East Vincent to Convert More Than Five Acres of Lawn to Meadow

East Vincent Township plans to convert more than five acres of mowed lawn on township-owned property into meadow at no cost through a program run by the North American Land Trust.

The areas are located at the township’s municipal complex and adjoining Park on the Ridge at 262 Ridge Road, Spring City. The project will replace regularly mowed turf with meadow, where grasses, wildflowers, and other vegetation are allowed to grow with less frequent maintenance.

Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) Vice Chair Elaine Milito described the project during the group’s August 12 meeting, the same day she, other officials, and township staff met with Wyatt Moyer, a representative from the land trust.

Milito said Moyer brought a map dividing the property into numbered sections, and the group spent about an hour reviewing which areas are wet, fall within the riparian buffer, or are otherwise suited for meadow.

Milito said the program is funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). She said the land trust is covering the cost through a grant of more than $200,000 and is seeking properties where the funding can be put to use.

According to DCNR resources, converting lawn to meadow can reduce mowing, improve stormwater absorption, help prevent flooding, keep soil and nutrients in place, and provide habitat for pollinators, butterflies, and songbirds.

More Than Five Acres Planned for Conversion

According to figures cited at the meeting, about 5.28 acres would be converted. EAC Chair Molly Wagle said the change would save the township money by reducing the need to mow those areas while also helping with stormwater runoff. Milito noted the land trust would maintain the meadow areas for three years.

Milito said the intent is to convert most of the numbered sections into some form of meadow. One area near the front of the property floods when it rains and could be planted with species that tolerate wet conditions, she said, while a section within the riparian buffer could be planted with trees instead.

The new meadows are expected to be seeded this winter, likely in January or February. The timing is intended to keep the seeds from potentially germinating during an unseasonably warm period while allowing species that require cold stratification to receive enough exposure to cold, moist conditions before spring.

According to Wednesday’s discussion, the township’s board of supervisors has already agreed to the plan, and no further approvals are required.