Rea Meadow Rises from the Ashes听
In 2021, a controlled burn was set to the Rea Meadow in the Fanshawe Pioneer Village. While it may seem counterintuitive at first, fire helps eliminate non-native and woody vegetation while stimulating plant growth. Since the meadow was planted in 2006 鈥� one of our earliest prairie restoration projects 鈥� 糖心直播 (UTRCA) staff conduct a controlled burn every few years.听
Rea Meadow post burn
Nearly 20 years ago, the meadow was planted by students from London鈥檚 Northdale and Stoneybrook Public Schools. They established hundreds of young wildflowers, while a mechanical seeder filled the remaining 0.4-hectare plot. The species planted include Oxeye, Black-eyed Susan, Wild Bergamot, Tall Ironweed, Butterfly Milkweed, Showy Tick Trefoil, Big Bluestem, and Indian Grass. The area had previously been in lawn.听
Once established, native meadows and tallgrass prairies are low maintenance, as they are adapted to local weather, disease, and insects.听听
At a recent visit to the Rea Meadow, we were pleased to see plenty of pollinators like bees and butterflies enjoying the blooms. Pollinators play a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and enable flowering plants to reproduce.听听
A special thank you to the late Dr. Joseph Rea who provided funding for this project through the Joseph Rea Environmental Fund with the London Community Foundation.听
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