Swallowtail Grove is going wild!
Project: Greenway Park Gateway to the Coves
Last week a new naturalization area was planted in The Coves Subwatershed. Site preparation and planting was done with the help of City of London staff, the Chippewas of the Thames Stewardship Rangers, and Friends of the Coves community volunteers.
This project is a bit different from our past naturalization projects which have only included woody plant species (trees and shrubs). In this project herbaceous plants were used (grasses, sedges and flowers) to recreate a natural wet/mesic meadow. All of the species that were planted are indigenous to this area (ex.s Switch grass, Canada wild rye, Fox sedge, Bebb's sedge, Joe pye weed, Boneset, Wild bergamot, Showy tick trefoil and Early goldenrod).
Different elevations were created and planted with different species to further enhance the diversity of habitats available to plants and animals. The mainly clump-forming native species planted in the meadow will promote open patches of ground to remain, this is vital habitat to many butterflies, wasps and other insects that is unavailable in areas with non-native turf grasses which spread out like a mat.
The meadow naturalization site is located in an area that was filled in many years ago but was once part of the Coves watercourse and before that the Thames River. The meadow is the latest addition to Swallowtail Grove and can be found next to the butterfly garden in the east end of Greenway Park just north of the Horton/Springbank intersection.
Find a map to the site HERE
This restoration project was supported by funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources' Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program
Meadows and grasslands are often looked at as "wastelands" that are prime for either development or tree planting. However, these areas in fact provide vital habitat to many species who depend on them for food and/or shelter. Many mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian and insect species rely on meadow or grassland areas for food, breeding, nesting or shelter in general. Below is a list of just a few of the species found in Coves meadows:
Mammals
Eastern cottontail
Woodchuck
Striped skunk
Red fox
White-tailed deer
Northern short-tailed shrew
Meadow Vole
Little brown bat
Birds
Eastern meadowlark
Killdeer
Field sparrow
Red-tailed hawk
Eastern kingbird
Mourning dove
Wild turkey
Reptiles
Eastern Garter Snake
Dekay's Brown Snake
Snapping Turtle
Amphibians
American Toad
Northern Leopard Frog
Insects
Monarch
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Sphinx Moth
Bumble bee