Category: Volunteers

Chapter Volunteer Activity

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Volunteer Opportunity, City of Georgetown Prairie Project, May 11, 2024

This volunteer effort, assisting the City of Georgetown with its project to convert a former landfill to prairie, was announced at the chapter meeting last night, May 9, 2024. More information will follow in the future. Meanwhile, if you are available on May 11, 2024, to help with planting see below for details.

— by Beth Erwin

Anyone wanting to join the volunteer group working Saturday, May 11 at the former City of Georgetown Landfill site (Mt. Trashmore) should be at the entry gate (red star on the map) at 9:00 AM Saturday. 

It will be muddy.  The area is covered with a thick layer of mulch.  We will be pulling that back in places to expose the soil for planting.  We will have fifty or so plants to put in Saturday.  If you have a rake that will work in heavy mulch and a sharp shooter style shovel you are willing to bring, do so.  Put your name on it.

There will be water for the volunteers.  Otherwise:  full sun, no grass or other vegetation present, muddy/wet in spots, possibly mosquitos.  Gloves strongly recommended.

If you come up College Street on the east side of the San Gabriel River, don’t turn left and cross the bridge.  Go straight to the entry gate.

If you come over the San Gabriel River bridge on College St, the gate is on your left at the end of the bridge.

image of map

Coordinates in Google maps.

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Landfill Pollinator Garden Workday – Part Deux

This image shows the volunteer crew gathered around the project sign in celebration of completing the mulch spreading.

— by Gary Bowers

Six volunteers from Master Naturalists and NPSOT Wilco started the chilly, breezy morning of Sun Dec 10, 2023 bundled up to begin spreading the 15 cu yds of mulch that Louis from Waste Management had delivered. The goal: spread the mulch along the pathway – covering the weed barrier that had become visible.

Photo showing piles of mulch with the pollinator garden and Willamson County Landfill sign in the background.
Mulch ready to be spread at Williamson County Landfill Garden on Sun Dec 10 2023.

The team exchanged introductions, unloaded the tools, and quickly got to work. By the end of the first hour, we had started shedding layers of clothing. Chilly days are the best for spreading mulch!

Photo showing volunteers using garden implements to spread mulch along pathway.
GWMN and NPSOT Wilco Volunteers spreading mulch along pathway.
This photos shows the completed pathway with the pollinator garden in the background.
The mulch has been distributed, the weed barrier is hidden, and the stones repurposed as a border.

The crew sat aside the limestone pavers that had been used as stepping stones and then repurposed those to use as a garden border. Stones like this create habitat for crickets, spiders, lizards, and various other critters.

After all the mulch was spread and the tools returned to the correct vehicles, the team spent some time walking the garden, checking on the new plants put in during the previous workday, and discussing the tasks needed for the next workday.

This image shows the volunteer crew gathered around the project sign in celebration of completing the mulch spreading.
The accomplished crew celebrating their work.

Thanks to all the hardworking volunteers! See you on the next workday!


If you have not yet been to this garden, it is open to the public. Sunday is the best time to drop by as the landfill is closed so there is no traffic and it’s safe to park along the road. If you choose to go during the week, park at the Recycling Center across the street.

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!

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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!

image of large native plant garden