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National Stone,
Sand & Gravel Association Environmental Eagle Award
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Vulcan Material
Company’s Royal Stone Quarry, located in Rockville, VA, is the first
operation to receive a 3-star award by the National Stone Sand &
Gravel Association. The NSSGA operates an awards program to recognize
individuals and operations for their excellence in site beautification,
market development, community relations, environmental activities and
safety. A special award (Stars of Excellence for Highest Achievement) is
presented to operations earning two or more awards in a calendar year.
In 2003, the Royal Stone Quarry was presented with NSSGA’s Golden
Eagle Environmental Award, and the Gold Good Neighbor Award. The
operation has also won numerous other community and showplace awards.
Vulcan’s Social Responsibility to the Community
and the Environment states:
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Entrance to Vulcan’s
Royal Stone Quarry
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“Conducting a mining business means we own and lease large
tracts of land. For this reason, many of our environmental and
charitable activities center on preserving land and its wildlife
inhabitants. Another way we work with schools is by involving students
in helping to develop and maintain the wildlife habitats that are
located at many of our facilities. We began a partnership with the
Wildlife Habitat Council in the late 1980s, and developed the first
site in the country to be certified by the Council as a sanctioned,
enhanced habitat for indigenous wildlife on corporate lands. Today, 27
of our quarry buffer areas are certified wildlife habitats and another
13 are in the process of certification. These habitats must be
recertified by the Council from time to time and have to be
continually maintained. Habitats or shelters such as birdhouses have
to be built, special areas must be created and even crops planted to
attract and feed the wildlife population. Working together to build
habitats to protect indigenous wildlife is a way to involve your
students in hands-on activities as they learn about wildlife. We are
always looking for ideas and projects that will help us improve our
wildlife habitats.” |
A Wildlife Habitat Council certified site, the Royal Stone Quarry is comprised of 142 acres with 16 acres
available for wildlife management. There are three ponds on-site as well
as open fields, streams, mowed lawns and a forested area. A 22-member
employee wildlife team has focused their efforts on four enhancement
categories.
The habitat efforts include enhancing employee and community awareness,
establishing and maintaining pollinator gardens, enhancing on-site ponds
and continuing a nest box monitoring program. In 2000, team members
planted new flowers in the pollinator garden in order to combat a recent
influx of weed species, and continued to manage the garden during the
growing season in 2001. In 2002, it was decided that maintaining the
garden could be more successful by breaking the larger garden into two
smaller native plant gardens. The gardens feature ice plant, black-eyed
Susan, blanket flower and butterfly bus.
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Black-eyed Susan indicative of Royal Stone Quarry Wildlife
Habitat
Bluebird representative of those thriving on Royal Stone's
wildlife habitat
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Wildlife team members also continue efforts to keep the pond
areas clean. Water samples are taken and analyzed to assure a proper
balance for wildlife populations that use them as a source for
breeding and as a water supply. Turtle and duck nesting platforms
and basking logs were also added to the pond to increase the
wildlife usage.
Bluebird nest box monitoring has been continued, with counts and
cleaning activities taking place throughout each nesting season. The
site experienced a peak in bluebird nesting activity in 1999, with
employees noting the presence of 79 eggs and 70 fledglings. In 2001,
employees noted 36 eggs, which resulted in 24 fledglings.
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Due to the
decrease in nesting numbers, employees have limited the mowing
activities that occur in close proximity to nest boxes, and damaged
boxes were repaired. Wildlife team members also attempted to make
the site more attractive to local bird populations by adding bird
feeders and birdbaths. Following the addition of one bird-feeding
station, employees determined it would be beneficial to add another,
as the first one was being emptied every two days.
Team members have encouraged the increased presence of
hummingbirds on-site by adding hummingbird feeders in strategic
locations near the wildflower gardens. In 2002, signs were made were
made for an on-site nature trail to designate the path and to bring
attention to the wildlife that may be seen. Examples of the wooden
signs posted along the trail include, Fox Fairway, Turtle Terrace,
Duck Docking Lane, Goose Landing, Squirrel Square and Rabbit Run.
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