Where once stood a series of sediment ponds now stands a reclaimed wildlife habitat area.    Dow Chemical and several volunteer partners gathered to dedicate the project now known as the Ward Hollow Wildlife Habitat on the back end of the Dow Tech Center property on Thursday.

The project started as a required remediation and partnership project for the chemical giant.   

"It's a partnership program between EPA, Dow, community members etc," said Dow WV Site Manager Jim Guidarini. "So that's how it started as part of our remediation program to take this land back to original condition.

Today the area is a wetland, ringed by a hardwood forest.   Volunteer groups and advisors worked to cover the old sediment piles with productive soil and planted native vegetation.

"Build it and they will come," said Don Gartman with the Wildlife Habitat Council. "Produce the habitat and now we have deer like crazy, also wild turkey and the typical game you'd seen in an area like this."

As projects toward their Eagle Badge, two local scouts took on secondary projects to make the area more user friendly.  Scout Cody Hanshew designed and installed a number of bluebird houses to create habitat for nesting song birds.  Scout Nathan Altman build a 300 foot walking path, which includes a set of steps and a walkway to access the nature trail encircling the area.     Volunteers with Dow contractor CH2M Hill built a shelter to allow users to observe wildlife from an elevated area under roof.

"This area will be available by appointment to the public and the schools," said Guidarini.  "It's really a partnership opportunity."

The idea of the area is to foster an outdoor learning environment for science classes in the Kanawha County school system and to create an area to attract clubs with an interest in nature like bird watching clubs and scout troops. 

The area encompasses about 35-acres.