GM Turns Corporate Lands into Refuge for Wildlife

More than 2,600 acres worldwide set aside for wildlife habitats

DETROIT--April 22, 2013: General Motors is transforming corporate lands at its global facilities into tailored areas for wildlife habitats.

Together with the Wildlife Habitat Council, dozens of companies, including GM, are foregoing cement buildings for a different sort of structure: the kind that house animals.

“We strive to increase biodiversity around the world at our facilities, and we have 25 habitats certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council,” said Sue Kelsey, GM biodiversity program manager. “Within these sites, 16 percent of the land mass is actively managed as wildlife habitat.”

Turning unused land into a home for wildlife fits GM’s overall goal of getting the most out of its products, recycling or reusing more than 90 percent of the waste generated.

Some of these projects find homes at wildlife habitats, including scrap Chevrolet Volt battery covers that are turned into wood duck nests. At last count, GM has installed more than 400 of these structures at designated wildlife habitat areas surrounding GM facilities, giving employees a valuable tool in protecting animals.

“The habitats on our properties wouldn’t thrive without the help of our employees,” says Kelsey. “Their work exemplifies the deep respect and appreciation our company has for the nature that surrounds and interacts with our facilities.

GM also works with local schools, nongovernmental organizations, nonprofits and environmental preservation groups to enhance our habitats and increase community awareness about wildlife preservation.

For more information on GM’s environmental commitment, visit its sustainability report and environmental blog.