This page outlines the importance of native meadows and provides resources for starting your own at your home or community.
Native Meadow. Photo taken by Jodi Sulpizio, Penn State Extension.
This project is a collaboration between Master Gardeners of Chester County and Master Watershed Stewards of Chester/Delaware County. It is part of a larger meadow education project which was made possible by funding from Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education grant.
Meadows play an important role in our ecosystem and have multiple benefits for wildlife and humans. Whether your project is a small backyard or a community park of several acres, your contribution to enhancing the environment will be significant.
Meadows using native plants are a recognized best management practice that is increasing in popularity as municipalities look for effective stormwater management strategies, beautification, and habitat creation, public engagement spaces, and ways to save municipal resources.
Meadows help with stormwater runoff management. By replacing the short-rooted turf grass with native plants with much longer root systems, stormwater infiltration will be improved onsite thus reducing stormwater runoff. This will indirectly reduce the amount of pollutants entering our waterways and lessen the damage to streambanks from influxes of stormwater runoff. The onsite soil will also naturally improve through the addition of organic matter from leaf litter and meadow plant decomposition. Rich, organic soils play a vital role in climate resiliency as they hold both more moisture and carbon than poor soils.
Meadows provide native habitats, attracting butterflies, birds, and other beneficial wildlife. Worldwide we are witnessing increasing attention to declining biodiversity in our environment. Native plants and grasses found in meadows provide greater biodiversity than single-species lawns. They provide food and places to hide and rest for wildlife. These habitats attract a wider variety of birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife than non-native plants and areas planted with fewer species.
Meadows demand less maintenance, resulting in increased environmental benefits. Native wildflowers and grasses do not require frequent mowing; therefore, less oil-based energy is expended in their long term care. The time savings for homeowners and municipalities is another consideration in favor of meadows. They also don't require frequent watering, an economic savings for homeowners and municipalities alike as well as a water conservation tool.
If you are interested in creating a meadow in your home or community, this repository of resources may help you discover the benefits of native meadows, basics of installation and maintenance, ideas for "cues of care" for neighborhood acceptance, and other resources.
The online repository is part of a larger meadow education project by the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards of Chester/Delaware Counties and Master Gardeners of Chester County. This project was made possible by funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education Grant Program, which was awarded to Penn State Extension.
