An Environmentally Beneficial Partnership: Peckham Industries Membership with the Wildlife Habitat Council
Peckham Industries has been a proud member of the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) since January 2020. The WHC works with companies such as Peckham to explore opportunities to improve and protect biodiversity in and around our facilities. As part of these efforts, Peckham is currently identifying voluntary conservation activities that our employees and facilities can participate in that are consistent with our values of being good neighbors in our communities and stewards of the environment.
In Pleasant Valley, NY we are in the planning stage of building a network of walking trails around the wetlands located on our property on the west side of North Avenue. These walking trails will provide public access to observe and enjoy the wetland ecosystem as well as the many species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds on this property.
One of the projects we will be starting in Wingdale, NY will involve planting hundreds of Shagbark Hickory trees across several acres of land to support a local bat habitat of Northern Long Ear and Indiana bats which reside in the area. These bats use the bark on the Shagbark Hickory trees to roost and avoid predators.
Additional projects are being planned at many of our facilities to help conserve and hopefully increase pollinator species populations in the area that will enhance the environment for pollinators by thoughtful planting of various native plants. Pollinators – the animals that move pollen from flower to flower to accomplish fertilization, such as bees, are vital to the health and economy of the world and many ecosystems, propagating wild flowering plants as well as many crops. In addition to bees, pollinator animals/species also include butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, beetles, flies, and, in some regions, bats. Across the globe pollinator species populations are in decline due to a reduction in their available habitats, degradation of much of the remaining habitat, and a reduction in pollinator-friendly practices on both small, local scales and large, regional scales. Peckham hopes to help combat this decline by a focused effort to plant pollinator-friendly species on our properties.
The Wildlife Habitat Council works to promote and certify environmental conservation and management on corporate lands/properties through partnerships and education. Initiatives promoted by the WHC translate corporate sustainability goals and objectives into tangible and measurable actions and achievable projects focusing on healthy ecosystems and connected communities. Learn more about the WHC on their website: wildlifehc.org. Learn more about Peckham’s commitment to environmental stewardship here.
Photo courtesy of the Wildlife Habitat Council.