Meadows, typically, are open habitats or fields and are considered to be semi-natural grasslands. They’re primarily full of grasses, herbs, and non-woody plants. Though meadows can and do have various shrubs and trees growing in them, they technically should be sparse. If the area has too many trees, it’s a different kind of habitat.

In some parts of the world, there are very few meadows left, which spells a huge challenge for biodiversity.

For example, in the United Kingdom, meadows are one of the rarest habitats, with 97% of this biome having been lost since the Second World War. This means that the few remaining meadows have to be very carefully managed.

We were very curious to find out how such an interesting subreddit like r/RateThisMeadow first got started. The founder, u/omelete01, was kind enough to share what happened with us. It all started back in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak.

“I was going out hiking quite a bit since there wasn’t much else we could do. At the same time, there was a trend going around of rating people’s zoom backgrounds. I would joke around and do the same thing when hiking, so I figured why not turn it into a Reddit community?” the founder told Bored Panda.

“It was hard finding much positivity in the world at that time, so I wanted this community to be positive and uplifting. I wanted people to share places in nature they loved. I thought creating a fun and subjective rating of meadows would help.”

Redditor u/omelete01 shared that, early on, they came up with a subjective scale for what makes a 10/10 meadow. “Really, no one was getting lower than a 7. I also encouraged folks to use their own rating, and people did. It was a really fun and positive vibe.”

Bored Panda wanted to get the sub founder’s thoughts on what new members ought to keep in mind. They said that the first step would be to get engaged in rating other people’s meadows in a positive way.

“People in this community generally lift each other up. Have fun with it, give someone an 8, and tell them what would make it a 10 for you, but don’t be rude about it. For my partner, a 10/10 meadow is a winding trail with rolling hills, a scenic vista, wildflowers, and either a stream or other natural water source. But for you, it could be totally different, and that’s ok!” u/omelete01 pointed out that there’s a lot of subjectivity in meadow rating.

Secondly, the founder urged everyone to post their favorite picture of a meadow and simply “see how it goes.” The key here is not to overthink it.

“You want it to capture the essence of why that meadow calls to you. You can post a few pics of the same meadow from different angles if that helps you to showcase different aspects of it, like the view or more wildflowers or a lake,” they said.

“Meadows don’t have to be out in the wilderness. It can be in a park by your house or even in your backyard sometimes! Tell us what makes this meadow a meadow for you and why you love it.”

Redditor u/omelete01 stressed the importance of being responsible when visiting meadows. We all have a duty to treat nature with respect.

“Stay on the trail as much as possible. Be respectful of the land. You can also get involved in community activities that clean up parks and green spaces in your area,” they said.

“And make sure to be an advocate too. Be aware of what’s going on in your community to encourage green spaces and support those causes.”

The r/RateThisMeadow subreddit is very niche, with just 3.2k members. It’s a testament to the fact the internet is full of these sorts of wonderful communities—you just need to know where to look for them.

The idea behind the community is very straightforward. You post a photo of a meadow, then other people rate it. Then, you go about rating other people’s pictures of meadows. It’s all about having fun and enjoying stunning photos of the Great Outdoors. 

The moderator team running the nature photography-themed group asks for everyone to only post photos of meadows. It helps focus the content of the subreddit. However, they give some leeway about what does and doesn’t count as a meadow. There’s some openness to interpretation allowed here. “There is no specific rule as to what makes a meadow a meadow, use your own judgment,” they write.

The other thing that the moderators encourage is actively rating other people’s pictures. It’s a level of engagement that few other subreddits have.

The founder of the community, redditor u/omelete01, actually created a guide on how people can rate meadows. “I'm pretty subjective when it comes to meadow rating. But here's a stab at some things I look for when rating meadows,” they said.

• “Is there a meadow in the picture? You'll probably start with 4 points.
• Is it green and lush? + 1
• Are there wildflowers? + 1 (likely + 2 if there is a lot of wildflowers with good color)
• Is there a body of water in it? (ie. creek, stream, pond, lake, etc) +2. Apparently, I really value water in a meadow.
• Good contrast between sky and meadows (ie. sunset, nice blue sky) + 1
• Mountains/hills in the background + 1, or maybe +2 if it's really impressive
• Wildlife + 2 (I like animals in meadows).
• Generally, a close-up of a meadow seems to get more points than a far-away meadow.”

The founder said that the maximum score a meadow can get is a 10 out of 10. However, they allow others to disagree. “You do you, maybe you can find an 11 meadow somewhere,” they said, suggesting that some mythical pictures might even break the ranking scale.

“I encourage you all to use your own point system, and most importantly, have fun with it!”u/omelete01 said.

Of course, natural meadows can and do exist. However, very often, they are created artificially by clearing the land of shrubs and trees in order to produce hay and fodder or for livestock to graze in.

Deep-rooted grasses that grow in meadows can act as carbon sinks that help mitigate climate change.

However, as the global climate changes, meadows—like other biomes—can be affected by temperature and weather shifts. Aside from acting as carbon sinks, meadows can also prevent soil erosion and protect local areas from flooding.

This, in turn, helps maintain a clean water supply, which can then support fisheries and wetlands, as well as provide various tourism opportunities.

Naturally, meadows are essential when it comes to protecting local flora, fauna, and even mushroom species, some of which may be endangered. Losing meadows means losing biodiversity, something that conservationists, researchers, and local populations hope to avoid.

Biomes also often have deep cultural significance to the local populations. Losing them also means losing a part of one’s history and heritage.