BALTIMORE, Md. -- Employees at Lafarge North America Inc.'s Harleyville Cement Plant received international recognition for their contributions to wildlife habitat conservation at the Wildlife Habitat Council's 20th Annual Symposium, 20/20 Vision: Celebrating the Past, Looking to the Future.

Lafarge North America Inc. demonstrates its commitment to environmental stewardship and increasing native biodiversity by achieving habitat recertification at the Harleyville Cement Plant.

"This year, our 20th anniversary, WHC celebrates two decades of solid leadership and on-the-ground achievements by our members in wildlife habitat preservation and conservation education," said Robert Johnson, WHC president. "WHC members are continuing to lead the way to further define and demonstrate how corporations can use their lands to preserve our biodiversity, while preparing new generations through conservation education to understand how to be better leaders and managers for tomorrow's sustainable businesses and communities. Congratulations to Lafarge North America Inc. for their volunteer-based efforts to preserve the biodiversity of their community and the world, and to connect people to nature."

The Harleyville Cement Plant is located northwest of Charleston. The site is dominated by forested areas and wetlands and contains vegetation typical of the Lowcountry. The site's 1,100 acres are divided among the quarry and manufacturing plant, leased agricultural fields, a 235-acre wetland area and over 100 acres devoted to habitat improvement projects. The wildlife habitat management plan at the Harleyville Cement Plant focuses on three objectives: conserving pollinators, improving native bird habitat and providing nest sites for native waterfowl.

The wildlife team at the Harleyville Cement Plant launched its wildlife habitat program with the creation of a butterfly and pollinator garden in July of 2002. The garden was planted next to an employee recreation area near one of the site's several ponds. A variety of native wildflowers and shrubs were used and the site continues to maintain and update the garden through its frequent "garden parties." An additional pollinator garden was created in 2008 with the help of the Ivy Garden Club of Dorchester.

To support the local purple martin population and improve overall bird habitat, employee volunteers worked with first- and second-graders from Williams Memorial Elementary School to build and paint triple-decker birdhouses, also known as bird hotels. The team expanded their nest box project with the help of employees and their children, and recently installed several bluebird nest boxes. The facility is also home to a small population of killdeer, which nest along tracks in the rail yard on-site. While the team does not actively manage for killdeer, the nests were clearly marked after their discovery to protect them and make them easier to monitor.

The site has continued to monitor and maintain the two man-made islands that were completed in June 2006. The islands, constructed from 55-gallon drums and planted with native aquatic vegetation, have attracted waterfowl to the two ponds and provide a safe nesting platform and basking area for turtles and frogs. The wildlife team, with help of the South Carolina Waterfowl Association, has also installed three wood duck boxes to supplement the existing habitat on the site.

Harleyville Cement Plant was one of 214 sites recognized at the 2008 Symposium for creating a Wildlife at WorkSM program. In addition, 97 Corporate Lands for Learning programs reach thousands of learners from schools and scout groups to master gardeners and university researchers. Since 1990, WHC has certified 489 programs worldwide. The certification program recognizes outstanding wildlife habitat management and environmental education efforts at corporate sites, and offers third-party validation of the benefits of such programs. Certification requirements are strict and require that sites apply for periodic renewal.

Celebrating 20 years in conservation, the Wildlife Habitat Council is a nonprofit, non-lobbying organization dedicated to increasing the quality and amount of wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public lands. WHC devotes its resources to building partnerships with corporations and conservation groups to create solutions that balance the demands of economic growth with the requirements of a healthy, biodiverse and sustainable environment. More than 2.4 million acres in 46 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 16 other countries are managed for wildlife through WHC-assisted projects. To learn more, visit www.wildlifehc.org.

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