Wildlife Habitat Program

Ecological stewardship is an integral part of Marathon Petroleum LLC’s commitment to Responsible Care.® Through its Wildlife Habitat Program, Marathon Petroleum improves the appearance of its properties, supports unique ecosystems and provides opportunities for environmental education and community involvement. Marathon Petroleum presently has nine wildlife sites that are certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council. Several other locations have initiated projects that are expected to result in certification.

Big Spring, Kentucky
Marathon Pipeline LLC has partnered with a private landowner to manage approximately four acres of pipeline right-of-way near Big Spring, Kentucky. This site, which was certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 2001, supports native grasses, legumes and small grains which provide food and cover for terrestrial game birds and mammals.

Cane Run Terminal
The staff of Marathon Petroleum LLC’s asphalt terminal in Cane Run, Kentucky, manages several acres of woodland and pond on property overlooking the Ohio River. This project, which was certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 2002, protects valuable stream bank habitat corridor along this great river.

Findlay Office Complex
The staff at the Marathon Petroleum LLC’s  corporate headquarters maintains a wildlife habitat site in the middle of their Findlay, Ohio, office complex. Encompassing roughly a tenth of an acre, and within the shadow of surrounding multi-story office buildings, the Courtyard Garden is host to a variety of migratory birds and butterflies. This site was certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 2000 and re-certified in 2002.

Garyville Refinery
The staff of Marathon Petroleum LLC’s  Garyville, Louisiana, Refinery has initiated an extensive wildlife habitat management plan encompassing over three hundred acres of forested wetland and wetland meadow in a backwater bayou of the Mississippi River. The presence of alligators, cottonmouth snakes, banana spiders and other delightful creatures makes this project, which was certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 2002, a field of dreams for students of biology.

Martinsville, IL
The staff at Martinsville Pipeline Station manages a wildlife habitat program which encompasses over two hundred and fifty acres of woodlands, farmland, open meadows, wetland and aquatic habitat in eastern Illinois. This site, which was certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 1999, supports a multitude of flowers and plants that are common to the region. The primary focus of the project is managing the property for quail and other associated game and wild species.

North Muskegon Terminal
The North Muskegon, Michigan, site consists of fourteen acres in the floodplain of the Muskegon River, which is a major fly-over area for migratory waterfowl, and which sustains health populations of lake-run steelhead trout and salmon. The project is managed by the volunteer efforts of the Terminal staff, and was certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 2002.

Savage Branch Preserve
The Savage Branch Reserve is located near our Catlettsburg, Kentucky, Refinery and encompasses over fifty acres of native, wildflower meadow and forest in the southern Appalachians. The Reserve is used extensively by local schools as part of their environmental education programs. This flagship project is managed by the volunteer efforts of our Refinery staff, and was certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 1994.

Enon, OH
The staff of Speedway SuperAmerica LLC maintains a diverse wildlife habitat site at their corporate headquarters in Enon, Ohio. Key features of the project include an extensive rock garden encompassing over an acre, a six-acre managed lake and over fifty acres of landscaped woodland and meadow. This site was certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 1999.

St. Paul Park, MN
The staff at Marathon Petroleum LLC’s  St. Paul Park, Minnesota Refinery manages a five-acre enclave of native prairie adjacent to their property, called the Prairie Park. This project, which was certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 1998, supports indigenous, dry prairie grasses and flowers, and is host to migratory songbirds and butterflies.