By Avice Meehan

Friends of the Meadow held an outdoor meeting on June 4 to sketch out a rough plan for addressing invasive plants and shrubs in City Meadow during the current growing season, as well as future restoration steps. The group is also beginning to develop a vision for City Meadow and will coordinate with the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department as planning of the new firehouse proceeds.

The first step, mowing down non-native cattails and phragmites, occurred shortly after the meeting and was handled by Matt’s Landscaping of Falls Village. Massachusetts-based Native Habitat Restoration will treat these plants with herbicides in late summer and, in the meantime, address invasive shrubs on the meadow’s banks. A draft planting plan for City Meadow is expected by mid-summer from Beth Roemaker of Meadowscapes, the firm that worked with the Salisbury School on the meadow visible from Route 44.

Members of Friends of the Meadow have worked closely with First Selectman Matt Riiska since voting in May to sever the town’s relationship with Wholistic Land Care, a previous consultant on the meadow. Payment of all bills will now be handled directly by the town. Funding for the work is made possible through an anonymous grant.