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Waterways for Wildlife "Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better." The Wildlife Habitat Council continues efforts to enhance the river passages upon which many areas depend for ecological and economical resources as well as for recreational activities. Habitat projects associated with our Waterways for Wildlife programs are designed to optimize land use on corporate sites along industrial waterways throughout the United States. These vibrant ecosystems offer a wide variety of habitats, including wetlands, prairies, woodlands and riparian and upland zones, and are instrumental in supporting and maintaining diverse and abundant communities of plants and wildlife. Fortunately, corporations and agencies are implementing efforts to reduce point source pollution and conducting remedial clean-up measures. Across the spectrum of industries, ranging from the construction industry to the petrochemical industry, businesses are positioning themselves as responsible environmental stewards of wetlands and associated watercourses. Waterways for Wildlife projects demonstrate the importance of conserving a variety of wetland types to protect the numerous plant and animal communities living in and on these areas. Through improved water quality, public awareness and collaborative efforts, we provide opportunities for safeguarding wildlife habitat while providing environmental education, recreational programs and a respect for nature. Houston Waterways for Wildlife The HSC Waterways Project unifies WHC membership along the 50-mile industrial corridor in an effort to develop large acreage tracts with significant wetland, aquatic and upland habitat value. WHC members in collaboration with local businesses, conservation organizations and government agencies are incorporating wildlife habitat projects to maximize habitat potential on corporate sites and protect the native flora and fauna along HSC and industrial watercourses associated with the Gulf Coast. One of the pilot HSC projects is located in the heart of the water corridor where an island expansion project presented a unique opportunity to provide a sanctuary for ground-nesting birds. The sanctuary will be part of a larger program anchored by wildlife habitat expansion onshore and another island-restoration project in the channel. The island was restored from 2.5 acres to 10.25 acres, creating nesting habitat for threatened migratory shorebirds. The ongoing project includes protecting open-sand nesting sites from encroaching vegetation, posting Fish and Wildlife Service signage to restrict unnecessary activity, patrolling for predators such as the occasional coyote or rattlesnake and making sure there is no freshwater accumulation to attract or sustain predators. Finally, it means conducting bird surveys of nesting pairs in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
The Houston Ship Channel is situated in the primary Gulf Coast portion of the North American Central Flyway, the companion program for WHC’s Corporate Campaign for Migratory Bird Conservation. The Texas Office has taken an active role in the campaign, using the WHC Gulf Coast membership as a link for developing the program and providing operational and promotional planning support to the program. The proximity of individual member sites to each other and important FWS wildlife refuges allows for cross-corporate habitat ventures at a principal migratory bird entry point to the continental U.S. St. Clair Waterways for Wildlife The St. Clair Project is breaking new ground with a new publication, "Explore our Natural World: Biodiversity Atlas of the Lake Huron to Erie." The goal of the Biodiversity Atlas project is to produce an interpretive guidebook to the natural communities of the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and Detroit River watersheds. The target audiences for the publication are students, citizens and local government officials. The book is designed to cultivate a greater awareness among the public of the region’s natural resources and of the steps that can be taken to protect them. Support for the development of the "Biodiversity Atlas of the Lake Huron to Lake Erie Corridor" came from a grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the conservation community. The publication is scheduled for completion in 2003. Using engaging text and colorful pictures, the atlas will tell the story of the region’s natural areas and their historical importance. In addition, it will give examples of protected natural areas where biodiversity thrives today. The initiative has garnered broad stakeholder involvement across international boundaries and brought together many partners to produce the publication. Over 30 different partners from U.S and Canadian government agencies and non-profit organizations, as well as the private sector, have been engaged to assist in the development of the book. The public was also involved in the creation of the atlas through the sponsorship of a photo contest. The book addresses many different aspects of biodiversity, including the geology and human influence on the region. The atlas will shed light on the globally unique biodiversity of the region by featuring its natural communities: coastal wetlands, tallgrass prairie and oak savanna, emergent marsh, fen, bogs, forests and open waters. The atlas will highlight how these areas serve as important habitat for wildlife and describe how they are an essential convergence point for hundreds of thousands of waterfowl during their migration along the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways. An educational component will include a report that highlights curricula that can be used to teach the ecological concepts in the atlas and list field trip destinations. Environmental education remains one of our greatest challenges as a society. If we want to preserve our rich natural heritage for future generations, a broad awareness of its significance needs to be cultivated. We are meeting that challenge through the production of this book. The St. Clair Project provides outreach and environmental education for local community members. Regional habitat training courses and conferences provide forums and valuable resources for professionals, such as teachers and youth group instructors, who run programs such as schoolyard naturalization. The naturalized schoolyard is an outdoor laboratory alive with learning opportunities that can be incorporated into the basic science curriculum for all ages. Schoolyard naturalization fosters an appreciation of nature and a coexistence that welcomes wildlife into the schoolyard. In the upcoming year, plans to protect the wildlife habitat in the St. Clair region will continue to focus on strengthening local communities, building civic pride and improving the quality of life. Three Rivers Habitat Partnership (TRHP) Since TRHP’s inception in 1997, 22 corporate sites in western Pennsylvania, as well as six schools and other landowners, have voluntarily managed more than 4,000 acres for wildlife habitat. On these lands, native meadow plantings, brownfield restorations, riparian plantings and reduced mowing on headquarter campuses reduce non-point source pollution, sedimentation and associated chemical use. Backyard Buffers is a TRHP project that focuses on conserving and enhancing streamside buffers on private lands. From an extensive web directory of native plants and nurseries to workshops and demonstrations, Backyard Buffers empowers landowners to protect water quality and biodiversity. The education sector also recognized TRHP’s contribution to students and teachers by helping them to learn science through hands-on inquiry. The Allegheny Schools Science Education Technology (ASSET, Inc.) presented TRHP and partnering corporations with an award entitled "Making ASSET Work" in honor of the successful Wings of Wonder program. The partners teamed up to provide missing components, such as relevant professional development and the support of community scientists and trained volunteers, to local school curricula via the Wings of Wonder program.
ASSET Inc. provided professional training for teachers and continued program development with the "Teacher Migration" to Mexico. The teachers visited El Chincua reserve in Michoacan, Mexico, where over 300 million monarchs migrate each winter to this small band of transvolcanic mountains. The monarchs seek out specific areas at 12,000 feet elevation where they cling in huge clusters to oyamel fir trees. Winter is spent conserving their valuable fat stores, only moving about when needed or disturbed for most of the season. Pollinators, crucial to the health of the environment as well as the agricultural industry, have experienced severe declines. The trip served two purposes: to develop a sister pollinator habitat and school partnership in San Juan Del Rio and educate the teachers about the biology of the monarch butterfly and other pollinators. As TRHP works its magic in the education sector, it simultaneously communicates local solutions to global issues via informative conferences and forums, including the prestigious third annual Goddard Forum on Biodiversity. In order to protect biodiversity on a large scale, corporate and other private landowners need to be involved with conservation measures in a voluntary and proactive manner. In many cases, biodiversity can and must exist alongside active use. TRHP continues to lead the way by supporting partnerships in habitat conservation and environmental education in western Pennsylvania to encourage stewardship of properties through volunteer-driven efforts. Employee involvement serves as an educational tool for the concept of biodiversity and empowers individuals to practice environmental stewardship within their own lives and communities.
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