the correct soil depth–which is essential for plant growth.
Despite the initial herbicide application and the planting of native plants, the meadow still required some ongoing maintenance. High mows and some herbicide spot treatment continued, and will continue in the future, on an as needed basis.
Getting People Involved
The denser the native plant species are growing, the less opportunity there is for undesirable species to infiltrate. Continued plantings have been a vital part of the maintenance and restoration of the meadow and have been a great opportunity to give the local community a chance to get their hands dirty! In the fall of 2019, we planted 230 shrubs with volunteers from Ceridian. In the spring of 2022, we planted 170 native shrubs with volunteers from Neighbourhood Network, and later that fall we planted an additional 100 native shrubs with volunteers from BCX Environmental Consulting.
Prescribed Burn
Meadow habitat require disturbance to thrive. This presents a unique challenge and opportunity for our restoration team. In perhaps the most exciting step in the meadow restoration project, a prescribed burn took place in April 2023. A prescribed burn is a deliberately set and carefully controlled low fire that consumes the previous year’s stems and leaves. These burns are an effective tool used to help manage grassland habitat. They can assist with the suppression of invasive species and further enhance the growing medium in the meadow by creating an ideal growing environment for seeds. The prescribed burn was a great success and a week following the burn, the area was further seeded with a mix of native meadow species.
Five Years Coming Together
Through the support of the Town of East Gwillimbury, York Region, Wildlife Preservation Canada, the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation, and the local community, over the last five years we have watched the Rogers Reservoir Meadow transform from a field to a biodiverse meadow, filled with native plants, flowers, and other species. Monitoring and maintenance of the new meadow ecosystem will continue as the meadow becomes more established.
If you have questions or would like more information about this project contact us at restoration@LSRCA.on.ca
We can help you get your OWN meadow!
Do you own two or more acres of land in the Lake Simcoe watershed? Build your own meadow, right on your own land! We can provide advice, expertise, and up to $10,000 in funding! There’s never been a better time to retire that hayfield or reduce your mowing.