The Dagenham site, which has made more than 37 million engines and 11 million cars since it first opened in 1931 and now manufactures a range of technologically advanced diesel engines, has more than 50 types of birds nest in the surrounding haven for wildlife.
The site includes the Breach, a natural lake, formed when the River Thames burst its banks more than 300 years ago, and the River Beam. In addition to housing a large wader roost, the 620-acre area counts peregrine falcons, swans and Canada geese among its residents and visitors.
However, it is not just birds that call the Dagenham plant home, with the protected European water vole and the rare Adonis ladybird also inhabiting the East London site.
Explains Ford Dagenham senior site supervisor Tony Shade: “The wildlife habitat on the Dagenham estate covers a large part of the site, and its importance is recognised by employees and is really ingrained into the culture at the plant. For example, new drivers on site are warned to be aware of wildlife crossing the roads – and we work closely with the Forestry Commission and London waterways charity Thames21.”
Employees from the plant help to maintain and improve the local habitat by keeping waterways clear, re-stocking fish supplies, and they have also planted more than 10,500 trees over the past 20 years. The plant has, in the last year, reduced water and energy consumption per engine produced by more than 50%, according to the annual Sustainability Report issued by Ford on Friday.
Ford Dagenham: A manufacturing plant living on the wild side
1 min read
Manufacturing facilities may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think about nature and wildlife, but that hasn’t stopped a huge range of flora and fauna calling Ford’s engine plant ‘home’.
