Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is delighted to hear that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), has received a Virginia Green Travel Star Award for Most Innovative Green Project for a commitment to green tourism practices through its Pollinator Habitat Program at Virginia Welcome Centers.
In 2014, VDOT launched the Pollinator Habitat Program working with Loudoun Wildlife on four pilot plots in four Northern Virginia, planting milkweed and other native plants that will help species of beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies, including the Monarch.
Last year, Loudoun Wildlife volunteers and Dominion Power representatives worked with VDOT to restore a 15,000 square foot meadow restoration as well as smaller plantings at a center on I-95 north in Dale City. The Dale City Rest Area on I-95 south was one of the four sites planted in 2014.
VDOT has worked on three other sites in southwestern Virginia and is planning other projects as the program expands around the state. To find out more about VDOT’s Pollinator Habitat Program click here.
You can start your own pollinator welcome center at home, at school, at your business and just about anywhere. Check out our section on Monarchs and our calendar for events and information about Monarch butterflies and other species.