— by Nancy Pumphrey
Eighteen people joined us for the Progressive Field Trip on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
We started at the Williamson County Landfill Pollinator Garden in Hutto. We go out there on Sundays when the landfill is closed so no big trucks are zooming around. The day of the field trip, the garden was full of butterflies enjoying the Gregg’s mistflower. Grasses and sunflowers and lantana were blooming. Gary Bowers and the Wacky Weeders have done a great job tending the garden and keeping the plants looking good. We were visited by Sherrell Cordas, the Community Relations Manager for Waste Management. Waste Management presented the garden with a Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) Certificate and also donated money for the garden this year. And even though July is not the best time to view the landfill garden we could see all the good work that has taken place.
Our next stop was the garden in Murphy Park in Taylor — lots to look at as we walked around. The garden is a Monarch Waystation, with its restoration fueled by a grant from Bring Back the Monarchs. We enjoyed seeing butterflies and bees on the plants. We noted the care taken to trim the pecan tree that has volunteered there. The garden is near the park’s pond which also sports an egret rookery. Some native sabal palms grow nearby in the park. Leland Haefner and his crew of volunteers have done a fantastic job stewarding this garden back to life. The Taylor Parks and Rec department added the fencing and repaired the irrigation system so new plantings were protected as baby plants. The switch grass was impressive but will now need to be moved to a new location as the grasses are blocking the view.
Our last stop was Plowman’s Kitchen in Taylor for a well deserved hydration and lunch break. This was a great outing, especially considering the heat!
We welcome all volunteers who might want to get involved in the upkeep and maintenance of either garden. Send an email to wilco-chapter@npsot.org for more information.
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See photos from this trip and many other field trips in our album =>