Be Eco-Prepared: Boys Scouts Visit GM Plant’s Wildlife Habitat

General Motors is committed to increasing native biodiversity at our sites around the globe. We manage nearly 2,500 acres of wildlife habitat at manufacturing facilities, 25 of which have been certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council – more than any other automaker.

While we take pride in our role as an environmental steward, we recognize it is equally important to educate the next generation on environmental best practices if we hope to achieve the vision of a sustainable future for generations to come.

Recently, Renee Mietz, senior environmental engineer at GM’s Saginaw Metal Casting Operations (SMCO), led local Boy Scouts on a tour of the plant’s model wetlands, a 400-acre habitat that was certified in 2002. The scouts were interested in learning more about the flora and fauna that live at the site, and how wetlands serve as a self-sustaining water treatment plant.

The Boy Scouts learned that the wetland water is treated through subsurface flow. Water moves horizontally through an 18-inch deep gravel bed under a six-inch deep layer of peat. Its low energy use and very clean discharge water makes this natural method of purification effective and efficient.

It was a unique experience for the troop and spurred some great feedback.

“I greatly enjoy working with young people,” Mietz said. “They have interesting ideas and are always asking questions.”

The Boy Scouts left the plant with a better understanding of environmental science and a greater appreciation for the natural habitats General Motors is committed to protecting. And, of course, they left with a Naturalist merit badge to add to their uniforms.