Twin Bridges Recycling & Disposal Facility

About the Program
Waste Management's Twin Bridges Recycling and Disposal Facility, located in central Indiana, sits on a vast 21-acre grassland prairie habitat with a river. The site neighbors a golf course as well as a forest habitat. With this program, the team seeks to create a diverse natural habitat that supports a wide array of native wildlife species. The region in which the site is located used to be the home of many native tall grass prairies that have been struggling to survive, so the team aims to restore this habitat as part of the larger ecosystem. The team has also installed a pollinator garden and manages food plots on-site, and regularly welcomes local adult learners to the site to educate them on conservation practices. Additionally, WM offers members of the Boy and Girl Scouts the opportunity to earn community service on-site, and since 2017, the participants have contributed approximately 800 volunteer hours.

Practices and Impacts

• The team planted a variety of native grassland species in the habitat with the goal of restoring the native prairie plant community. Many of the plants selected are ones that attract native pollinator species. The team also periodically clears invasive species from the habitat to ensure success of the native plant community.
• The team has observed consistent plant success, survival and biodiversity in the native grassland prairie. They have identified 29 individual species including common milkweed, little bluestem, and prairie dropseed plants.
• In partnership with the Danville Parks and Recreation Department and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the team facilitates a yearly community engagement and education program for adult learners, the Indiana Master Naturalist (IMN) program. The team hosts the participants and specialists for educational activities, including in-habitat activities on the property. The team also leads volunteer projects with the IMN program where participants assist with habitat improvement. Before these opportunities were implemented, the state of Indiana had identified a lack of educational partners in the central part of the state.