Community – Page 5 – NPSOT-Williamson County Chapter

December 3, 2023

Volunteer: Running Brushy Middle School Wildflower Seed Stomp, Wednesday, December 6, 4:30 PM

— by Beth Erwin

Running Brushy Middle School’s Wildflower Seed Stomp is on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 4:30 PM, at 2303 N. Lakeline Blvd., Cedar Park, TX.

Our NPSOT chapter is providing support for this Leander ISD student project. We need some volunteers to show up at the school Wednesday afternoon to help monitor the wildflower seed dispersal and stomping. This will take place in front of the school, between the main entrance parking lot and Lakeline Blvd. Part of the area has recently been disturbed with utility work and is mostly bare ground. Around the edges, there are some native species that do not need to be stomped.

There is a lot of enthusiasm among the student body for this event. If you can come help, please join us. You will be protecting bluebonnet seedlings, four-nerve daisies, Blackfoot daisies and some other native species that are present.

Please wear your NPSOT name tag if you have one. Because of school pick-up traffic, it would be better to arrive a few minutes after 4:30.

If you have questions, please send us an email at wilco-chapter@npsot.org.

December 1, 2023December 1, 2023

Landfill Pollinator Garden Workday, Sunday, Dec 10, 2023

Join us for a workday at the landfill pollinator garden on Sunday, December 10, 2023, from 9:30am to 11:30am. Bring a hat, boots, gloves and water. We’ll be spreading mulch (hopefully) so if you have wheelbarrows, shovels, and maybe garden rakes to bring, it will help make things go more quickly.

Signup at this link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AADAC28A5F58-46506728-pollinator#/

About the garden: The Pollinator Garden is a collaboration of the NPSOT-Wilco chapter, Good Water Master Naturalists, and Williamson County Waste Management, located at the entrance to the Williamson County Landfill, at the corner of FM 1660 and Landfill Road in Hutto, TX, across from the Recycling Center. The garden includes a Monarch Waystation and is a Certified Texas Wildscape. Volunteers help maintain the garden when the collaborating organizations announce a maintenance work day. Anyone interested is invited to help!

November 20, 2023

Lots Done at the Landfill Pollinator Garden’s Workday

— by Nancy Pumphrey

Under threatening skies on Sunday November 19, 2023, eight volunteers from Master Naturalists and NPSOT tidied up the pollinator garden at the Williamson County Landfill. Louis, from Waste Management, had the place mowed and weed-whacked and it was ready for some sprucing up. We added Texas Cupgrass (Eriochloa sericea), Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea), Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridius), Zexmenia (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispid), Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides), Crucita a.k.a. Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium odorata), Illinois Bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis), and Rayless Grindelia (Grindelia squarrosa) to replace plants that had expired.

The mulch did not materialize as expected but that was ok considering the bluebonnets were already showing. We were able to get some weeding done and the rain barrel Gary fixed seemed to be holding water. So all together, it was a successful day! Thanks to all who came and it is looking like it will be a great spring out there. For those who were not able to join us, we will have another workday in the spring, date not yet determined.

If you have never been to this garden it is open to the public. Sunday is the best time to go as the landfill is closed so there is no traffic and it’s safe to park along the road.

About the garden: The Pollinator Garden is a collaboration of the NPSOT-Wilco chapter, Good Water Master Naturalists, and Williamson County Waste Management, located at the entrance to the Williamson County Landfill, at the corner of FM 1660 and Landfill Road in Hutto, TX, across from the Recycling Center. The garden includes a Monarch Waystation and is a Certified Texas Wildscape. Volunteers help maintain the garden when the collaborating organizations announce a maintenance work day. Anyone interested is invited to help!