Eastman's Arkansas Plant Recognized by Wildlife Council.

A CHEMICAL PLANT WORKING in harmony with nature?

Sounds unnatural but that's just what's happening at Eastman Chemical Company's Arkansas plant near Batesville.

The Eastman plant was recognized by the Wildlife Habitat Council last fall as Rookie of the Year during the council's annual symposium held in Baltimore, Md. The plant was also recognized as a certified member of the council during the symposium.

The recognition was the result of more than a year's work by employee volunteers on a variety of projects that protect and enhance Eastman's unused acreage for the benefit of wildlife.

A major project included establishing a Nature Center and developing nature trails for use by school groups and the public. The Nature Center, a former church building, contains a large classroom and an audiovisual room. The building is designed as an environmental learning center for employees, students, community groups, and others and contains exhibits (like leaf and insect collections), environmental literature, and a video library.

Volunteers also cleared more than a mile of nature trails that travel along the hardwood forests, fields and meadows, ponds, and other features of the area. The trails provide people the opportunity to take casual walks while enjoying the natural beauty of the area or to conduct studies of trees, insects, wildlife or other aspects of the environment.

Other Eastman wildlife habitat projects included establishing a nest box monitoring program for eastern bluebirds, American kestrels, barn owls, and purple martins; planting wetland vegetation; installing wood duck nest boxes; enhancing a wetland area; planting wildflowers; developing a database of wildlife inventory found on the plant site; and a variety of other projects that enhance and protect wildlife and land on unused Eastman property.

Work on the center and the trails, along with other wildlife habitat projects, was completed by a group of about 75 Eastman employee-volunteers after normal work hours and on Saturdays. The Eastman volunteers received help on the various projects from school groups, boy scout troops, 4-H Clubs and other community organizations.

The Wildlife Habitat Council is a nonprofit group of corporations, conservation organizations, and individuals dedicated to protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat. Created in 1988, WHC helps large landowners, particularly corporations, manage their unused lands in an ecologically sensitive manner for the benefit of wildlife. Eastman's Arkansas Operations employs approximately 700 people and manufactures organic chemicals used in a wide range of consumer and commercial products. Eastman Chemical Co. had 1999 sales of $4.59 billion. Corporate headquarters is in Kingsport, Tenn.