Grasslands

Grasslands are an increasingly rare sight in New Hampshire. More than 70 species of wildlife use these open areas of fields and wildflowers to meet their needs for food, cover, or breeding.

 

ACC manages 250 acres of grasslands on 14 properties throughout Amherst. Interestingly, many of these grasslands were created by humans centuries ago and will revert to forest if not mowed on a periodic basis. Many grassland species are now threatened in New Hampshire because of such reversion of grasslands to forest. For this reason, you will notice ACC's grasslands mowed every so often.

 

Use our Habitats & Trails map to locate grasslands in town. You can even use this interactive map on your smart phone while hiking.

 

Check out citizen science and nature stewardship that takes place, and you can be a part of, on Amherst's grasslands.

 

ACC's policy on the use of herbicides to control invasive and noxious plants can be found here.

 

Buck Meadow – a grassland in restoration

ACC is undertaking a grasslands restoration project at Buck Meadow, a property that until 2019 operated as a golf course. ACC acquired the property in partnership with the Amherst Recreation Department. A major portion of the area will be managed as a nature conservation area that protects wetlands, forest, and grasslands. Moreover, protection of this area contributes to maintaining the quality of a major aquifer, a source of water for Amherst.

 

The grasslands restoration will involve the natural replacement of the current grass species found on fairways and greens with native species for which this site is suitable. This process will take several years and may involve some interventions to control invasive species and periodic mowing.

 

 

 

Over time we expect this area to host more native wildlife, including a variety of songbirds and birds of prey, fox, deer, and let's see what else. Because this may include ground nesting birds, we ask that visitors not bring dogs to the area during Spring-Summer-Autumn months.

 

The grasslands restoration project will follow a plan developed in consultation with ecologists with the University of New Hampshire's extension service and practical tips on topics such as invasive species management and converting fairways to natural grassland from our neighbor, Amherst Country Club.

 

You can get involved with our citizen science initiatives to track the restoration  of the area. We currently have two underway:

 

  • A photography project will document changes in the grassland and the wildlife species that occur here. To the left are some of the photos from 2020, the first year of the project (credit Sherie Dowsett). Due to the early stages of the restoration and a drought over the summer, the property appeared little changed. However, the stress of drought on grasses that we hope to be replaced with native species, combined with a year of seed dispersal by wind and birds, may be setting the stage for interesting things to come.
  • eBird provides a smartphone app for identifying birds and recording observations. This global tool has become a favorite among birders and is becoming a go-to source of information for researchers. Record your bird sitings at Buck Meadow. We expect you'll see some of those pictured here and many more.
  • iNaturalist will be used to build a database of observations of nature in the area and provide a platform for public discussion of what people are seeing. Those wishing to participate can simply sign up to join this community of citizen scientists.