Near Rocky Gap in Bland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Like to Eat?
Thank A Pollinator!
| | Virginia Department of Transportation Pollinator Habitat Program | |
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 8, 2025
1. Like to Eat? Marker
Did You Know?
One out of every three mouthfuls of food we eat is delivered to us by pollinators.
Three-fourths of global crop plants grown for food, spices, beverages, condiments and medicines is pollinated by animals.
Pollination services to U.S. crops is valued at $10 Billion every year.
Natural habitats are becoming increasingly rare because of the spread of development. We have become accustomed to and comfortable with "managed" landscapes that consist of mowed turf grasses and flowering plants that are pretty to us but may not be so valuable for animals and insects. Because of all this, pollinators and other species are in trouble.
VDOT knows the importance of these habitats and species and has a unique opportunity to be able to create connected habitat corridors along the over 57,000 road miles in Virginia.
The Pollinator Habitat Program began in 2014 and our goal is to create naturalized habitats for these important creatures. The habitats also reduce emissions from mowing, help retain stormwater and sequester carbon and nutrients.
We can all help by creating natural habitats where we live and work. And think of all the free time you'll have because you're not mowing!
Erected by Virginia
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 2014.
Location. 37° 12.359′ N, 81° 6.315′ W. Marker is near Rocky Gap, Virginia, in Bland County. It can be reached from U.S. 77 at milepost 61, 0.9 miles south of Wilderness Road (Virginia Route 606), on the right when traveling south. Marker is located at the southbound Rocky Gap Virginia Welcome Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bastian VA 24314, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia and in the Blue Ridge Highlands. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 8, 2025
2. Like to Eat? Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: James A. Williams, Jr. (within shouting distance of this marker); The Crooked Road (within shouting distance of this marker); A Noted Preacher (approx. 0.9 miles away); World's Smallest Railroad (approx. 5½ miles away in West Virginia); Welcome to West Virginia (approx. 5½ miles away in West Virginia); A Tunnel Runs Through It (approx. 5½ miles away in West Virginia); World War Memorial Bridge (approx. 7.2 miles away); Miss Blanche Miller's Kindergarten and Continuation School (approx. 7.3 miles away in West Virginia). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rocky Gap.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Andrew Davidson (was approx. 6½ miles away in West Virginia but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on August 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 9, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 69 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 9, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
