Baton Rouge Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Program by W.R. Grace, Albemarle & Ethyl

About the Program
The W.R. Grace, Albemarle & Ethyl site is a chemical plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The project site is located less than a mile from the Mississippi River and about six miles north of Louisiana State University. The facility is operational and produces a broad range of catalysts and components for plastic products. There is a small lake on the property that the project team has focused most of their projects around. The proximity to an urban area and the critically important Mississippi River habitat make this a unique site and worth protecting the species and habitats that exist in the region.

Practices and Impacts

• A small vernal pool approximately 500 square feet in size was constructed in a low area covered with turf grass. Native wetland plants, as well as native plants tolerant of droughty soils (berms), were planted, and the site is photo-monitored throughout the growing season. Attempts are made to manually control weeds and invasive species.
• Specific flowering plants have been added to the berms of the vernal pool in an attempt to attract moths and other related insects. This project is intended to ultimately support a bat project the team is hoping to implement in the future. Plants are seeded into the berm and monitored throughout the growing season. Attempts are made to keep weeds down manually, so that flowering plants can be established.
• The project team maintains a 0.25-acre pollinator garden. Local pollinators have been spotted on the colorful flowers, and the team is attempting to diversify the flowers to encourage new species to visit.