Wildlife Habitat Council- Brownfields / Remediation

New Beginnings - The Woodlawn Wildlife Area consists of a former landfill and an adjacent natural area. This project is part of an ongoing effort to transform the land into a thriving wildlife area and to establish a unique natural resource in Cecil County, Maryland.

In the 1960's and 1970's, a 37-acre site near the rural area of Woodlawn in Cecil County, Maryland, was used as a county-owned landfill where local residents, farmers, and industries dumped their waste. In the 1980's, groundwater contamination was detected beneath the landfill, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave the site the widely recognized label as a "Superfund" site. Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. assumed responsibility for the site’s remediation and worked closely with EPA and Maryland state agencies to devise a clean-up plan. Bridgestone acquired an additional 58 acres of land adjacent to the original 37-acre landfill site in order to monitor groundwater.

In the mid-1990's, something unexpected was discovered...the site was actually getting cleaner on its own. Naturally occurring bacteria were breaking down the contaminants - a process known as natural attenuation. This unexpected event opened the door for innovative, ecological restoration methods to be put into practice at Woodlawn. Soon, Bridgestone partnered with the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and the EPA revised their 1993 Record of Decision to allow for these pioneering techniques.

As a part of their new management approach, Bridgestone and WHC began to work with local community partners to implement a wildlife habitat enhancement program that included planting native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees on and around the landfill, installing nest boxes for eastern bluebirds, American kestrels, and eastern screech owls, and controlling invasive nonnative plant species. Many of these projects are ongoing and evolving.

Since 1997, WHC, Bridgestone and several Cecil County residents and organizations have made significant efforts in restoring the Woodlawn site to viable wildlife habitat. Local residents, community groups, and area schools are actively engaged in Woodlawn programs. Some of the projects include constructing an education pavilion and information kiosk, nest box monitoring, meadow management, soil testing, and building a nature trail.

"The support from the community has been amazing and we look forward to working with other groups and individuals as we continue to enhance the site’s wildlife habitat," said Tim Bent, Director, Environmental Affairs, Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.

The public is encouraged to come and use New Beginnings. The main gate is kept open for local community members - individuals, families, and groups - to come in and have a picnic, walk the trails or do some birding. In March of 2006, WHC staff added an educational component to the existing nature trail at New Beginnings. There are now numbered posts along the trail.

In 2001, local teens were involved in an official naming contest for New Beginnings. The contest signified the transition of the site from former landfill to natural area and with it, New Beginnings – The Woodlawn Wildlife Area was born.

New Beginnings continues to be just that, a new beginning for many different elements. If you are interested in volunteering at New Beginnings, a WHC staff person will be on-site about 2 times per week. Contact Whc@wildlifehc.org and ask for the Land Restoration Program Manager to learn more and volunteer. We hope to see you out there!