The ragged and sometime unkempt nature of a wild meadow is often is short supply for creatures who need it! Pickering Creek and its partners are working reverse that trend with a newly created meadow and trail designed for your enjoyment! The new meadow trail is just under a mile long, and weaves through two emergent meadow habitats on the far side of the center’s pond. There are two interpretive panels. One describes the many creatures that call this type of meadow home, and a second panel illustrates the seasonal beauty of the area. At the farthest part of the trail, visitors will arrive at Les’ Lookout Viewing Platform. From the platform visitors are treated with a panoramic view of the meadow in all its seasonal glory. Les Roslund was an avid birder and sharer of nature, who passed away in 2020.
Why are we so excited about meadow habitat? You may have heard the stories of pollinators in decline. Meadows, defined as an area covered with a diverse collection of native herbaceous plants, are the habitat that many pollinators require. Some of our most important pollinators include butterflies, bees, moths, bats, and a wide array of other insects. Unlike a lawn, the structural diversity of a meadow supplies critical food and shelter to insects and small mammals. These creatures, in turn, provide a food source for songbirds, raptors, and owls. Below the surface, in a healthy meadow lie the powerhouses; microbes. Nitrogen, carbon and oxygen, are recycled in the soil, and supply the plants with protection from harmful pathogens, help aggregate the soil, act as filter systems, and are efficient carbon storage facilities. All these systems both above and below the ground work together to create a robust biodiverse meadow.
In 2016 two agriculture fields totaling 25 acres were converted by Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage into the meadow at Pickering Creek, and in 2018 Pickering Creek received a Recreational Trails grant, to start the construction of the trail. Now, well established, the meadow features native warm seasonal grasses, an assortment of wildflowers, including white snakeroot and goldenrod; several varieties of shrubs such as marsh elder, and from the neighboring forest a fairly persistent invasion of sweet gum and loblolly pines. Each year 1/3 of the meadow is mowed to maintain the emergent meadow state.
So put your walking shoes on, grab your binoculars, or just your imagination and come spend some time on the meadow trail! The pollinators in the warm weather will not disappoint!
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