Corporate good works

Topics: Habitat Restoration, Rain Gardens, Southeast Coast, Volunteers

Sweating and hauling 20- to 40-pound bags of oyster shells and marl, General Electric volunteers donated their time a couple of weeks ago to help with a federation oyster-restoration project. The volunteers from the Wilmington’s GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy plant worked with volunteers from Oak Island to fill over 900 bags. This group adds to a total of over 100 GE volunteers who have hauled shell bags, built oyster reefs and restored salt marsh habitat with the federation.

The volunteers join those from Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes Home Improvement and other corporations on a growing list of businesses donating time and money to support local conservation efforts. Walmart has partnered with the federation for four years and has helped to fund rain gardens at schools along the coast and has supported the education of hundreds of students focused on stormwater and their local creeks.

Home Depot donates thousands of dollars and many volunteers to the annual Work on Wilmington volunteer program. The federation has partnered with the program for three years and has received donations from Home Depot to maintain school-yard rain gardens. Lowes also donates materials and volunteers to local restoration projects.

It is not just the large corporations. Small local businesses provide the federation with discounted services, in-kind donations, discount to members and many other benefits. In the southeastern region, Larry Sneeden with Coastal Stormwater Services, a 2011 Pelican Award winner, donated a couple thousand dollars’ worth of time and labor to help maintain one of the rain gardens. Similar donations have been made in the other coastal regions from contractors.

These are just a few examples of corporations and businesses from the southeastern region doing “Good Work” for coastal habitats and water quality. All of us are very appreciative of their volunteer time and support.

--- Ted Wilgis, coastal education coordinator