UTRCA Establishing New Prairie for Grassland Birds (UTRCA weekly, October 14, 2022)

The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) has signed a 20 year agreement with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to establish, maintain, and monitor 22.6 hectares of tallgrass prairie habitat for Eastern Meadowlarks and Bobolinks. These grassland birds are Species at Risk classified as threatened in Ontario. The new tallgrass prairies will compensate for habitat that will be lost due to highway improvements undertaken by the MTO in southwestern Ontario. MTO is providing the project funding and the UTRCA is providing the land, expertise, and project management.

“Tallgrass prairies provide habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species, including many insect pollinators. Establishing this important habitat will help boost the populations of Eastern Meadowlarks and Bobolinks,” said Cathy Quinlan, UTRCA Terrestrial Biologist.

The UTRCA will establish the prairies at two sites: a field at Wildwood Conservation Area  and two fields at Fanshawe Conservation Area. Over the next two years, the fields will be prepared by removing the existing vegetation cover, and then seeded with a native tallgrass prairie seed mix. Afterwards, the sites will be monitored and managed to ensure good germination, growth, and weed control. Once the prairies are established, staff will undertake yearly checks to see if Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks are using the sites.