Introducing the idea of "Pocket Prairies"

18 inch (max) high fescue grasses are proposed under the existing trees are in the Park. As you may know, these trees have exposed tree roots that make trimming costly as each tree needs to be done by hand.

Parks & Recreation has approved seed mixes depending on the environment and other factors. Grass seed mixes that may be planted in Palliser Park include four grasses native to Medicine Hat:

	Bouteloua gracilis, the blue grama, is a long-lived, warm-season perennial grass, native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta, Canada, east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and U.S. Midwest states, onto the northern Mexican Plateau in Mexico.
	Hesperostipa comata, commonly known as needle-and-thread grass, is a species of grass native to North America, especially the western third. It has a wide distribution spanning from northern Canada to Mexico.
	Koeleria macrantha is a species of grass known by the common name prairie June grass in North America and crested hairgrass in the UK. It is widespread across much of Eurasia and North America. It occurs in many habitat types.
	Pascopyrum smithii is native to North America and is known as western wheatgrass or red-joint wheatgrass, after the red coloration of the nodes.

Once established, they help minimize erosion and increase organic matter in the soil. Native grasses are also vital in the life cycles of many bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Grasses provide the habitat for overwintering eggs, caterpillars and pupae of butterflies. The thatch at the base of the grass clumps is ideal for protection from predators and cold weather.

Native grasses are attractive, low-maintenance additions to the landscape. Incorporating native grasses in this park aligns very well our earlier stated goals. Native grasses reduce water consumption and resources required for maintenance while promoting natural growth and enhancing our green spaces.

The City of Medicine Hat’s 2022 Parks & Recreation Master Plan notes that more than ever before, there is a great demand for access to natural areas within or nearby communities to promote a strong human-nature connection.

Park People is a Canadian charity that supports and mobilizes people to help them activate the power of parks to improve the quality of life in cities across Canada. Insights from their 2022 survey include:

• Nature connection is high among residents of Canadian cities. On average, 87% of city residents said they feel connected to nature, including 48% who felt strongly connected. But nature connection seems to grow with age, starting with 83% for 18-29 year olds and rising to 94% for those 65 and older.
• Pandemic heightened interest in urban nature. 48% of city residents said spending more time in naturalized spaces was a new activity they picked up during the pandemic. While positive, this did impact maintenance with 72% of cities saying they had to address overuse of natural areas and trails during the pandemic.
• Nearby nature is key. Canadians strongly indicated they value nature experiences close to home like smelling wildflowers with 71% indicating visiting naturalized spaces within a 10-minute walk helped boost their sense of connection to nature, while just 50% listed traveling to larger spaces. Additionally, 63% of respondents said they wanted to see more native plant gardens and naturalized spaces within parks.

Naturalization projects, while offering key social and environmental benefits, can also trigger community concerns due to the potential loss of park space for other activities and worries about the visual appearance of these spaces.

Parks and Recreation is committed to working with your neighbourhood to ensure well-informed decisions around pocket prairies in the park. This includes addressing challenges associated with naturalization projects, focusing on early community buy-in, community involvement in selection, and communication with clear signage.

Additional environmental, social, and economic benefits to naturalized areas include:

	Greater biodiversity More drought tolerant landscaping Protects natural heritage Creates beneficial habitat Reduces or eliminates the need for pesticides Greater ecological benefits to local wildlife species (native birds, bees, insects and mammals) Can form connections with the surrounding ecosystems to help restore landscape functions Improves air and water quality Improves soil physical properties, thereby enhancing conditions for tree and shrub growth
	Naturalized areas have greater density and can provide a noise buffer or screen for developed areas Fosters a new relationship of urban environmental stewardship and can increase awareness of our natural systems and processes Educational and experiential benefit of observing naturalized landscapes change throughout the seasons and over longer periods of time Spending time in naturalized areas promotes mental and health relaxation
	Reduced energy consumption and energy costs associated with equipment and labour Trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants capture rainwater which takes pressure off urban drainage systems and may help reduce flood impacts Reduced maintenance costs---both time and material inputs If Alberta and Saskatchewan provided more habitat for native pollinators, and increased their populations, farmers could possibly increase farm income by over $2 billion dollars per year.

We're not the only ones doing this

Pocket prairie practices are increasing in popularity in cities across Alberta (Edmonton, St. Albert, Calgary, Grande Prairie) and beyond.