Highland residents may have noticed more native plants and less waste going into landfills in 2024. Cathy Perrin with Highland Neighbors for Sustainability gave a year-end report to the town council last month.
She said the organization spent several hours developing a native plant meadow near the Erie-Lackawanna Trail. "Steve Barker from NIPSCO came out and walked it several times, and he was really impressed with how well it was going for a first year," Perrin told council members. "And so next year, it will look even better."
Perrin said the group has also begun putting native plants in the Johnston Elementary School courtyard.
She also hopes Highland could become a destination for bird watchers. She said the organization's migration celebration at the Highland Heron Rookery drew 70 people, many of whom weren't aware of the site before then. They plan to make it an annual event.
"This could be really an economic boon," Perrin said. "Birding is a huge, huge industry in this country."
Perrin also told council members that Highland Neighbors for Sustainability made regular donations to a local food pantry with produce from the town's community garden. She said more than 200 pairs of sneakers and 1,800 pounds of pumpkins were kept out of landfills, thanks to the group's efforts.
