Ford Volunteers Go Green With Environmental And Water Projects On Ford Accelerated Action Day

* The Ford Volunteer Corps is focused on water conservation and the environment during a Ford Accelerated Action Day dedicated to creating a better world.
* Hundreds of Ford volunteers have formed MODEL Teams to plant gardens, create nature trails and revitalize landscapes at more than a dozen locations.
* The Ford Volunteer Corps, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and International Wildlife Refuge Alliance have partnered to restore habitat and promote environmental education.

DEARBORN, Mich., Water conservation long has been an integral part of Ford’s overall sustainability strategy, and today it is the focus of some 600 Ford employees and retirees in the Ford Volunteer Corp as they join with non-profit partners to tackle water and environmental projects at more than a dozen locations.

More than $60,000 in mini-grants was provided to support these projects, including one at the entry of Humbug Marsh, part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Ford volunteers are installing an educational garden of native plants. Once an industrial brownfield site, Humbug Marsh today is a world-class learning center for sustainability and environmental education and part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 2001 under the leadership of Congressman John Dingell who represents Michigan’s 15th District.

“My friends at Ford have done a superb job of helping us with a number of projects in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge,” said Congressman Dingell. “They are to be commended for their continuing support for efforts to improve this important watershed.”

“Water is the world’s most critical resource and water issues are increasingly important to our stakeholders,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Ford has successfully reduced water use, and we continue to work on ways to reduce the environmental impact of our facilities.”

Other organizations benefiting from today’s volunteer efforts and Ford mini-grants for tools and supplies include:

Cass Community Social Services, Detroit – produce “green” floor mats, bale paper

Community Living Centers, Farmington Hills – create nature trail and plant native species

Detroit Zoo- Belle Isle Nature Center, Detroit – install rain collection system & repair fence

Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy, Grosse Ile – create mini-ecosystem & storm water filtration

Habitat for Humanity, Monroe – revitalize yards, plant gardens and build fences

Henry Ford Academy, Dearborn – build and prepare garden beds

Henry Ford Estate, Dearborn – plant native species and replace decking along the Rouge River

Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor – build bridge over bioswale & plant native grasses

Think Detroit PAL, Detroit – rehabilitate ball fields, clean-up grounds

For more than a decade, Ford volunteers have cleared debris from local rivers and restored banks along area waterways during a period in May. The Ford Volunteer Corps is active year round, but Ford Accelerated Action Days are sharply focused one-day efforts that meet urgent needs identified by agency partners.

In March, Ford MODEL Team volunteers worked on projects to benefit children and families. Ford volunteers will address community building projects during the Ford Global Week of Caring in September. Veterans and military families receive support in November and hunger relief is the focus in December.

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About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works to strengthen communities with initiatives that promote driving safety, education and life in communities where Ford operates. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and Driving Skills for Life, a teen-focused auto safety initiative. The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, continues Ford’s legacy of caring worldwide. Through the Volunteer Corps, Ford employees and retirees participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities. For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit www.community.ford.com.