Prairie Flowers Emerging at Cade Tract (UTRCA weekly, September 24, 2021)
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) staff’s efforts to convert two hay fields at the Cade Tract to tallgrass prairie are starting to show results! This UTRCA property is located west of the Town of St. Marys, at 4695 Perth Road Line 5. The fields were seeded with a native tallgrass prairie mix in September 2020. Many prairie grasses and flowers concentrate their energy into root growth for the first year or two, so annual weeds are often seen first.
In early September 2021, the field in the southwest corner of Cade Tract was a sea of yellow; the faster growing Black-eyed Susan, Sweet Ox-eye, and Tall Sunflower were already blooming and attracting pollinators. Other prairie species, especially the tall grasses, should start showing themselves in the next year or two. These heat-loving, warm season perennial grasses need extra time to put down roots that can reach 4 metres in depth. The second field in the northeast corner of the Cade Tract is not as successful so far, so continued management (e.g., mowing the weeds) is needed.
Funding for this restoration project was provided by Nature London, a private funder, and UTRCA. Once established, the prairies should provide habitat for grassland birds such as Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark in the spring, and bees and butterflies in late summer.
The Cade Tract is open to the public for walking and is a great opportunity to explore nature close to home. Please enter the property at the small parking lot by the address sign. There are no formal trails and the vegetation can be dense, so dress appropriately. Please take garbage and pet waste back home with you. ATVs and other motorized vehicles are prohibited.
Providing natural spaces and passive recreational opportunities at properties such as the Cade Tract supports the UTRCA’s Environmental Target of instilling conservation values by supporting outreach to 1 million people annually through visits to UTRCA owned and managed lands, as well as hands-on environmental experiences.