Managed Meadow Areas increase biodiversity and provide a natural habitat for pollinators, native plants, insects, and birds.
A Natural Area
Managed Meadow Areas (MMAs) are developed and implemented throughout the entire Buffalo Olmsted Park System. They complement the more formal areas of the parks. They give us a glimpse of the idealized visions of nature that Frederick Law Olmsted originally planned to give park visitors respite from the pressures of everyday life.
What are MMAs?
MMAs are former open lawn areas of the parks that have been selected to provide an aesthetically pleasing, more natural setting. These areas increase the biodiversity of the area. Pollinators, native plants, insects, and birds can be found in these unique areas of the park. Trees, shrubs, grasses and flowering plants that are native to Western New York have been carefully chosen for introduction. Soil types, amount of sunlight, and moisture levels are all considered before plants are introduced to the area.
Care and maintenance
These selected areas that have been turned into MMAs are not simply left alone. Trash, invasive species, and non-native plants are removed. The introduced plants are watered and weeded to help them become well established. Once established these plants will require minimal care.
Long-term goals of MMAs
MMAs provide excellent educational opportunities and a chance for volunteers to help Western New York establish native plants that are beneficial to the ecosystem. The long-term goals of MMA implementation are to reduce energy use and reduce the usage of necessary BOPC resources while simultaneously establishing a unique and diverse wildlife habitat.
