Ludington Service Center

About the Program
The Ludington Service Center program is operated by DTE Energy in Michigan. Ludington is located in Mason County by Lake Michigan, approximately 250 miles northwest of Detroit. At the site, two landscaped garden areas have been developed with the aim of creating a habitat for pollinators and other wildlife by growing native plants. The landscaped areas total around 4,000 square feet and are located by buildings and car parks where they can be viewed by employees and visitors.  

Practices and Impacts

• The pollinator garden contains 18 species of native plant, selected for their benefits to pollinators. Plants have varied bloom times and some meet specific pollinator needs, such as two species of milkweed that are host plants for monarch butterfly caterpillars. 
• The team monitors the garden to assess habitat health through inventories and regular photographing of the site. 
• Eight species of native plants are currently observed to be growing in the rain garden, which is designed to collect stormwater run-off that can then be used by the plants.
• Monitoring takes place throughout the year to check on the health of native plants and any introduction of non-native invasive species. 
• Both garden projects align with a statewide initiative to encourage landscaping, which provides habitat to support pollinators.