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Member Spotlight | Project Spotlight
Member Spotlight Each month, WHC showcases member environmental stewardship efforts, partner programs and articles of interest. Send in links, company Web pages or outside media Web outlets that showcase your program to publications@wildlifehc.org. Mail good quality news clippings to WHC's main office. Stop by these links to learn more about news, celebrations and projects: Companies and communities are working together to sustain natural resources through good stewardship and science-based solutions. These ecosystem management techniques result in many benefits, including improved biodiversity conservation and opportunities for environmental education programs. Member Links
Learn about WHC members and partners in highlighted news clips, Web sites and articles from around the globe. US Steel Gary Works Recognized as SOLEC 2008 Success Story United States Steel Corporation's Gary Works site in Indiana was recognized as a State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conferences (SOLEC) 2008 Success Story for the Environmental Restoration, Education and Outreach project. The selection committee considered many nominees and concluded that the US Steel Gary Works project, along with four other projects, best fulfilled the criteria. The Wildlife Habitat Council congratulates US Steel's Gary Works Corporate Lands for Learning program and its employees for their wonderful accomplishments in wildlife habitat restoration and management. To learn more about SOLEC, click here. Beaver Spotted in Detroit After 75-Year Absence Wildlife officials are celebrating the sighting of a beaver in the Detroit River for the first time in decades, signaling that efforts to clean up the waterway are paying off. The Detroit Free Press reports that a beaver lodge has been discovered in an intake canal at Detroit Edison's Conners Creek power plant on Detroit's east riverfront. Detroit Edison is a subsidiary of DTE Energy, a longtime WHC member. Read more here. Tennessee Valley Authority Wildlife Team
Waste Management's GROWS/Tullytown Site Featured on Waste Management's GROWS/Tullytown site, located in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, was highlighted on ABC's Good Morning America as part of a feature on our nation's landfills. GROWS/Tullytown was recognized for its wonderful work transforming part of its land into a public park and wildlife habitat. Watch the video here. JFNew Joins 1% For The Planet JFNew is now a member of 1% For The Planet, a growing collective of organizations that are "committed to creating a healthy planet." JFNew believes the mission of 1% For The Planet makes a great fit with the company's culture and values, and sees this program as a means to extend its corporate stewardship and sustainability efforts. Beginning January 1, 2009, JFNew will contribute one percent of its Native Plant Nursery gross sales towards environmental conservation, restoration and education efforts. To read more about JFNew and its commitment to environmental stewardship, please visit www.jfnew.com. Learn more about 1% For The Planet here. David Carroll of Lafarge North America David Carroll, current member and immediate past Chairman of WHC's Board of Directors and a senior advisor/consultant with Lafarge North America, has been named AggMan of the Year 2008 by Aggregates Manager magazine for his contributions to environmental issues within the aggregate industry. Carroll was recognized for his commitment to the aggregate industry through his environmental leadership and active participation in industry organizations. He has been credited with helping to build Lafarge's internal environmental structure and has been instrumental in the creation of key partnerships between Lafarge and key associations and NGOs. Read more about David Carroll, AggMan of the Year 2008, here. To learn more about Aggregates Manager magazine, please visit www.aggman.com. DTE Energy Wins Green Award On behalf of DTE Energy, Regional Relations director Michael Chriss accepted the Greening of the Downriver Award for large businesses on Monday, January 12, 2009, from the Southern Wayne County Chamber of Commerce (SWCRC). DTE Energy applied for this inaugural award in 2008 after having received letters of recognition and support from several partners. The SWCRC serves 21 communities in Southern Wayne County. Madelyn Williams, regional manager for This new award is given to chamber members with greater than 100 employees who "exemplify economic, social and ecological sustainability of the Downriver region through green practices." DTE Energy was recognized for its many varied projects and partnerships in the Downriver area, including the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, the Wildlife Habitat sites at its Downriver power plants, tree planting projects, the Hawk Watch, events such as Paddle By Your Refuge and the Fish 'n Fun days at Delray, assistance with the Downriver Linked Greenways initiative, and many more.
The September 2008 issue of St. Louis Commerce magazine features a cover story interview with Monsanto chairman, president and CEO Hugh Grant. Mr. Grant outlines the extensive program behind Monsanto's three-point sustainability pledge which includes:
- Developing seeds that enable its customers to double their yields in corn, cotton and soybeans by 2030 vs. 2000 production. - Helping farmers conserve by one-third per unit of output key natural resources they rely on, such as water and energy. - Helping improve farmers' lives here and around the globe. This is not a commitment made lightly, Mr. Grant noted in the interview. It represents an achievable goal meant to further the company's efforts to help find solutions for growing global demands on agriculture for food, feed and fuel. The article also describes Monsanto's 251-acre Creve Coeur campus that is widely recognized as a corporate site where wildlife is abundant and valued. The site received its first Wildlife at Work certification by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 1993. The company has an active wildlife management plan that is managed by talented, wildlife-savvy Monsanto personnel in an ecologically sound way that benefits the community at large. Restored native prairies, woodland habitat, native wildflower garden and an enhanced habitat for migratory and breeding birds are among the achievements of the wildlife management team. Many staff members at Monsanto have expertise in botany, ornithology and entomology, providing a natural platform for employee education. Bird walks, insect walks, educational presentations and wildlife demonstrations are a part of the Creve Coeur team's program. For more information please go to the magazine article.
In recognition of Earth Day, The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that strengthens the long-standing partnership between the two organizations.
NSSGA members are well represented in WHC’s membership as well, maintaining WHC certified wildlife habitat and conservation education programs. Aggregate companies have many resources at their properties that are often overlooked. These facilities often contain buffer areas and water resources that are vital components of wildlife habitat. The communities that surround these properties are another asset that can be brought into the fray to create involved and trusting relationships. The MOU bolsters NSSGA’s Sustainability Guiding Principles, which establish sustainability principles for each phase of the mining life cycle, increase biodiversity at member locations, improve community outreach, and members’ health, safety, environmental and economic performance. Read the press release in WHC's Press Room.
Long an expansive refuge of gulf coast marsh for wood ducks, bald eagles and community members alike, Monsanto Company’s Luling Plant received four awards from the Louisiana Governor’s office recognizing the plant’s recent environmental achievements.
Two levels of awards were given to the site, including Achievement Awards in Wildlife Enhancement and GI Cake Wash Optimization, and Honorable Mentions for the Luling Energy Conservation Team and RC 14001 Implementation. The Luling Wildlife Enhancement Committee maintains approximately 1,100 acres of wildlife habitat consisting of rainwater retention basins and ponds, an employee picnic area, leased pastureland, hedgerows, a power line right-of-way, drainage canals and landscaped areas enhanced to include native vegetation. Nesting structures were installed in the water retention basins and canal areas for wood ducks and other nesting waterfowl. Maintenance schedules were modified to allow for higher stands of vegetation in the retention basins and rights-of-way on the property are mowed annually to allow for low-growing vegetation. In the employee picnic area, employees continued a rotational mowing program and erected brush piles to provide cover for wildlife species. Employees also constructed and placed bluebird boxes in the picnic area and maintained signs and trails to encourage the participation of other interested employees. Nature trails were constructed for employees to enjoy the habitat area. Luling’s Corporate Lands for Learning program promotes conservation education opportunities within the community. The wildlife team works with local Girl Scout troops to install and maintain pollinator gardens. The team also reaches out to community members and students through its annual blackberry picking event and its Wetland Watchers program. High school students learn about the importance of healthy wildlife habitat and monitor bat and bluebird nest boxes and construct duck nesting platforms. Read the press release. |
