General Motors of Canada Headquarters’ McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve has been recognized by the Wildlife Habitat Council for engaging community partners to enhance and promote wildlife conservation and education.
The Conservation Certification program recertified the site for its efforts to restore, protect and promote biodiversity with activities including migratory bird awareness and habitat protection projects. The Wildlife Habitat Council’s Conservation Certification program provides a structure for cooperative efforts among management, employees and community members to create, conserve, and restore wildlife habitats on corporate lands. The program also recognizes how sites use their habitats for hands-on learning opportunities, from teaching ecological concepts to the human role in conservation.
The McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve rests on 108 acres of land adjacent to GM Canada’s Headquarters. It’s home to more than 400 different varieties of plants and is a key corridor for migratory birds. It’s also the location for the annual Oshawa Feathered Friends Festival which hosts a number of school groups to teach students about the importance of pollinators, migratory birds, and wildlife protection.
“With habitat loss and degradation as leading causes for diminishing wildlife populations, we can play a leading role through initiatives like the Wildlife Habitat Council conservation program in protecting and enhancing habitats that wildlife can thrive in,” said Doug Yates, Director, Environment and Energy, GM Canada.
GM Canada Headquarters is one of GM’s 10 sites earning recertification this year. Along with 11 newly certified sites, it brings GM to an industry-leading 70 certified sites globally. The company now actively manages more than 5,000 acres of wildlife habitat in 14 countries. GM is nearly 80 percent of the way to its commitment to achieve WHC certification at all of its manufacturing sites worldwide by 2020.
GM’s habitat programs reinforce the company’s support for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal to halt biodiversity loss, demonstrating the role business can play in advancing sustainable ecosystems.