Last summer, Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS), a division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, replaced 15 acres of turf grass with native landscapes at the company’s Muscatine, Iowa, facilities. That action has won the company a “Wildlife at Work” certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC).
The Muscatine facilities now have a total of 25 acres of native landscapes. The native plants do not depend on water, fertilization or mowing and will save BBTS more than $100,000 annually while creating a habitat for native plant and animal wildlife species.
“The Wildlife at Work certification is truly an honor,” says Dennis Fox, vice president of manufacturing design for BBTS, who served as the project team’s sponsor. “This project is really a win-win as it’s great for the environment and saves the company money. With the native landscapes, we also don’t have large amounts of potentially harmful chemicals flowing into our ponds and streams, as the native plants don’t need pesticides or fertilizers.”
BBTS was recognized at the WHC’s 22nd annual symposium held in Baltimore, Md.
“The Wildlife Habitat Council believes that collaboration among all stakeholder groups is critical to addressing the complex issues facing the sustainability of the planet,” says Robert Johnson, WHC president. “WHC members take a leading role in connecting community stakeholders through wildlife habitat enhancement, community outreach and conservation education."
“We’re very proud to have earned this Wildlife at Work certification from such a well respected environmental group like the WHC,” says Paul Crosser, environmental services manager, BBTS. “However, certification isn’t the end of the road. It now means we must pay continuous attention to improving the habitat and educating the community. We aim to conduct wildlife inventories, remove invasive plant species, perform bluebird house monitoring and collaborate with local schools on environmental education programming.”
The BBTS Muscatine Native Landscapes Project is the 10th Bridgestone Americas habitat initiative to receive certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council. Each of these efforts is a part of “One Team, One Planet,” a global environmental initiative of Bridgestone Corp., Bridgestone Americas and each of its subsidiaries, including BBTS.
