June 27, 2025 -- The Lackawanna County Conservation District seeks a partner for a meadow project that will be a model to improve lawns and farmland throughout the county.

Jerry Stiles, conservation district manager, said the agency is looking for a parcel of land for the project. Ideally, he said, the first area will be easily accessible to the conservation district.

The project will convert the land back to a more native meadow. The grass currently in these areas offers little value from an environmental perspective, Stiles said. Local wildlife, especially pollinators, receive no support from the grass. Additionally, grass has a shallow root structure. Stiles said that planting native plants, which have a deeper root structure, will improve soil health, absorb more water, and facilitate a more efficient exchange of oxygen underground.

Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, are more attracted to native plant species, he said, making them significantly more beneficial to the ecosystem.

Examples of invasive species are the Russian olive and the multiflora rose, above. Stiles said people planted these species years ago to minimize erosion. Unfortunately, it was unknown that those plants would take over the land and drive out the benefits of native species.

The conservation district received $294,000 for conservation projects from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in streams. It is part of the Countywide Action Plan.

Stiles compared the meadow project to a previous project, which consisted of planting acres of forest riparian buffer in Lackawanna County. The buffers reduce pollution and stabilize stream banks. They also decrease water temperatures, which allows the stream to hold more oxygen.

Another benefit of the project was nutrient reduction, Stiles said, allowing the tree roots to pull up excess nutrients rather than allowing those nutrients to run into streams.

The forest riparian buffer project created an environment that is more stabilized and beneficial to wildlife. Building on that experience, the conservation district plans to enhance local grasslands further and mitigate the number of harmful threats to ecosystems, Stiles said.

Anyone interested in participating may contact the district through its website, www.lccd.net, or by calling 570-382-3086.