Wildlife Habitat Council

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Earth Day 2009

IBM Boulder Plants Garden for Earth Day

Wildlife team members at IBM Corporation’s Boulder Campus celebrated Earth Day by planting vegetation to attract pollinator species in a previously un-landscaped plot. Twenty employees shoveled rocks to create an attractive border and planted species, such as gold flame spirea (Spirea bumalda), snowstorm spirea (Spirea media darsnorm), little bluestem grasses (Schizachyrium scoparium), and Himalayan fleeceflower (Polygonum affine), which was transplanted from a previously established pollinator garden at the entrance to the campus.

IBM Boulder Campus employees plant a native garden in honor of Earth Day. Photo courtesy of IBM Corporation.

Volunteers from the Boulder campus also assisted the City of Boulder Parks and Open Space Department by planting trees in a park adjacent to the campus the day after Earth Day. Trees planted included Pondersoa pine (Pinus ponderosa), common juniper (Juniperus communis), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), and red cedar (Thuja plicata). Wire tree covers were placed around the seedlings to protect them from rabbits and other browsing animals.

The Boulder Campus was first certified for Wildlife at Work in 2001. The campus created and maintains over an acre of pollinator gardens on site that includes a diverse array of native trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers. The wildlife team also works with the City of Boulder Open Space Department and the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department to develop practices to enhance wildlife habitat on the campus and on surrounding city-owned land.

KBDJ Hosts Students to Celebrate Earth Day

KBDJ, LP hosted eight middle school students from Grace Academy of Georgetown, Texas, at its Hays County quarry for an Earth Day celebration on April 22.

KBDJ Bat Box
A bat box offers roosting opportunities for bats at KBDJ's Hays County Quarry. Photo courtesy of KBDJ.

The students planted live oak trees and a mixture of Texas wildflower seeds at the entrance to site and toured existing wildlife habitat areas. Hays County Commissioner Karen Ford, a member of the Clean Air Coalition, spoke to the students about the efforts in Central Texas to improve air quality.

Wildlife enhancement activities by KBDJ began in June 2007, with the establishment of bat roost boxes. These boxes are monitored weekly to determine use by bats. The site held a community Christmas tree recycling drive, from which trees were used to create additional habitat for fish and other aquatic wildlife in an on-site pond. Rocks placed in the pond have also attracted turtles. In addition to enhancing the wetlands and erecting bat roosting boxes, KBDJ controls invasive species and plants native grasses.

Through these efforts, KBDJ works with community members and organizations and has provides educational outreach activities for school-age children. In early 2008, the site hosted a field trip for 125 fourth grade students to educate them about native wildflowers and have them assist with the planting of native species at the site. It also hosted an environmental educator field trip and is working to incorporate environmental education opportunities during its site tours. The site achieved certification for Wildlife at Work in 2008.

Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet. What can you do? The answer is: anything that is meaningful to you and for the environment! Every voice counts; every action matters. What did you do for Earth Day? Send us your stories!