Lehigh Hanson partners with wildlife rescue organization

Lehigh Hanson and Carolina Waterfowl Rescue partnered to provide a natural habitat to rehabilitate injured waterfowl. Photo courtesy of Lehigh Hanson.

Lehigh Hanson donated approximately 200 acres of reclaimed mining property from its Marlboro sand and gravel site in Bennettsville, South Carolina, to Carolina Waterfowl Rescue (CWR), a non-profit wildlife rescue organization which provides rescue and rehabilitation for wildlife, farmed and exotic animals.

The donated property, which previously served as the Airport Mine at the Marlboro site, will be used to provide a natural and controlled habitat, called a rookery, to rehabilitate injured waterfowl.

Mining activities at the Airport Mine completed in 2012. Per the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) requirements, the property had to be reclaimed. Since the area was already a natural habitat for a variety of wildlife, Hanson management decided to find a way to add to its ecological value, the company says.

“From the very beginning, we knew we wanted to do something very special with this reclamation project,” says Scott Dickson, vice president and general manager of Hanson Aggregates Southeast. “What we are doing at the Airport Mine site will not only satisfy our reclamation requirements, but will also provide a significant value to the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue organization and to the community at large.”

The Hanson Marlboro management team worked closely with both CWR and SCDHEC to further develop the former mining area into a controlled area where CWR could release rescued birds that no longer need hospitalization but are still in recovery.

“The land donated by Hanson Aggregates will provide a rookery for nesting birds and sanctuary for multiple types of wildlife,” says Jennifer Gordon, executive director at CWR. “The collaborative work that has been going on with Hanson Aggregates will provide many future environmental and educational benefits, including the establishment of a destination for bird watching, as well as protection of local wildlife habitats and water sources.”

Carolina Waterfowl Rescue provides care to more than 1,000 birds per year, covering close to 40 different wild bird species.