MPG North Field Note - August 2024

Entrance Meadow Restoration:

• Historical Context: Twenty years ago, Entrance Meadow was dominated by meadow timothy and Canada bluegrass, which left little room for other plants. Over time, meadow timothy has largely vanished due to its preference for wetter conditions. While shrubs have increased inside the exclosure, their growth remains slow and mostly confined to established patches. Weeds, along with a few native grasses and forbs, have filled in the gaps.

• Field Experiment: In 2015, a field experiment was initiated to determine whether disturbance (such as fire or raking) would aid the establishment of native seeds. The experiment has been monitored for changes in the plant community. Results indicate that exotic forbs like spotted knapweed and hop clover have increased significantly, especially in undisturbed areas. Native grasses showed a preference for raking, while forbs responded better to burning.

• Species Observations: The most abundant native graminoids in 2024 were mountain fescue and a sedge species, despite the fact that the native species seeded in 2015 were not significant in the survey. Exotic perennial grasses have declined in all plots, with Canada bluegrass being the most abundant.

• Restoration Goals: The restoration efforts focus on aggressively planting native graminoids to outcompete exotic annuals like cheatgrass and ventenata. Rough fescue, though not prevalent in surveys, has become more noticeable in Entrance Meadow. Mountain fescue, which appears to have been seeded by an unknown source, is spreading across the meadow.

Wetland Restoration:

• Willow Planting: Every year, the field crew harvests willows near the Swan River to plant in Entrance Marsh. The goal is to replace reed canarygrass with willows, which will provide food for beavers. New willow mats are being placed into the existing reed canarygrass, and additional willows are being planted around Home Pond to establish several acres of beaver food.

• Paper Birch Planting: The second annual crop of paper birch seedlings, progeny of trees from MPG North, is ready for planting.

Other Observations:

• Bird Nests: A nest, likely built by Red-eyed Vireos, was found in an alder near Entrance Marsh. The nest was constructed from dry grass and spiderwebs, a characteristic material used by hummingbirds as well.

• Insect Activity: Tiny beetles were observed foraging on pearly everlasting, bumblebees preferred bee balm, and butterflies, like the Northern Crescent, were seen defending their territories on goldenrod.

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