Vulcan Materials Company
Site name: Puddledock Plant
Location: Prince George, VA USA
Wildlife at Work certified since: 2003
Description:
The Puddledock Plant lies adjacent to the Appomattox River, 30 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. The wildlife team includes nine employees who oversee habitat enhancement programs on over 300 of the plant's 850 acres. The managed habitat consists of approximately 100 acres of semi-open pine forest, 200 acres of ponds, 50 acres of grasslands, and landscaped areas.The Puddledock Plant wildlife team's major project is an extensive nest box monitoring program. Over the past three years, 30 of the 39 wood duck nest boxes have successfully hatched wood ducks. Nearly all of the eight bluebird nest boxes hosted successful nesting pairs each summer. The wildlife team expanded their nest box program in 2007 by installing four American kestrel nest boxes. Any boxes occupied by European starlings are relocated to discourage the reproduction of this non-native invasive species.
In 2008, the wildlife team constructed two floating platforms with black pipes mounted on top of them to provide nesting habitat for some of the many Canada geese observed on site. Both goose houses successfully hatched geese that summer, so the wildlife team constructed two additional goose houses in 2009, and two more in 2010. In 2010 Canada geese successfully nested in all six goose houses. The wildlife team has been working with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for the past four years to monitor and band the Canada geese. Approximately 100 Canada geese are banded annually on the site. The banding enables the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to monitor migration and resident Canada goose populations in the area.
The wildlife team is also involved in a number of community outreach and education activities. They continue to partner with the Friends of Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR) to maintain a handicapped-accessible nature trail. Puddledock Plant employees also built a pier for FOLAR to use in educational activities. The wildlife team helped to enhance wildlife habitat off-site by donating four bluebird boxes to FOLAR and instructing the group on nest box placement and monitoring. The wildlife team has been working with the local Walton Elementary School since 2005 as part of the Adopt-A-School Program. The Puddledock Plant hosts two tours a year, during which approximately 100 second and third graders visit the site to learn about mining and wildlife projects.
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