Gravataí Plant

About the Program
The GM Gravataí Plant lies adjacent to 50 hectares of conservation forest and large lake in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. The tropical vegetation including Ficus spp., Mimosa bimucronata and jerivás (queen palm) provides habitat for capybaras and other native wildlife. The GM team maintains green areas within the 152-acre automotive complex and works with contractors to manage and monitor no-mow zones and pollinator gardens. Additionally, GM offers conservation education programs to the larger community in connection with World Water Day, Global Environment Day and Tree Day. 

Practices and Impacts

• In 2018, the team set aside a now-mow zone just over 1 acre in size which is minimally managed to encourage the natural growth of richly diversified native flora. Approximately 20 species have grown in the area, including Sida rhombifolia, Eryngium horridum, Conoclinium sp., Mimosa bimucronata, and Solanum sp. 
• In line with GM's goals to increase wildlife on site, the team maintains habitat for and monitors pollinators like bees and butterflies. The team has observed an increase in pollinator populations including a bee hive in one of the vegetated areas. 
• GM's Sustainable Workplaces Team has been training employees on environmental issues and activities since 2009. 
• Employees volunteer with school groups on-site and in classrooms to educate students about fauna and flora with different activities related to natural resources conservation and wildlife habitat.
• GM Gravataí hosted its own "tree day" in which workers and their families participated in planting 140 native species seedlings. as Cedro (Cedrela fissilis), Ipê (Handroanthus albus), Pitangueira (Eugenia uniflora), Ingá (Inga uruguensis) and Cerejeira (Eugenia involucrata). The team discussed the importance of native species for biodiversity preservation, the need to preserve them and the importance of ecosystem restoratio