Pepperell Rotary Meadow
4 Hollis St, Pepperell, MA 01463
In 2024, the Invasive & Native Plant Advisory Committee (INPAC), our DPW, and Conservation Administrator partnered with the Nashoba Conservation Trust to restore a highly visible town property that abuts a small pond and the town’s central rotary.
Truckloads of invasive plants including multiflora rose, bittersweet, black swallowwort, and barberry were cleared along the road and by a pond overlook, and replaced with native plants and shrubs that were appropriate for the overlook. A grant from the Wild & Scenic Stewardship Committee provided funding to add an educational kiosk for passersby as well as a a trifold brochure providing background on the project.
The result of these nature-based solutions is a lovely, healthy, natural place along a sidewalk where children walk to school, neighbors stroll frequently, and drivers enjoy while passing through our main traffic space. This project was featured on Boston WBZ TV’s evening news series, “Change Makers”
In the pond overlook area, we planted: Red osier dogwood, Sweet pepperbush, Winterberry, Speckled alder, Meadow willow, Tamarack, American sycamore, and Highbush blueberry. The meadow features Coreopsis, Butterfly weed, Bee balm, Common and Rose milkweed, Smooth blue and NE asters, Black-eyed Susan, Evening Primrose, Mountain mint, Partridge pea, and mixed native grasses.