Aiken County Off Road Tire Plant

About the Program
The Bridgestone America Aiken County site in the South Carolina Sand Hills is home to 400 acres of managed and restored longleaf pine forest. This habitat is the backdrop for the team’s eastern bluebird conservation and environmental education projects, which engage a number of conservation partners, local schools and universities. These projects aim to enhance wildlife habitat and create opportunities for local students to experience local habitats and become environmental stewards.

Practices and Impacts

• The team maintains and monitors 18 nest boxes for eastern bluebirds, providing nesting habitat that is safe from common predators such as snakes. Since the project's beginning, it has seen a total of 296 bluebird fledglings in the nest boxes, contributing to a stronger local bluebird population.
• The Bridgestone team and university partners also implement the Bridgestone Environmental Education Program (BEEP), which has hosted 441 students in recent years, providing students with activities in the forest habitat that align with statewide learning standards. The team offers a wide range of lessons on various topics, meeting the learning needs of different ages of K-12 students. Educational activities take place eight times per year.