BASF Williamsburg

About the Program
The BASF Williamsburg Site is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, across the James River from the Hog Island Wildlife Management Area and includes wetland, waterways, forest and grassland meadows. The site is located in an area that has experienced dramatic urbanization during recent decades, resulting in marked declines in available habitat for wildlife species across all taxa. To help address this issue, the team manages a multitude of habitat types in an effort to provide suitable habitat for songbirds, waterfowl, amphibians, turtles and bats.

Practices and Impacts

• The site has multiple multi-cavity nesting structures targeting purple martins along with bluebird boxes and four wood duck boxes. Monitoring in 2023 shows that the purple martin structure use has increased to nest material in 29 of the purple martin cavities producing 46 young, six of the bluebird houses producing 16 young and two wood duck boxes utilized by great crested flycatchers, with three young produced.
• The team monitors nest houses throughout the nesting season (May through July). If predation of young is observed, corrective active is taken. An endoscope camera is used to monitor the presence or absence of birds within each of the nesting cavities for nest boxes at an out of reach height. Photographs are taken during in-depth monitoring dates.
• Thirty-two bat houses were installed on-site. The team implements two monitoring events per year during breeding season in May to July. Bat houses are monitored on sunny days using mirrors to view inside the boxes. If bats are observed, an endoscope is used to photo document the occupants and identify the species. Echolocation surveys are conducted on the site to document species in the area. In 2023, observations showed 45+ in June and 67+ in October, up from only 12 in 2020.
• Over 300 acres of forested habitat is managed in a coordinated effort with surrounding landowners to benefit native species.
• The team transformed a low species diversity cool season grassland into a more diverse 12-acre grassland. 
• A 9.5-acre area was transformed into a pollinator meadow to support pollinators with a special emphasis on native bees. Twenty pollinators have been identified during monitoring. Most frequently observed species are bumble bees, carpenter bees and a variety of butterflies and dragonflies. The team added bee houses and continues to manage for invasive plants and conducts rotational mowing of the meadow.