Rosario Plant

About the Program
The General Motors Rosario Plant in Santa Fe, Argentina is located in the Llanura Pampeana region, a temperate zone that supports agriculture and livestock. The area is characterized by canyons, forests, higher plains and pasture. Intensive agriculture in the area has led to deforestation. In response, the team has been planting and maintaining ceibo trees, a native tree and the official flower of Argentina, since 2005 within approximately 2,000 square meters of forest. In addition, 200 ceibo trees have been distributed to employees and visitors to encourage native planting off-site. The team also maintains a forest and corridor of lapacho trees. In 2014, the company set aside an acre of land to serve as protected habitat and expanded the area in 2015, adding a solar kitchen, solar panels, solar water heater and a wind generator. The team also leads education and training projects on-site.

Practices and Impacts

• Since 2014, the team has managed 6.1 acres of predominately native forest with the objective of protecting, preserving and maintaining healthy forest habitat. They also seek to reduce the presence of invasive species. The team has planted additional trees and has installed artificial structures to be used for habitat.
• Through the "One School, One Birdhouse" program, which began in 2015, the team works with local schools to place birdhouses made from reused wood, placing one house for each school that visits the Natural Protected Area. The birdhouses provide habitat for over 20 native and migratory species. The team has also placed educational posters to raise awareness about threats to birds, such as wildlife trafficking.
• GM trains its employees to respect the environment through a tree planting program, composting activities and encouragement of renewable energies through a material recycle/reuse program. Over 350 employees are involved each year.
• Most of the materials used to build structures like bridges and benches for the program are made of scrap materials from the plant.
• GM welcomes secondary students and employees to its habitat site each year to teach them the importance of conservation. Activities take place on a designated area of trails within the on-site forest. The trails feature interpretive signs, points of interest and habitat observation areas.
• The team welcomes visiting secondary school or university students approximately every two months. Every year on June 5th, the International Day of the Environment, the team also organizes a week of activities for students who visit the plant.
• The team engages approximately 50 engineering and biology university students each year in educational opportunities on-site related to tree planting and renewable energy.
• In 2020, the team added a pollinator monitoring project on-site.