WM and DeLisle Elementary Students Plant Microhabitat at Pecan Grove Landfill
WM, a leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions, is proud to announce its latest sustainability initiative aimed at enhancing the local environment and fostering community engagement. In partnership with fifth-grade students from DeLisle Elementary School, Tandem Global, Mississippi Native Plant Society and local elected officials, WM established a vibrant microhabitat at its Pecan Grove Landfill in Pass Christian. This marks the fourth microhabitat planted jointly by WM and Tandem Global since 2023.
Together, students, WM team members and Tandem Global planted more than 750 native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses across a 1,500-square-foot area. The new microhabitat will serve as a biodiverse ecosystem, providing wildlife habitat, improving soil health and supporting the Gulf Coast’s natural resilience.
“This project is a wonderful example of how sustainability and education intersect,” said Tricia Farace, WM Gulf Coast Communications Manager. “By partnering with local students, we’re not only creating a habitat that supports native species but also inspiring the next generation to be environmental stewards in their own communities.”
Microhabitats like this play a vital role in addressing biodiversity loss, mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing the urban heat island effect. These small, densely planted green spaces act as natural carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They also provide shade, cooling, and soil stabilization- critical benefits for coastal regions like the Mississippi Gulf Coast that face erosion and rising sea levels.
“Using native plant stock locally sourced from Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coast ecotypes, this microhabitat is a significant opportunity to demonstrate how any landscape, regardless of size or location, can use Tandem Global’s microhabitat approach to deliver the co-benefits of biodiversity uplift, carbon sequestration and ecological restoration to corporate landscapes,” said Mitchell Robinson of Tandem Global.
“Our students are learning that stewardship starts right here at home,” said Carisa Fryer, DeLisle Elementary School Principal. “From tending our school greenhouse and gardens to planting native species with WM and Tandem Global, they’re growing not just plants but a sense of responsibility, curiosity, and hope for the future.”
The microhabitat initiative aligns with WM’s broader sustainability goals, including reducing carbon emissions, increasing recycling rates, minimizing environmental impacts, and positively affecting 10 million people through targeted social impact programs by 2030.
