Enhancing our Natural Lands

Wildlife at Work

WHC encourages employees to get "Wild at Work" by participating in a wildlife management team at their place of employment. The Wildlife at Work program is a proven method for developing voluntary programs that achieve habitat enhancement, increase employee morale, improve community relations and reduce costs. Over 800 sites worldwide continue to excel in their Wildlife at Work programs promoting long-term conservation of species and habitats through protection and management. Documented as a proven method from the University of Michigan for developing voluntary programs that achieve numerous benefits. A manicured lawn (high maintenance) surrounding a manufacturing facility might be converted into a visually appealing and ecologically reproductive meadow habitat (low maintenance) ("The Economic Benefits of Wildlife Habitat Enhancement on Corporate Lands," 1991, pg. 2). This proactive approach helps realize new opportunities: improved employee moral, increased public recognition, potential for cost savings, better relations with regulatory agencies, compliance with ISO 14001 standards and protection and restoration of biodiversity. The values created by the habitat enhancement projects provide the basis for community awareness, volunteer participation and environmental education programs.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Hopewell Campus

Certification

The Corporate Habitat Certification/International Accreditation program has grown to 288 sites on 1.3 million acres. Certification validates wildlife habitat projects to employees as well as the community at large. The quality of both newly certified and recertified sites continues to improve with the conservation focus from single-species management to multi-species and ecosystem habitat management.

These sites have continued their original programs and, in many instances, expanded them to address ecosystem management and regional biodiversity. WHC certification adds value to programs by providing third-party credibility and an objective evaluation of projects. Sites with just a small amount of acreage have opportunities for a great range of projects from tree plantings, creating pollinator gardens, building nest boxes/raptor perches, to controlling and removing non-native and invasive species and even beautifying parking lot areas with native trees and shrubs. Large-scale programs can restore prairies or wetlands, manage hunting programs to control game species populations, plant acres of food plots for wildlife, diversify the number and amount of native plant species on-site or create an entire green roof that will provide natural stormwater management and restore a living, productive environment.

Corporate Lands for Learning

Corporate Lands for Learning (CLL) demonstrates how corporate land, natural resources and employee skills can provide students at local schools with "hands-on" environmental activities to supplement existing classroom instruction. The goal of CLL is to provide company sites and schools with a step-by-step process to establish effective partnerships that meet local environmental education needs. What makes for an exceptional CLL program? Providing environmental resources for the community at large with instruction for all ages. Including the importance of wildlife habitat and species ecology; techniques for monitoring streams and nest boxes; soil and water conservation in backyards; and how the site relates to other regional, national and international conservation programs. College students use many corporate sites for research methods, applying classroom concepts to real life research and natural resource management. There are so many "teachable moments" found in nature. Students can learn from real-time field investigations at sites, empowering them to take personal action to conserve their local habitats. Visit WHC online for lesson plans on teaching flora and fauna in local communities. Our most downloaded program – Hoptoad Habitats – explores the world of amphibians. Our Web site www.wildlifehc.org provides resources for teachers and students to undertake community-based ecological restoration at homes, schools, businesses and parks.

The Fifty for the Future campaign surpassed its goal with nearly 60 global sites establishing a CLL program on-site. Companies are reaching out to the communities where children and adults live, work and play. In Canada, United Kingdom and many locations across the United States, including a U.S. Department of the Army site, CLL provides innovative environmental education activities which are multi-disciplinary, inquiry-based and customized for each site.

Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding, Inc. New Beginnings, The Woodlawn Wildlife Area

Nest Monitoring Program

To date, WHC’s Nest Monitoring Program (NMP) has documented the fledging of over 104,000 native birds on corporate lands since 1991. Wildlife team members, consisting of employees and community volunteers, monitor both natural and artificially erected nesting structures to measure reproductive success and the effect on local bird populations. Each year these results, including numbers of nest boxes, eggs and fledglings, are submitted to WHC and compiled into an annual report that documents the success of each species and the program as a whole.

Throughout North America, WHC members are actively managing thousands of acres of habitat to re-establish bird populations at corporate sites. On-site employees implement nest box programs that provide homes for species such as: kestrels, mallards, bluebirds, wood ducks, purple martins, raptors plus much more. Many sites use NMP as a tool to educate youth and adults about the life cycles of various species. The NMP management plan encourages employees and community members to protect birds through the construction of artificial nesting structures, preservation of wildlife habitat and education on our feathered friends.

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