Waste Management Named 2012 Wings Over Wetlands Winner

Ducks Unlimited and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) recognized Waste Management as the winner of the 2012 Wings Over Wetlands award today.

Waste Management was honored for its partnership with the City of Hamilton in Ontario to increase the Glanbrook Landfill’s value to wildlife. Through restoration efforts, Waste Management created wetland habitats in on-site ponds and established a species inventory and monitoring system.

“Waste Management’s Glanbrook Landfill is located in the most densely populated North American flyway,” DU Chief Conservation Officer Paul Schmidt said. “Waterfowl habitats are threatened because of urban sprawl in the area, yet it continues to support and provide habitat for many species of wildlife. Waste Management has acted as a good steward of the land with their commitment to restoration, and DU encourages more corporations to do the same.”

DU and WHC created the Wings Over Wetlands award in 2007 to encourage corporate participation in wetlands stewardship and to recognize corporations that have excelled in restoring, conserving and managing wetland habitats on their sites. Wetlands conservation and restoration projects are among the most productive conservation efforts a corporate habitat program can undertake. These projects provide immediate benefits to waterfowl, plant communities, amphibians and a host of other wildlife species.

“Ducks Unlimited Canada congratulates Waste Management on being named the 2012 Wings Over Wetlands winner,” said Mark Gloutney, director of regional operations for DUC’s eastern region. “Wetlands, including marshes and ponds, help build healthier and sustainable communities, but unfortunately there is still a lot of work to do to put a stop to wetland loss across Canada. The work we do wouldn’t be possible without the collaboration and support of partners like Waste Management who are committed to conserving these critical areas for the benefit of waterfowl, wildlife and people.”

Ontario is in the Atlantic Flyway, which spans more than 3,000 miles from Arctic tundra to the Caribbean.

“This year, I enjoyed learning not only what Waste Management has accomplished, but also what they have planned for continued habitat management and community partnerships,” said Dale Humburg, DU chief scientist and lead judge of the Wings Over Wetlands competition.

Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation. DU got its start in 1937 during the Dust Bowl when North America’s drought-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows. Determined not to sit idly by as the continent’s waterfowl dwindled beyond recovery, a small group of sportsmen joined together to form an organization that became known as Ducks Unlimited. Its mission: habitat conservation. Thanks to decades of abiding by that single mission, Ducks Unlimited is now the world’s largest and most effective private waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization. DU is able to multilaterally deliver its work through a series of partnerships with private individuals, landowners, agencies, scientific communities and other entities.