Our latest project to reintroduce lost native flowers and grasses to support and restore native populations of bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects at Hudson Springs Park.
An update on the Pollinator Meadow Project at Hudson Springs Park
The wet meadow at Hudson Springs Park was supposed to have been “frost seeded” during the winter of 2023-24. Unfortunately, our partner US Fish & Wildlife was unable to complete the seeding due to equipment issues. US Fish & Wildlife purchased new seeding equipment last spring, but the meadow was too wet when they attempted to seed. The decision was made to wait until winter 2024-25 to again “frost seed”.
During the summer, the grasses that had been destroyed to make way for seeding started to grow back. But along with the grasses that would need to be killed again, the native seed bank began to emerge and native Marsh Milkweed, Verbena and Lobelia began to grow. In order to again kill the grass this fall, volunteers first had to cut back to below ground all of the native plants that had emerged, so they would not be harmed when re-spraying in the fall.
The meadow was sprayed again during the fall of 2024, but unfortunately this time, the grass did not die back, so “frost seeding” was again canceled. An attempt will be made for a late spring 2025 seeding with volunteers hand seeding the meadow if it is too wet to seed with heavy equipment. Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities to help with a MEADOW SEEDING EVENT this spring.
