Project Summary: Students in the Rowan-Salisbury North Carolina school system enjoy the benefits of outdoor wildlife class sessions at Duke Power's Buck Steam Station.
Resource Challenge
Students in the Rowan-Salisbury North Carolina school system enjoy the benefits of outdoor wildlife class sessions at Duke Power's Buck Steam Station, where an old coal ash basin has turned into an outdoor wildlife center and a major nesting area for blue heron. The classes are part of Project WILD, an environmental curriculum developed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) that provides opportunities for students to learn about ecology, conservation and other environmental issues. Students engage in activities such as tagging monarch butterflies, researching bluebird habitats, identifying trees and studying insects and reptiles.
Examples of Key Partners
Partners in the Buck Steam Station Project WILD are: Duke Power, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Ducks Unlimited, and Rowan-Salisbury School System.
Results and Accomplishments
Buck Steam Station was certified as a W.A.I.T. (Wildlife and Industry Together) site, by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission on October 13, 2001. Each year approximately 2,000 students spend a day at the site learning about wildlife.
Innovation/Highlight
Approximately 70 heron nests can be found in the trees surrounding the 25-acre basin. Two osprey nest platforms and some 20 bluebird homes can also be found on the grounds.
Project Contact
Norbert J. Zalme Environmental Coordinator Duke Energy Corporation 1555 Dukeville Road Salisbury, NC 28146 704- 645-2706 njzalme@duke-energy.com
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