October 11, 2021

Susquehanna students and faculty, along with members of the Chesapeake Conservancy and Chesapeake Conservation Corps, gathered near Liberty Alley recently to restore the land to its original state – a wetland meadow – to improve water management and increase biodiversity on campus.

The volunteers planted a diverse array of native plants and trees, including honey locusts, fragrant sumac and rushes.

“This meadow is a great example of a pollinator habitat because the species’ growing here attract bees and other pollinators,” said Shannon Thomas, of the Chesapeake Conservancy. “It’s important to the health of our native plants to encourage the presence and activity of native insects. The site also acts as a forest buffer, which provides many benefits to the stream that runs through the meadow.”

The plants and trees also provide stabilization to the soil, Thomas said, which slows erosion and mitigates sediment pollution into the stream. October’s planting was the second phase of planting at the site; the first took place in June.