Year 4
– Meadows, Pollinators, and Community Integration

Action Goal 1: Balance ecology and people

Strategy

• Establish soft walking loops
• Place educational signage

Action Goal 2: Evaluate Previous Work

Strategy

• Native plant survival
• Bank quality
• Water Quality
• Bat count (citizen science encouraged) – and perhaps other counts
• Pollinator garden / bee count
• Meander-core wetlands

Action Goal 3: Apply Regenerative Practices

Strategy, Year 3 – shift dominance to native system (full native mix)

• Mow in late spring
• 50% Grasses → build soil carbon + structure; Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
• 35% Forbs (wildflowers) → support biodiversity + microbes; Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Bee Balm / Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Blazing Star (Liatris sp.), Goldenrod (Solidago sp.), Asters (Symphyotrichum sp.), Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.)
• 15% Legumes → fix nitrogen; Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), White Clover (Trifolium repens), Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis)
• Deep taproots → break compaction + pull up nutrients; Sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
• Track: % plant cover, number of species, soil feel (crumbly vs compacted), earthworms / insects

Action Goal 4: Maintenance & Stewardship Strategy

Strategy

• Invasive checks: 2× per year
  • Invasive removal
• Meadow mowing (if applicable): 1× annually (late winter)
• Tree care: Mulching, watering first 2–3 years
• Stream access points only—no general bank trampling
• Volunteer stewardship days to build long‑term success

Action Goal 5:  Build volunteer base 

Strategy

• Community engagement:
  • 4 Educational Events / Site walks
    • The Greenspace in Winter
    • The Greenspace in Spring
    • The Greenspace in Summer
    • The Greenspace in Fall

• Nurture contact list – newsletter, social events
• Signage
• Volunteer workdays

Action Goal 6: Secure funding

Strategy

• Always reapply for Lexington Stormwater Quality Grant (2030 - May 1, 2029 deadline)
• Document list of potential grant sources and deadlines
  • Lexington Stormwater Quality Grant (Priority)
  • NRCS (eligible only for EQIP)
  • CAIP (eligible due to farm #)
  • FCCD educational grant

✅ Administrative Deliverables:

Visible transformation

Increased neighborhood use