Community Updates

BASF environmental programs are recognized by the Wildlife Habitat Council

FLORHAM PARK, NJ, November 15, 2012 -- BASF Corporation’s Coatings Technical Support Center in Whitehouse, Ohio, has received Wildlife at Work recertification from the Wildlife Habitat Council.

Published 11 years ago | About a 4 minute read

BASF environmental programs are recognized by the Wildlife Habitat Council FLORHAM PARK, NJ, November 15, 2012 -- BASF Corporation’s Coatings Technical Support Center in Whitehouse, Ohio, has received Wildlife at Work recertification from the Wildlife Habitat Council. The Wildlife at Work program provides a structure for corporate-driven cooperative efforts between management, employees and community members to create, conserve and restore wildlife habitats on corporate lands. If consistently maintained, these programs are recertified every –two-to-three years. The Whitehouse site has been certified since 2002 when a wildlife team composed of BASF employees installed and developed a monitoring program for 11 songbird nest boxes. After successfully fledging bluebirds and wrens, the team added nest boxes for screech owls and barred owls and a bat house to the property. The wildlife team later embraced a mission to transform 11 unused acres on the 20 acre BASF campus into a habitat for the unique species of the region. Garden areas were established with native plants to attract local biota. Most recently, the team partnered with the Toledo Zoo to develop a butterfly recovery plan for a population of purplish copper butterflies that are an endangered species in Ohio. “The Whitehouse site embodies the spirit of BASF’s commitment to social responsibility and environmental protection,” said Karl Schnapp, Manager of Site Administrative Services for BASF in Whitehouse. “Through our site partnerships with the Wildlife Habitat Council, we are engaging employees and improving the communities where we do business.” In addition to Whitehouse, BASF has three other Wildlife at Work sites in North America. Two are also Corporate Lands for Learning certified in recognition of environmental education programs that are offered at the sites. They are as follows: The BASF former manufacturing site in Rensselaer, New York, has been Wildlife at Work and Corporate Lands for Learning certified since 2008. Through the use of sustainable remediation approaches the company converted a 9 acre closed landfill into a wildlife refuge that promotes the growth of indigenous plant species and provides a way-station for migratory birds. In addition, this habitat serves as an outdoor classroom supporting environmental awareness and education in cooperation with Rensselaer City schools. The area also provides an example of how sustainable solutions can be integrated into environmental remedies for former manufacturing sites. A former BASF manufacturing site in Williamsburg, Virginia, was Wildlife at Work certified in 2010. The 700 acre site adjacent to the James River has 47 acres dedicated to a wildlife management program that provides nesting structures for purple martins and bats. A BASF owned property known as Fighting Island, in LaSalle, Ontario Canada was originally Wildlife at Work certified in 2002 and Corporate Lands for Learning certified in 2005. Habitat projects on this 1,200 acre site include planting more than 344,000 seedlings to reestablish vegetation on the island and repopulating native animal species by bringing 300 turkeys to Fighting Island and introducing 5,000 ringed-neck pheasants to the environment every year. Nest structures were developed for bald eagles, wood ducks, mallards, purple martins and a variety of other songbirds. Bat boxes were constructed as well as two butterfly gardens complete with butterfly houses. The Fighting Island Corporate Lands for Learning (CLL) program allows local school students to use the island habitat as an outdoor laboratory. The BASF team, in collaboration with local teachers and administrators, developed standards-based curricula for students in kindergarten and grades one, seven, eight and nine. Semiannual teacher training is also hosted on Fighting Island. For a press photo, please click on the following link: http://www.basf.us/pressphotos/11-15-12_NestingBirds.jpg Suggested photo caption: A pair of fledging bluebirds at the BASF site in Whitehouse, Ohio. BASF – The Chemical Company BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20 billion in 2011. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us. BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com. For more information contact: Donna Jakubowski BASF Corporation Tel: 973-245-6260 Mobile: 732-407-6116 E-mail: [email protected]