BASF’s Fighting Island certified gold by Wildlife Habitat Council

WYANDOTTE, MI, January 3, 2018 – BASF received gold certification by the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) for its innovative programs and practices on Fighting Island.

There are three tiers to the WHC certification process, with gold being the highest tier. Companies receiving gold certification showcase leadership in their conservation efforts, while also demonstrating long-term commitment to managing quality habitat for wildlife, and providing conservation education and community outreach initiatives.

Owned by BASF, Fighting Island is a 1,500-acre island on the Canadian side of the Detroit River in LaSalle, Ontario. The island was historically used for storage of lime tailings, a byproduct of soda ash production, in settling beds. Since closing the settling beds in 1982, BASF’s efforts have led to native revegetation and reforestation to help prevent erosion, reduce dust, increase wildlife habitat, control runoff, and enhance the island’s appearance.

Since 2004, BASF, in conjunction with Essex County schools, turned the island into an outdoor classroom, providing a hands-on learning environment that has hosted more than 30,000 students from the local community. Each educational program relates to one of the island’s habitats and encourages students to use problem solving and critical thinking skills. Additionally, four portable classrooms, equipped with monitoring equipment and microscopes, provide an environmental lab for students.

“It’s wonderful to see that BASF’s work on Fighting Island has added value to the community while preserving and enriching the environment for wildlife,” said Mark Pellow, BASF Wyandotte’s Facility Service Manager.

The BASF Wyandotte site combines environmental protection, social responsibility and educational outreach to continuously improve Fighting Island.

For press photos, please click on the following links:
https://www.basf.com/press-photos/us/en/photos/2018/01/01-03-18_FightingIsland1.jpg
Suggested caption: BASF’s Fighting Island, a certified gold wildlife habitat site, sits along the Detroit River in LaSalle, Ontario, Canada.

https://www.basf.com/press-photos/us/en/photos/2018/01/01-03-18_FightingIsland2.jpg
Suggested caption: BASF’s Fighting Island is certified gold by the Wildlife Habitat Council.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $16.2 billion in 2016. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

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