BASF wildlife REFUGE

Location: Rensselaer, New York
Client: BASF, Northeast Headquarters

Given the task of "greening" a post-industrial landfill, MKW challenged the client to expand its original mission and transform the nine-acre parcel into a sustainable, ecological oasis that would serve as the model for future brownfield restoration projects. The design uses innovative applications to return life to a barren site. The inactive landfill was remediated through waste removal, phyto-remediation, and groundwater collection and treatment. The site includes meadow and shrub forest areas, offering a range of habitats including foraging and nesting sites for a variety of birds and butterflies, and a freshwater wetland habitat for aquatic species. As a way-station for migratory birds located along an industrial corridor in Rensselaer, NY, this habitat serves as an ecological preserve, and provides a template upon which industry and nature can co-exist.