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Dominion's Oakford Station

Dom Planting group photo 

Dominion employees and volunteers next to one of the 40 native shrubs planted at the Dominion Oakford buffer, on May 7, 2003.

Location: Delmont, PA

Total Acreage: 155

Riparian Buffer Acreage:  1.5 

Acreage Available for Habitat:  128

Description/ Activities: 

  • Beaver Run, meanders through Oakford Station before reaching a community drinking water supply. In April 2002, a streamside buffer of over 250 trees and shrubs and a wet meadow was planted by employees with partners such as the Westmoreland County Conservation District, TRHP, and PA Cleanways. The buffer serves as a demonstration site for homeowners in the Backyard Buffers campaign. The buffer will help control erosion, filter pollutants, and provide habitat for wildlife in and along Beaver Run.

2guysplanting

Volunteer Dominion employees plant river birches in April 2002, in addition to
300 shrubs of various native species

along Beaver Run for the Backyard Buffers campaign

  • 20 bluebird boxes built by employees surround the buffer. The employees monitor the inhabitants such as tree swallows and Eastern bluebirds to ensure success.                  
  • A bat box and informational signs were added in 2002. 

 

Dom Planting 2003 - Al Bat Box 

Al Barker, a local Dominion employee, explores the bat box that he helped build and erect at the Dominion Oakford Buffer.

  • To date three informational workshops have been held at the Dominion buffer for local watershed groups and landowners.          
  • In 2003, a second planting occured, 40 more native shrubs were added. These shrubs were more mature than the first years planting, for a highly visual effect. Native wildflower plugs were also added this year. Read the article about the planting.             
  • The Dominion buffer was carefully planned to include only species that are native to western Pennsylvania, and provide value to wildlife. For information on doing this in your own yard and local suppliers, visit the Backyard Buffers page. In addition to managing their land for wildlife, the Dominion Foundation was a generous contributor to Backyard Buffers.

Dominion Buffer Planting List

Species

Scientific name

Shrubs

 

Red Chokeberry

Aronia arbutifolia

Elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occindentalis

Silky dogwood

Cornus amomum

Ninebark

Physocarpus opulifolius

Smooth alder

Alnus serrulata

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata

 

 

Trees

 

River birch

Betula nigra

Swamp White Oak

Quercus bicolor

Black gum

Nyssa sylvatica

 

Wet Meadow

 

New England Aster

Aster novae-angliae

Swamp milkweed

Asclepias incarnata

Marsh marigold

Caltha palustris

Blue flag

Iris versicolor

Blue vervain

Verbena hastata

Monkey Flower

Mimulus ringens

Cardinal flower

Lobelia cardinalis

Blazing Star

Liatris spicata

Turk’s cap Lily

Lilium superbum

Purple Joe-Pye

Eupatorium purpureum

Blue-joint grass

Calamagrostis canadensis

Annual rye

Nurse crop


Aristech Chemical
AMD & ART, Inc.
Bayer Corporation
Browning-Ferris Industries
Dominion
Duquesne Light Company
Hercules, Inc.
Mulligan Mining
PPG Industries, Inc.
Pioneer
United States Steel Corporation
United States Gypsum Company
Wildlife Team Links 

c/o Bayer Corporation, 100 Bayer Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205   Tel: 412.777.2464
Copyright Wildlife Habitat Council, 2001-2003