Rock Creek

Meadows National Park Service U.5. Department of the lnterior t' Rock Creek Park i *:. €ry& ffi 'Er' Washington, DC tI t.{ wiihin For€Sf occupies roads, and mowed lawn. Open meadows also dot the landscape. In 1977 the National Park Service established these meadows to increase natural diversity. This !.edge habitatl' pfovides valuable refqge for in:s€ctS; birds, mammal St of meadows Rock Creek Park are small and scattered. The meadow at the intersection of Military Road and Glover Road covers four acres and is the largest in the park. I A Light Hand Equals Healthy Habitats Rock Creek Park's meadows typically grow Park meadows are diverse places. Naturalists undisturbed, However, if left entirely alone, they eventually would revert to woods, In early spring, National Park Service staff cut dead stalks and woody sprouts in the meadows. Throughout the growing season, workers also control invasive, non-native plants. These plants come to the meadows from many different parts of the world. In the open, sunny conditions present in meadows, and without the predators or other controls found in their places of origin, these non-native plants can compete agarnst the native plants. Without some management of the invasive plants, park meadow habitats could be lost. have identified more than 400 species of sunoving plants in these habitats. lVeadows provide birds with places to nest and perch, and habitat to support butterfly life cycles. Pollinators and insects, attracted by meadow grasses and flowers, support small mammals scurryrng along the ground. in a meadow may notice the contrast. One's attention may move from stirring leaves to the sound of whirring wings or from fragrant flowers to tall grasses, only to pause at the rustle of a small creature's passage. Enjoy the meadow's plants and animals as you f ind them, but please leave them undisturbed for others to enjoy. No collecting is allowed. For most casual observers, the meadows look like areas of high grass that need mowing. But to those who watch carefully, the meadows are alive with activity. With patient observation, visitors who stand with one foot on the mowed lawn and the other Pets must be leashed at all times on National Park Service land. Visitors and pets should stay on designated trails at all times. Rabbit in the meadow. American Goldfinch American goldfinch. o 5;!T EF9TCa( ln spring, a brilliant yellow and shinyblack bird may be seen flying above Rock Creek meadows. This is the Amorir:n onldfinrh lCarclt rali< fri<ti<t The male possesses bright yellow feathers used to attract a mate. The preferred habitat of these seed-eating birds ls open meadows. American qoldfinches nest from late June through July, one of the latest nesting periods for birds in the Washington, DC area. Such timrng is believed to coincide with the seed production of milkweed, thistle, and other plants their young. rTheie' acrobatic heads Tawny- on thistle. Teeming with Life lnsects Besides monarch butterf lies, many other insects can be found in Rock Creek meadows. With caref u I observation, grasshoppers, crickets, bees, and spiders all can be spotted Small Mammals small mammals, bats, and birds A black and yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) may spin its circular web between tall plants in early evening to catch flying insects. A host of White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) use meadows for food, relying on numerous seeds produced by grasses and other plants. Another small mammal found in the metabolism, the shrew may eat as much as three times its body weight per day to survive. As dusk settles on the meadows. an animal mav he ril r.ile IItedqows, t\utllerouS species of butterf lies and moths frequent the meadows at different times of the year when various plants are flowering. This diversity of insect species makes meadows an attractive feeding area for DutterTlres stp nectar trom meadow flowers, floating from aster to milkweed to clover. Bumblebees and honeybees fly busily from {lower to flower, collecting pollen to take back to the hive. meadows is the short-tailed shr ew (Bl a ri na b revi ca u d a), which has slate-colored fur and tiny eyes. The shrew is dif f icult to see because it moves constantly along the ground under leaf litter in search of insects, snails, and beetles. Because of its high seen flying swiftly and changing directions abruptly just above the meadow plants. These are bats, feeding on insects. Bats are experts at catching insects in flight. Without them, people would encounter far more mosquitoes and gnats. Northwest {. Battery Kemble Park. East of Chain Bridge Road, uphill from the main parking lot. *. Sherrill Drive. Flanking the bridge over Rock Creek, at the intersection with Beach Drive. 3. Military Field. South of Military Road, between 27th Street and Glover Road. 4. IVlorrow Drive. Bounded by Madison Street and lVorrow Flriria narr 16+h (+166+ 5" Picnic Grove 17. Along the edge of the woods, east of Glover Road, north of the intersection with Ross Drive. 6. Park Road. About 500 feet east of Beach Drive at Peirce Mill, I northeast of tennis courts. 7. Bluff Bridge. Downstream 0.3 miles from Peirce Mill, west of footbridge over creek. Northeast &, Fort Slocum. Along the edge of the woods, along Kansas Avenue, Madison Drive, to Third Street. 9" Fort Totten Metro. Large open area west of First Place, north of Metro station. 'l&, Sargent Road. East of Sargent 'Gallatin'and Meadows occupy six areas in the Rock Creek watershed and five locations under park management in the CivilWar De{enses of Washington, including Battery Kemble,Park.,The More lnformation Visit Rock Creek Park Rock Creek Park Nature Center 5200 Glover Road, NW 3545 Williamsburg Lane, NW Washington, DC 2O0OB 202-895-6010 Washington, DC 20015 www. nos.gov/rocr or on Facebook ,,'.X :: ,:' :