Okeechobee Landfill enhances its wildlife habitat

Pollinator garden will support nearby fruit and vegetable crops

Okeechobee, Fla. – WM employees constructed and planted a pollinator garden at the Okeechobee Landfill. The garden was constructed to enhance the Wildlife Habitat Council-certified area of the landfill, which consists of a variety of 15 Florida native plants and is maintained by on site employees.

Maintained by on-site employees, currently 2,000 acres are dedicated for wildlife and an additional 250 acres are unmanaged but available for wildlife.

Pollinator gardens are important because approximately 75 percent of all food crops grown in the United States depend on pollinator animals such as insects, reptiles, birds and some mammals. These gardens support pollinators by supplying pollen and nectar to keep animals in the area who pollinate nearby fruit and vegetable crops.

Okeechobee is a certified, registered Wildlife Habitat site through the national Wildlife Habitat Council as a Wildlife at Work program.

PHOTO: (L-R) Stacey Lowe, Teresa Almond, Sr. District Manager Tony Bishop, Pam Casperson, and Teresa Chandler.