When LyondellBasell’s Bayport Underwood Plant observed 25 years of operations in the Bay Area of Houston, Texas, its employees wanted to celebrate.
Not with a gift for themselves, but with a present for their neighbors that would bring together the plant’s three focus areas of the environment, their community and its local schools.
"When we celebrated our plant’s anniversary, we wanted to mark the occasion with a gift that said something about our company’s beliefs," said LyondellBasell Plant Manager Joe Marschhauser.
Community involvement is a linchpin of our business and we believe we must preserve the environment for the future of our communities, families and our business. Our long involvement with Armand Bayou Nature Center and its important environmental focus made a natural partnership.
The result is the newest addition to Armand Bayou Nature Center’s Discovery Loop: the LyondellBasell Living Lab. The charming covered wooden structure is framed by a graceful arbor at its entrance and extends over a peaceful pond. It is designed to give children easier and safer access to water rich with plants and animals, and to allow workshops and school field trips to be held.
"This beautiful gem of a pond water ecosystem is enhanced by the addition of the LyondellBasell Living Lab," said Sue Sutterby, board member and former interim executive director for the nature center. "We can now offer pond water classes to children, and the visiting public will enjoy a place to begin their exploration of our Discovery Loop."
The Discovery Loop is an outdoor educational classroom that takes the visitor through the nature center’s ecosystems along boardwalks, trails and teaching platforms that feature educational exhibits and signs.
The monetary gift was presented in 2006 when the plant reached its 25th birthday. Then, a committee of nature center employees, LyondellBasell staff and community members planned and built the structure, with a dedication in 2008.
The learning area, located at the main parking lot across from the Visitors’ Center, includes educational signs that change with the seasons and a permanent sign in front. It is used for teacher workshops, school field trips, and the Pond Pals class, in which children learn about pond life and observe pond life forms.
LyondellBasell has partnered with Armand Bayou Nature Center for most of the center’s 34-year history, and Marschhauser serves on the center’s board of trustees. The nature center is one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the United States. The center's stewardship programs ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to experience a wilderness close to home. The center’s educational programs promote the value of preservation and conservation of natural resources.