Lark Meadow: Nature’s Return to Hawthorn Thicket

Witnessing natural succession as meadow transforms back to woodland

Lark Meadow takes its name from the skylarks that could be seen rising from the field when the Seven Fields Conservation Group was established in 1989. Though not as botanically rich as Spring Field or Long Meadow, this meadow tells an important ecological story. It naturally wants to revert to the hawthorn thicket it probably was in the past—a process clearly visible in the growth of hawthorn alongside the bridle track. This natural succession occurred when hay was no longer taken from that part of the field, demonstrating how quickly nature reclaims land without active management.