Caln Meadow Park Phase I

Expectations - our meadow plants will take a couple of years to establish - different species germinate at different times (the first year will look pretty bad!). Once the meadow is established, we plan to open the space up to the public​ for walking, wildlife watching, picnicking, etc.  
Caln Township Parks and Recreation along with PennState Extension Master Watershed Stewards and Master Gardeners has launched the first phase of a Native Pollinator Meadow conversion project on township property. With guidance from the PA DCNR and Chester County Conservation District, our goal is to replace a large parcel township-owned turf grass with environmentally beneficial native meadow species. This page aims to report on our progress as well as provide information for those interested creating their own meadows, big and small. 
  • In April 2022, we began prepping the first acre of land for conversion by marking out an acre and applying post-emergent herbicide. We continued to mow the area throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
  • In October 2022, we applied a second herbicide treatment and, two weeks later, lightly tilled the ground to remove the dead turf and expose the soil.
  • 26 volunteers attended a seeding workshop on October 22, 2022 and the entire acre was seeded with a mixture of PA Native Wildflower seeds, native grasses, and a cover crop of annual rye (which will provide erosion and weed control until the meadow plants can get established). 
  • In May, 2023 the PennState Extension Master Watershed Stewards and Master Gardeners hosted a Lawn-to-Meadow Conversion Workshop at Caln.
  • In Summer 2023 - benches and signs were installed thanks to an environmental grant from PA Department of Environmental Protection
  • In Summer 2024, the meadow is starting to look terrific and we provided tours to other municipalities and groups who are interested in installing their own projects. We are also prepping to seed a second acre in October 2024. 

Meadow Resources

"Establishing a Pollinator Meadow from Seed" Xerces Society

"Meadows and Prairies: Wildlife-Friendly Alternatives to Lawn" PennState Extension

News

Daily Local Article - 10/13/2022

Why Native Plants?