Lafarge Presque Isle Quarry

About the Program
Lafarge's 5,000-acre Presque Isle Quarry is located on the western shore of Lake Huron in Presque Isle, Michigan. The surrounding area is predominantly rural, but also includes some light residential use. The site is an operating crushed limestone facility, but on-site habitat includes wetlands, forests and grasslands. The team at Lafarge Presque Isle Quarry actively manages 64.5 acres for wildlife habitat. The conservation program has been certified since 2004. The team's main focus is an extensive nest box program that began in 2009.

Practices and Impacts

• The team maintains and monitors 49 songbird nest boxes designed to attract native cavity-nesting species such as eastern bluebirds and tree swallows. All of the data the team collects each nesting season is submitted to Cornell's NestWatch program, which compiles national information on nesting successes of native bird species.
• In addition to the songbird nest boxes, there are two eagle nests, two osprey nests and one floating loon platform. The eagle nests are part of a banding program sponsored by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Clemson University Studies. Raptors are monitored on the site through visual observations.
• In 2019 and 2020, duck boxes were built with the help of the Thunder Bay Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, the DNR and a local Scout Troop. The duck boxes are monitored through annual checks and maintained through spring cleanings. Nearby food sources for waterfowl are also monitored annually and plantings occur as needed. 
• The team works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Huron Pines, AmeriCorps and the Michigan State University 4H club to inventory and identify invasive plant species on-site. Through his project, students learn how invasive plants affect ecosystems as well as field data collection. Students also learn how to use and interpret GPS data, and record the position of invasive plants they find. This data is then used by the team to create a treatment plan to eradicate these plants.
• In addition, Presque Isle provides a college summer lab technician with opportunities to assist in wildlife projects and data collection. 
• The team partners with Rogers City Middle School, assisting in implementation of the Salmon in the Classroom curriculum. The Salmon in the Classroom project begins with an in-class presentation from Lafarge employees. Students raise salmon in the classroom, observing and recording data such as pH, temperature, measurement and growth rate. Students also participate in the cleaning, water replacement and feeding during the rearing process. Students are then invited to Presque Isle to release the salmon into a local stream.