Akron’s native meadow program is expanding to more parks after a successful pilot at Hardesty Park in the Wallhaven neighborhood. The program, a partnership between the City of Akron and the Akron Parks Collaborative, aims to reduce maintenance costs and create wildlife habitats.
How it Works
The city has about 500 acres of mowable parkland and hopes to reduce that by about 100 acres by establishing native meadows. These meadows require less maintenance once established and also reduce stormwater runoff, increase biodiversity, and create wildlife habitats.
Rebecca Derr, a volunteer who helped plant the meadow at Hardesty Park, said she enjoys walking through the meadow daily to see the different plants and animals that have made it their home. The city is evaluating the success of the meadows by monitoring whether native species are growing and thriving at each site.
Expansion Plans
The city has established a second meadow site at Patterson Park Community Center in North Hill and is installing meadows this year at Barc Akron Dog Park in Cascade Valley and the city’s new Glendale Park in West Hill. The Margaret Park area on Manchester Road is scheduled to receive a meadow next year.
Residents interested in the program can contact the city to evaluate whether a site is a good fit for a meadow. The city considers factors such as maintenance reduction, sunlight, and soil conditions when selecting locations for new meadows.
Original reporting: Signal Akron — read the source article.
