Going to bats for the environment

Notre Dame to partner with Waste Management to build new bat houses for installation in Orion Township.

Originally located at the Cranbrook Institute for Science, the Organization for Bat Conservation's Bat Zone has expanded and moved to a new home in Pontiac.

Notre Dame will be partnering soon with Waste Management in an effort to build bat houses at the company’s Eagle Valley Landfill, which is located in Orion Township in northern Oakland County.

According to Waste Management, it is part of an effort to engage local schools to connect with issues related to the environment.

“We will be partnering with Notre Dame and the Organization for Bat Conservation in Pontiac to build bat houses for installation at our Eagle Valley landfill, replacing existing bat houses that have become run down,” said Kathleen Klein, community relations representative for Waste Management. “It is part of our effort to encourage natural habitats through participation in the Wildlife Habitat Council’s Wildlife at Work program.”

Klein also said that Notre Dame may become involved with other partnership opportunities that might be explored with OBC (in the classroom) to further environmental education and stewardship.

“The initial bat house program we will be working on with Notre Dame will provide three OBC bat houses, paid for by WM, and constructed from OBC plans,” she added.

Students at Notre Dame will help build bat houses for installation in an Oakland County landfill.

Originally located at the Cranbrook Institute for Science, OBC’s Bat Zone has expanded and moved to a new home in Pontiac, Michigan. The Bat Zone remains Michigan’s premier nocturnal animal sanctuary and the headquarters for the nonprofit’s national operations. The Pontiac facility is home to more than 250 animals, all of which have been either rescued or captive born. None of the animals that are care for in the Pontiac location can be released into the wild, and many are in need of specialized care.

Notre Dame is also exploring with Waste Management additional environmental stewardship opportunities, including an Eagle Valley program of providing habitat where natural habitat has been reduced, the science of echolocation (bats and sonar) and other beautification and environmental stewardship projects throughout Michigan.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.