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A closed section of Fairfax County’s I-95/Lorton landfill has become one of eastern Fairfax’s most important sanctuaries for grassland birds, including species suffering steep population declines.
The 50-acre area supports three confirmed grassland specialists: bobolinks, eastern meadowlarks and grasshopper sparrows. Such birds are rarely seen elsewhere in Northern Virginia because the meadows and grasslands they need have largely disappeared.
Bobolinks are especially distinctive. Breeding males have black underparts, white backs and straw-colored heads—markings sometimes compared to a backward tuxedo. Their spring songs feature rapidly shifting, jangling notes, and the birds migrate as far as 12,500 miles round trip between North and South America each year.
Their presence at the landfill carries added significance as grassland bird populations collapse. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports a 53 percent national decline, with habitat loss widely considered a major cause. More than half of the bird species that rely on grasslands for breeding are declining sharply.
The United States has lost 62 percent of its historic 550 million acres of temperate grassland. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology reported in April that another 2.5 million acres are disappearing annually.
A New Approach to Mowing
Bobolinks and many other grassland birds nest and raise their young on the ground, leaving eggs and chicks vulnerable to mowing.
At the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance’s urging, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed county staff in February to create a plan limiting mowing during the nesting season, generally from April 1 through mid-July. Staff subsequently established a no-mow area and substantially reduced cutting there.
A survey conducted by Blair Evancho from Aug. 22 through Oct. 17, 2024, identified 29 bird species in the study area. The most frequently recorded included grasshopper sparrows, savannah sparrows, American kestrels and eastern meadowlarks, all of which have declining populations. Evancho’s report was issued March 18.
County officials plan to continue limiting mowing during nesting season, keep mower blades at eight inches and monitor the birds. Some cutting remains necessary for worker safety and access to methane gas wells, but Evancho said the revised schedule should improve the birds’ chances of thriving.
Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck, who initiated the effort before the Board of Supervisors, called the landfill eastern Fairfax County’s largest and most important grassland. He said the conservation plan could position the county as a leader in managing landfill grasslands.
A Model for Other Landfills
The county’s findings describe declining grassland bird populations as a threat to diverse and healthy ecosystems. Grasslands also support mammals, pollinators, reptiles and other wildlife while providing carbon storage, water filtration, and resilience against droughts and floods.
With most natural East Coast grasslands erased, agricultural properties and large open spaces such as the I-95 Landfill Complex may offer some of the region’s only suitable habitat. Monitoring birds and adopting wildlife-friendly land practices could help slow further losses.
Northern Virginia Bird Alliance President Libby Lyons praised the county’s action, saying the work could provide a model for bird-friendly practices at other landfills. The organization has collaborated with Fairfax County for several years, including installing nesting boxes for American kestrels.
Alliance volunteers and landfill employees also plan to extend the previous survey, examining how the new mowing schedule affects birds during the spring breeding season.