Our Meadow Story
Beginning in 2023, Common Ground Earth started talking to Asbury Methodist Village on the possibility of a grant funded turf grass to native meadow conversion.
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A custom native meadow seed mix was developed to establish a vibrant and diverse ecosystem composed of wildflowers, grasses, and other plants that are indigenous to Gaithersburg. These native plants create an ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife, attracting colorful songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies, and pollinators. A native meadow also embodies a fundamental principle of CGE: diversity.
Defining our meadow space
With 1.65 acres to work with, we tried to utilize to most acreage within the 2 meadow sites on the Asbury property. Starting by drawing diagrams to educate the Asbury Foundation and the public on exactly where the meadow would be installed.
Turf Elimination
Working with Empire Landscaping, Environmentally safe aquatic spray was used to prep the meadow areas before seeding.
Native Meadow Drill Seeding
Legacy LandWorks helped prepare the 2 different native seed mixes based on density for the seed driller. 1.65 acres of land was seeded in November 2024
Spring has sprung!
The Habitat Action Commitee at Asbury
The Habitat Action Committee at Asbury looks after our 17-acre Nature Preserve, Asbury Methodist Village is a certified wildlife work site with a commitment to maintaining an eco-friendly campus that goes beyond just having a beautiful place to live. Asbury is dedicated to nurturing our environment and creating a space that will grow, evolve and sustain hundreds of species of native plant and animal life for decades to come.
Founded by Asbury Methodist Village residents, Gaithersburg Beloved Community Initiative (GBCI) is a volunteer-led nonprofit creating intergenerational programs that promote social justice and improve the lives of youth, families, and older adults. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King's vision of a "beloved community", GBCI works to bridge the opportunity gap for low-income communities in Gaithersburg through afterschool programming, mentorship, dialogue groups, and community action.
Welcome to Spring 2025! We are finally able to start monitoring the seed planting from November of last year. This data will give us a starting point to look at areas of the new meadow that need attention.
Spring Workshop 2025!
CGE had the opportunity to design a scavenger hunt and seed planting with local elementary school children with GBCI. The intergenerational learning that day was quite a site to see. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experiential learning and walked away feeling excited about nature!
Our First Meadow Bloom - June 2025
Witnessing the first official bloom at Asbury, we're taking in all of the great colors popping up and paying special attention to the areas that are in further need of native vegetation for the pollinators. Furthering the health of the meadows will be our priority moving forward with our continued adaptive management and monitoring plans.