General Motors Spring Hill Manufacturing

About the Program
The General Motors Spring Hill Manufacturing facility consists of 2,090 acres in Spring Hill, Tennessee, 30 miles south of Nashville. The facility is a highly integrated vehicle manufacturing and assembly complex that includes seven main buildings totaling roughly 160 acres, with an additional 144 acres paved for parking lots and roads. Engines and components manufactured on-site are shipped to other GM facilities for final assembly. The site includes habitats such as mixed hardwood forests, small wetlands, ponds and grasslands. The team at General Motors Spring Hill Manufacturing actively manages 231 acres for wildlife habitat, a program that has been certified since 2004.

Practices and Impacts

• The 20 acres of ponds and wetlands are monitored annually to assess water quality and health to ensure a healthy habitat for native wildlife and plant species. The ponds have observation decks and nature bridges to restrict access.
• In 2012, about 90 acres of grasslands were created through planting native seeds in various plots to promote biodiversity. The grassland plots are monitored to understand growth success and maintained through periodic mowing and bushing.
• In 2011, the team began preparations for an on-site nature trail that incorporated wood duck nest boxes. Pond levels were raised by 2 feet to provide better habitat for wood ducks and, in 2012, a roughly 0.5-mile nature trail was installed. The trail includes permanent structures geared towards accessibility like bridges, stairs and an observation deck. Three wood duck nest boxes were installed. The trail is open to the public and the team performs regular maintenance.
• A pollinator garden was planted in 2016 on site to maintain a successful habitat for pollinator species. The garden is maintained through annual plantings, weeding and watering. The garden is monitored through observing the success and growth of the plantings.
• The team also hosts events for school-aged learners. Students perform water quality tests and a macroinvertebrate study with the help of employee mentors. During these events, students are split into small groups and rotate through different activities. Each group must work together to complete these activities. The team conducts follow-up visits with student groups to review any data the students collected and review the concepts they learned.