Mon Power's Commitment to Stewardship Shines in West Virginia
Dozens of Mon Power employees have spent the fall volunteering their time to support healthy ecosystems where they live and work in West Virginia. They've undertaken a variety of projects, including establishing new pollinator gardens in the community and participating in litter cleanup activities, embodying the company's commitment to stewardship.
“Our selfless employees are taking steps to increase biodiversity and clean green spaces in West Virginia communities by responsibly creating pollinator habitats and shelters while also cleaning up unwanted waste,” said Jim Myers, president of West Virginia operations.
Watch a video and see photos of Mon Power employees’ efforts to support the environment this fall.
Planting for Pollinators
In October, Mon Power’s Green Team members – a group of employees who volunteer their time and talents to support a wide variety of environmental initiatives — donated and planted pollen-rich plants outside of Mon Power’s headquarter building and Contact Center, which are in Fairmont. The new gardens contain a variety of flowers, including bee balm, goldenrod, ironweed and milkweed, and are expected to bloom next summer.
Pollinator gardens support insects and small animals that pollinate plants, such as birds, bats, bees, butterflies and beetles and then help to sustain ecosystems. Many pollinator populations are in decline due to a loss in feeding and nesting habitats, according to Pollinator Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems.
“By helping plants reproduce, pollinators play a vital role in producing natural resources such as fruits and vegetables, preventing soil erosion and increasing carbon sequestration,” said Dave Frederick, director of environmental services for FirstEnergy. “The benefits these gardens will bring to our local ecosystems is invaluable.”
In addition to the pollinator gardens in Fairmont, Fort Martin Power Station employees plan to plant a pollinator garden in the coming months.
Building Shelter for Bees
Over in Haywood, West Virginia, employees at Harrison Power Station took an extra initiative to provide additional support for the bees inhabiting the wildflower field that was established at the plant last year.
Ed Murphy, a manager of technical services at the plant, constructed a “bee hotel” out of wood to provide bees with extra protection and shelter from extreme weather conditions. The rectangular box with a triangular roof includes multiple layers of various shaped cubes and spheres with large holes cut through them for bees to dwell inside. The structure was installed within an existing pollinator garden on the plant’s property.
“Since bees are among the most effective pollinators and their activities help create the fruits and seeds that we eat, it makes sense to give solitary bees a place to next, rest and breed,” said Murphy.
Lessening Litter
In addition to supporting pollinators, Mon Power volunteers recently worked to improve the local environment in the most practical way – by collecting litter. Employee volunteers collected 11 bags of trash and 3 bags of recyclable materials, together weighing a total of 165 pounds, along the road near Harrison Power Station as a part of its commitment to the West Virginia's Adopt-A-Highway Program.
Each year, Mon Power employees maintain a section of Route 20 in Haywood, West Virginia, extending about a mile in each direction from Harrison Power Station’s main gate. This fall’s effort makes the sustainability team’s six clean-up event since joining the Adopt-A-Highway program in 2021.
“Our efforts to reduce litter along our local roads, shows the pride we take in stewarding the environment and beautifying the communities we serve,” said Lysle Sites, an engineer at Harrison Power Station.
For more information about FirstEnergy's environmental and corporate responsibility efforts, please visit our website.
MEDIA CONTACT: Hannah Catlett, (440) 554-5346