Last year Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS), a division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, replaced 15 acres of turf grass with native landscapes at its Muscatine, Iowa, facilities.

The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) recently recognized the company with its “Wildlife at Work” certification. The Muscatine facilities now have a total of 25 acres of native landscapes, according to BBTS.

BBTS replaced turf grass with native plants that do not depend on water, fertilization or mowing in May 2009. By eliminating the constant maintenance needs of turf grass, the new native landscapes will save BBTS more than $100,000 annually while creating a habitat for native plant and animal wildlife species, the company said.

“We’re very proud to have earned this Wildlife at Work certification from such a well-respected environmental group like the WHC,” said Paul Crosser, environmental services manager, BBTS. “However, certification isn’t the end of the road. It now means we must pay continuous attention to improving the habitat and educating the community. We aim to conduct wildlife inventories, remove invasive plant species, perform bluebird house monitoring and collaborate with local schools on environmental education programming.”

The BBTS Muscatine Native Landscapes Project is the 10th Bridgestone Americas habitat initiative to receive certification from the WHC.