Virginia Bluebells are dying because VDOT is spraying herbicides all over our roadsides and the Shenandoah River. These flowers are irreplaceable—they've been part of Clarke County for generations, and they're critical food for pollinators in spring. Once they're gone, they could take years to come back, or not come back at all.
I started a petition to get them to stop the indiscriminate spraying in riparian zones and areas where native wildflowers grow, and shift to mechanical mowing instead. The chemicals also runoff into the river, harm aquatic life, and expose our community to unnecessary risk. There are better ways to maintain roadsides that don't destroy what makes our landscape special.
Has anyone else noticed how much our roadsides have changed? Or walked those trails and seen fewer bluebells than you remember? If this matters to you too, consider signing and sharing—we need local voices to push back on this.