The Prince William County Landfill Eco-Park is abuzz! The Buzz and Flutter Meadow at the Landfill’s Eco-Park is in bloom and busy with bee activity! The beekeeper reports, “The hive exceeded my expectations! Beautiful queen and lots of eggs and young larvae- they are drawing out fresh wax in the additional box.”
In 2018, the Prince William County Solid Waste Management’s Landfill utilized repurposed items, such as used canoes from the County Parks and Recreation Department, and castoff tires and pallets dropped at the landfill, along with help from many dedicated volunteers, to turn the half-acre site into a beautiful pollinator garden complete with raised garden beds, a native bee hotel, and a walking path through the pollinator-friendly meadow. The project was supported by several organizations including Keep Prince William Beautiful, who secured project funding from the Keep America Beautiful/Lowe’s Community Impact Grant, George Mason University’s Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center, the Prince William Conservation Alliance, and Bees in School, LLC, who helped with hive installation.
The Buzz and Flutter Meadow is one of the spurs off the Landfill’s Outdoor Discovery Trail and promotes native plant species, native bees, honey bees and other pollinators. When school, scouting, and other groups tour the site on the Landfill bus tour, a stop at the Meadow enables instructors to readily incorporate environmental and social science education into the field trip through on-site investigations and hands-on activities.
This year, the Landfill Discovery Trail is expected to be completed, with the addition of another section connecting to the Buzz and Flutter Meadow, while maintenance of the bee area continues.
The Trail is part of the Landfill’s Eco-Park, which includes 383 acres of forested buffer, containing old growth trees and multiple streams. White tailed deer, red foxes, wild turkeys, salamanders and numerous woodland bird species have been observed in the Eco-Park.
We think it bee-utiful!