U.S. Silica, in Lexington county, SC, is one of our more recent additions to the Wildlife And Industry Together Program, or WAIT program. U.S. Silica provides excellent habitat for sandhills species. Open areas on the property provide nesting and hunting opportunities for birds like the American kestrel, painted bunting, and many owl species, including the Eastern screech owl – a declining species. Discussions were had about providing nest boxes for barn owls on the property due to giant swaths of land that would be ideal for this open-habitat specialist. Besides beautiful birds, reptiles like the Eastern glass lizard and Eastern fence lizard can be observed, sometimes quite abundantly, in sandhill habitat similar to what is found on US Silica’s property.

Image Captions L to R: Eastern fence lizard and Eastern glass lizard by Jay Keck.

Shorebirds find food on large shallow ponds on the property during migration to and from their breeding grounds. Industry Habitat Manager, Jay Keck, will be joining a group of bird experts this month to take a survey of what shorebird species are being supported on the property during fall migration. The data will be recorded and could be used to enhance the property’s habitat to help more species in the future.

Finally, during a recent field trip focused on the environment and sustainability, environmental and engineering majors from SC State University visited the plant to learn about the resources utilized for their processes and how they are managed. They also learned how US Silica reuses the water, how they recycle products such as oils and chemicals used on machinery, and how they work with DHEC on environmental reporting and testing. Thank you, U.S. Silica, for providing critical habitat for many of SC’s species in this unique part of our state, and thank you for teaching the next generation of environmentalists and engineers how a corporation can reach its production and sustainability goals through leadership and vision.

SC State University enviromental and engineering majors visting US Silica.

Why WAIT?

SCWF Partners with conservation-minded businesses throughout the state who want to help wildlife thrive by enhancing their properties and providing educational opportunities for their employees and communities. Read more about the WAIT Program, and how to join here.