GM Arlington Assembly Center

About the Program
First certified in 2011, General Motors Arlington Assembly Center is located on 246 acres in Arlington, Texas. Six acres have initially been designated for habitat enhancement projects. Native plants such as post oak, live oak, blackjack oak, pignut hickory, mockernut hickory, Texas persimmon, American beauty-berry, big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass, buttonbush, sunflower, Engelmann's daisy, coralbean, late bonset and Maximilian sunflower are all found on the site. The western prairie area was historically prairie habitat; restoration will provide food and shelter for native species.
Providing nesting boxes supports the rehabilitation of limited cavity nesting song bird habitats in the surrounding area. The team educates and engages employees on native species and habitat sustainability.

Practices and Impacts

• The team monitors 16 nesting boxes specifically designed and placed for eastern bluebirds, Carolina wrens and purple martins.
• A 9-acre wildflower prairie was planted with native wildflowers and grasses of high value to the nesting box program. The seeded area was previously overrun by invasive grasses, so by removing invasive species and re-planting with native flora, the native songbirds will have ample space to use for foraging. The area is monitored regularly.
• The team communicates an environmental topic through an employee newsletter each month, and through team leader packets each week. The team leader packets are also completely focused on environmental topics once a quarter. These communications include topics such as wildlife habitat projects at GM, volunteer opportunities, habitat project information and events like backyard bird counts. There is ongoing employee engagement through weekly team meetings, social media connections and comment boxes provide the opportunity to receive feedback and improve programs.
• The team hosted an Earth Day celebration, during which they passed out 1,000 hardwood tree saplings to employees. They discussed the benefits of trees for local habitats.