We’ve collected some of the most stunning pics, as featured on the subreddit, to share with you, dear Pandas. Scroll down to check them out, and be sure to upvote and rate your faves. Happy meadowing! PS—are we the only ones yearning to go on a nature hike with our cameras right now? Bored Panda reached out to the friendly founder of the uplifting r/RateThisMeadow community, redditor u/omelete01, who co-moderates the sub together with their partner, u/infjetson. They were happy to tell us about the history of the subreddit, and what new members ought to keep in mind, and shared their thoughts on nature conservation. Read on for our interview! 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. “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.” 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. “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 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 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? + 1Are 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) + 1Mountains/hills in the background + 1, or maybe +2 if it’s really impressiveWildlife + 2 (I like animals in meadows).Generally, a close-up of a meadow seems to get more points than a far-away meadow.”
“I encourage you all to use your own point system, and most importantly, have fun with it!”u/omelete01 said. Deep-rooted grasses that grow in meadows can act as carbon sinks that help mitigate climate change. This, in turn, helps maintain a clean water supply, which can then support fisheries and wetlands, as well as provide various tourism opportunities. Biomes also often have deep cultural significance to the local populations. Losing them also means losing a part of one’s history and heritage. We’d be absolutely thrilled to hear your thoughts and experiences, so if you have a moment, swing by the comments section! In the meantime, if you enjoyed these photos, consider becoming a member of the tight-knit r/RateThisMeadow community. Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
