Open fields provide habitat that is uncommon in New England, because unmanaged fields succeed into forests or become developed. These habitats enhance landscape diversity and biodiversity. Wildlife such as grassland nesting birds, nesting turtles, pollinators, and other insects require open fields.
Below are a few of the efforts to preserve open field habitat in the Metrowest Conservation Alliance (MCA) region.
CURRENT EFFORTS
Greenways Conservation Area, Wayland
People for Pollinators, Lincoln
- People for Pollinators is a collaboration of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, the Birches School, Lincoln Agricultural Commission, Lincoln Conservation Commission, Lincoln Garden Club, Stonegate Gardens and other individuals dedicated to the promotion, protection, and creation of native habitat that supports the vitality of pollinators.
- People for Pollinators is restoring a former hay field into a pollinator meadow with native perennial seed and plant plugs that are protected from pesticides. This property is owned and protected by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. We are gathering the Lincoln community together around the project to help install this public meadow, as well as to educate visiting children and adults about pollinators, and the protection and vitality of pollinator species through healthy habitat.
- We invite all people from all over to join our efforts and bee involved! Click here to learn more.
Wolbach Farm, Sudbury - An example of small field management.
- Wolbach Farm, SVT's 53-acre headquarters in Sudbury, contains a rich diversity of natural features and habitats, including a small open field and wet meadow along Route 27 adjacent to Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. In order to maintain this 4-acre field as a high quality habitat for butterflies, other insects, and diverse wildlife, SVT mows half the field late in the season annually, alternating sections each year. Leaving an unmown section of the field provides refugia for insects.
- The field also contains a dense stand of invasive purple loosestrife. Since the introduction of Galerucella beetles as a bio-control approach to combat the loosestrife, mowers cut around patches to avoid disturbing the beetle population and impairing their ability to eat away at the invasive plant.
- Due to the small size of Wolbach field, the area is not ideal for grassland bird nesting.
RESOURCES
- From MassWildlife & Northeast Upland Habitat Technical Committee: Managing Grasslands, Shrublands and Young Forests for Wildlife (2006)
- From the Trustees of Reservations: Ecological Management of Grasslands: Guidelines for Managers (2009)
- From Mass Audubon: Grassland Bird Management Webpage
- The Bobolink Project Webpage
- From the Cornell University Cooperative Extension: Hayfield Management and Grassland Bird Conservation (2006)
- From the Cornell University Cooperative Extension: Enhancing Pastures for Grassland Bird Habitat (2006)
- From the Cornell University Cooperative Extension: Transforming Fields into Grassland Bird Habitat (2006)
- From NRCS: Management Considerations for Grassland Birds in Northeastern Haylands and Pasturelands Leaflet
- From the Northeast Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative: MA Grassland Birds Video (2023)
- From Mass Audubon: Land Management Plans for Grasslands and Meadows on Town-Owned Land in Boxborough, Massachusetts (2006)
- From Somerset County (ME) Soil & Water Conservation District: Delayed Mowing Summary
- Northeast Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative: Grassland Webinars & Workshops
- From the Grassland Bird Trust: Managing Grasslands
- From the Audubon Society: North American Grasslands and Birds Report
- An Action Plan for the Conservation of State-listed Obligate Grassland Birds in MA
- From SuAsCo CISMA: Galerucella Beetle Project for Purple Loosestrife Bio-control for 2012
- Restoration and Management Case Studies, A Presentation by Bruce Scherer