Turner House Meadow Restoration

Turner House Meadow Restoration. Union Forge Heritage Association. , If you were standing here 200 years ago, you might see cows grazing in the meadow or seeking shade under the trees of a small orchard to your left. The impressive stone springhouse below with an attached well structure kept food cool with the waters of Black Brook and supplied fresh water., During the 19th century, this farmstead was part of a prosperous 200 acre farm owned by the Carhart family. For over 140 years, the farm served as an agricultural model in Hunterdon County. In the 1960s, this heart of the old Union Iron Works land was purchased by the State of New Jersey for the creation of Spruce Run Reservoir and the preservation of open lands., Members of Union Forge Heritage Association began removing invasive plants and restoring this area as a native wildflower meadow in 2016. Meadows serve many vital functions: besides protecting soil and filtering water, they provide food, shelter, and nesting areas for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. In fact, many native insects that co-evolved with plants and animals from our region cannot eat alien plants. Native plants are suited to this habitat and support a diverse and balanced food web, essential to a sustainable ecosystem., This area was seeded with species of grasses and forbs native to New Jersey. Grasses and black eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) came up the first year, followed by goldenrod (Solidago), purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea), tickseed (Coreopsis), NY Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), and mountain mint (Pycanthemum). After five years, wild bergemat (Monarda fistulosa), asters (Symphyotrichum novae angliae) and unusual plants like rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) emerged. Establishing a meadow demands patience; some wildflower seeds take years to germinate., Most meadows are not permanent. Unless actively managed, they will revert to forest. The dynamic character of meadows is a source of beauty. They are ever changing tapestries where plants move from place to place or appear spontaneously from one year to the next., Sources: Native Plant Society of NL The New Jersey Audubon Society , Signage grant provided by the New Jersey Highlands Coalition