Wild By Design: Houston & Andorra Meadows
by Claire Brennan, FOW Communications Coordinator
Houston and Andorra Meadows are some of the most treasured and seemingly wild habitats in Wissahickon Park, and the greater Philadelphia area. In reality, these flourishing grasslands are a carefully managed landscape.
Typically, rugged nature and human intervention are at odds, but a visit to the meadows might change your mind- they’re bursting with plant life, brimming with birds, and were specifically rehabilitated by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) to foster native wildlife.
The Houston Meadow Reclamation Project, completed by PPR in 2013, was initiated to expand the shrinking 15-acre plot to a robust 48-acre mixed forest and meadow habitat, seeded with warm-season grasses and wildflowers over the course of twelve years.
The area was recognized as an essential resting and feeding stop on the Atlantic Flyway for migrating birds. Once surveyed post-reclamation, bird populations were thriving- with plenty of native grasses, shrubs, and insects to support an array of species.
Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) also installed nearly 60 habitat boxes across both meadows which we use to monitor Eastern bluebird, Carolina wren, Tree swallow, and chickadee populations. By monitoring fledglings of these species, particularly the Eastern bluebirds, we can gauge the health of the meadow.
Eastern bluebirds are indicator species because they are more sensitive to the conditions of their habitat. Meaning that, if our bluebird populations aren’t thriving, our meadows aren’t thriving.
The Andorra Natural Area is home to a variety of exotic plant species–you might have noticed the meticulously planted Japanese Maples hugging the path from the Upper Andorra Parking Lot to Andorra Meadow. This isn’t a coincidence; it’s evidence of what was once the largest nursery on the east coast: Andorra Nursey.
This meadow is home to some other unusual tree species like Korean evodia and the European beech. You can also find wineberries, blackberries, and raspberries in the warmer months.
For the meadow to continue to thrive and support its many furry and feathered residents, PPR regularly mows the meadow. This practice mimics natural grazing and fires that would otherwise clear invasive weeds and dead vegetation in a similar unmanaged, wild meadow.
Other benefits include delaying natural succession, a process where the species composition of an area changes over time. Without an annual mow, the trees in Andorra meadow would slowly overtake the many grasses and wildflowers.
Early summer is an opportune time to visit the meadows; as we inch into June they become a stage for thousands of fireflies, lighting up an ocean of big blue grass. For more on what you can do and see in Houston and Andorra meadows, click the links to take you to our Trails to the Past.
If you would like to support work that prioritize native plant and wildlife populations and provides fantastic recreation for Philadelphians, we welcome you to join us as a member!