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WHC Members and conservation partners are invited to join the Wildlife Teams at PPG Monroeville Chemicals Center  and Bayer Corporation’s Pittsburgh Site  for a two-day educational event (August 28-29, 2008) to celebrate their recognition as Signature of Sustainability sites with the Wildlife Habitat Council. The joint program between Bayer and PPG will allow employees from both sites to conduct tours and presentations for each other and the general public. “Both Bayer and PPG have demonstrated fervent commitments to education in all facets of their Wildlife at Work and Corporate Lands for Learning (CLL) programs,” explains WHC President, Robert Johnson, “and we are pleased that this event is opened to others in the community, so they will be able to attend and learn more about both of these exemplary programs—and why they deserve our recognition as a ‘Signature of Sustainability.” Click here to get the registration forms and flyer!

The two-day program is open to all and begins midday, August 28, at PPG Monroeville Chemicals Center with an overview and tour of the PPG site. Topics include the establishment of the Monarch Meadow and how it links to local classroom curricula.  Participants will also learn how the PPG Team tracks its bluebird population and will be able to sample the unique, hands-on learning techniques used in the CLL program. In the evening, all participants are invited to participate in a dinner reception at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium which celebrates the accomplishments of both Signature sites.

On Friday, August 29, participants will convene at the Bayer Pittsburgh Site for a tour of the extensive wildlife habitat and a chance to sample the hands-on learning of the award-winning CLL program. The Bayer Wildlife Team members will explain how their programs (including nest box programs, wildflower gardens and woodland management areas) were developed and maintained, and how they have kept their wildlife team engaged and informed so successfully over the years. Additional funding for the joint reflection event is being provided by the Heinz Foundation.

Mark your calendars to come to Pittsburgh, PA, to meet and learn from the Wildlife Teams at Bayer Pittsburgh Campus and PPG Monroeville Chemical Center. To register, contact CLL@wildlifehc.org

Corporate land managers, educators and students were brought together for two days of a fun and unique educational experience at the Wildlife Habitat Council’s 2008 Corporate Lands for Learning (CLL) Education and Outreach Workshop. BP’s Cooper River Plant, in Wando, South Carolina, hosted the 2008 Workshop as part of its two-day Signature of Sustainability celebration on March 14-15. The site maintains WHC certified Wildlife at Work and CLL programs and is a past winner of the prestigious Corporate Habitat of the Year and Corporate Lands for Learning of the Year awards.

A tufted titmouse sits on a branch. Photo (c) Charles H. Warren, National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), Digital Image Library.

On March 15, WHC members looking to create CLL programming at their sites and local teachers participated in an all-day professional development experience. Attendees were trained in Flying WILD, the latest educational program from the creators of Project WILD, the Council for Environmental Edcuation. Flying WILD enables middle school age students and community members to learn about migratory bird species and encourages them to hold “bird festivals” to share their knowledge with others—and to celebrate the wonder of their discoveries. The informative and fun programs allow each festival to feature student and volunteer-led activities, along with experts from the local conservation community.

In addition to Flying WILD training, the group enjoyed a “Wood Duck Nest Box Tour” led by Ernie Nelson, habitat manager at BP Cooper River. He outlined the habitat at Cooper River facility, illustrated common tools and methods used to manage for this species, and led participants on trails throughout the site’s wildlife habitat area. Highlights of this tour included an up close look at wood duck eggs, and a view into local history. The group was shown old, abandoned brick kilns, used in the plantation era that still exist on the site.

On the day before, BP Cooper River hosted an event for 70 local school children in honor of their recognition as a WHC Signature of Sustainability. The students visited three stations for bird related fun. At the first station, “Build a Bluebird Box,” BP employees worked with students to build and decorate bluebird nest boxes for the students to take home. For the second station, the Charleston Audubon Society led students on a nature walk. The students learned to use binoculars and observed vultures, a rat snake and even bees. The third station was presided by WHC education staff, which led the students in Bird Olympics and Fill the Bill, lessons from Flying WILD’s curriculum. Kids and adults alike also enjoyed lunch and a “feather raising” presentation from the Center for Birds of Prey, based in Charleston, South Carolina.

Participants left their two day experience at Cooper River excited about the potential of Flying WILD for showcasing student research, promoting cooperation between schools and local companies, and using their own wildlife habitats as outdoor learning laboratories.

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