Help us make trash bloom! This summer, Sustainability Matters is seeking volunteers for environmental data collection and community education. Join us on Saturday, June 17th for a morning of volunteer training at the Rappahannock County landfill, one of the sites for Sustainability Matters’ Making Trash Bloom project. From 10am-1pm, Sustainability Matters staff will train volunteers on how to collect data about native and invasive plants, as well as provide more information about future volunteer opportunities at the site this summer.
Sustainability Matters’ Making Trash Bloom initiative reclaims ecologically barren land by planting native pollinator and wildlife habitat at landfills. Through bringing conservation to the most unexpected place of all - your local dump - we build community engagement around environmental transformation, inspiring and educating the public to create similar landscapes at home and elsewhere.
Summer volunteer activities include:
"Sustainable Science Team": data collection on native and invasive plants
"Docents at the Dump": educate community members on the importance of native plants by leading guided tours of the Rappahannock County MTB site
Note that the event will be held entirely outdoors. We will be walking through tall grass, so pants and closed-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Making Trash Bloom is geared at planting trash cells with bee and butterfly friendly native wildflower meadows. When landfills seal 5-10 acre trash cells, that land can never be built on, used to grow crops, or planted with trees. Landfills currently seed trash cells with turfgrass, which has no environmental value. Sustainability Matters is partnering with the Rappahannock County Landfill to plant pollinator and wildlife habitat instead. The pilot plot/demonstration garden was planted in October 2022, and we are eager to see what's blooming this summer. To learn more about our Making Trash Bloom Initiative, feel free to watch the video below.
When you register for this program, we'll also sign you up for Sustainability Matters' email list. We never sell your info, and you may unsubscribe at any time.
For more information, contact: kenny@sustainabilitymatters.earth