BAY CITY, TEXAS, October 13, 2021 – LyondellBasell Matagorda Complex employees and their families demonstrated the power of many as they volunteered their time to assist the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center for the company’s 22nd annual Global Care Day, a company-wide day of service.
The Matagorda County Birding Nature Center (MCBNC) has six botanical gardens and three major eco-systems for visitors to enjoy and offers outdoor experiences for those with a passion for nature. However, Winter Storm Uri was not kind to the palm trees at the center and the extensive cactus garden had become overgrown with native vegetation.
Volunteers from LyondellBasell, armed with rakes, shovels, clippers, saws and a determination to make a difference, descended on the center last week to reclaim the cactus garden and trim the palm trees impacted by the winter storm.
“Serving the communities where we operate is ingrained in our culture and a reflection of our what is important to us,” said Mark Bookmyer, LyondellBasell Matagorda Complex site manager. “We care deeply about the needs of this county and our neighbors and are happy to help the Nature Center with some cleanup work.”
When they finished the job, the nature center had a cleared cactus garden ready for new plantings and palm trees freed from their dead limbs.
“We are so grateful for the work they did,” said Becca Sitz, MCBNC board member and volunteer. “We are an all-volunteer organization and when groups like LyondellBasell come out and help us with maintenance, we are thankful beyond measure. They have inspired us to do more, better and faster.”
Sitz said the cleanup work by LyondellBasell comes at a perfect time as they prepare for their fall fundraiser, the Full Moon Food Truck Festival which takes place Oct. 23-24 from 5 – 10 p.m.
Many of this year’s Global Care Day efforts were inspired by World Cleanup Day which centered around sustainability. LyondellBasell volunteers from around the world cleaned up plastic waste and litter from beaches, waterways and parks, as well as planted trees and gardens and educated school-aged children about sustainability.
Global Care Day began in 2000 to encourage worldwide volunteerism in the communities where LyondellBasell operates. Since 2018, LyondellBasell employees have spent more than 43,000 hours enriching their communities during Global Care Day.
For more information about LyondellBasell volunteers from around the world in action during Global Care Day, click here.
