LONG POND, Pa. (Oct. 28, 2016) – Pocono Raceway President & CEO Brandon Igdalsky Senator Mario Scavello (R-40), State Representative Keith Gillespie (R-42), majority chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee and Matt Hough, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission were on hand Friday to donate bat houses during an interactive session at the raceway’s massive 25-acre, three megawatt solar farm.
The bat houses were created by repurposing Chevrolet Volt battery covers, which was challenging to recycle by traditional means. Recycled scrap circuit trays from Chevrolet SUV and truck engine control modules fit inside the structure, providing an easy-to-cling-to surface for the bats.
“We’ve built about 450 of these bat houses over the last six years,” said John Bradburn, General Motors’ global waste reduction manager. “At GM, we view waste as just a resource out of place. This initiative reinforces our commitment to the environment while enabling us to work alongside students who help us put the finishing touches on these projects.”
Bradburn led the initiative on the bat houses and was at Pocono Raceway in 2015 when members of the Pocono Raceway Kids Club powered by Pocono Medical Center built the bat houses in conjunction with the NASCAR Green program.
“This is a tremendous example of teamwork and a lot of people and organizations working together for a great benefit,” said Igdalsky. “Our thanks to Chevrolet for finding this innovative reuse application, to the Game Commission for utilizing the bat houses and to our little fans for helping us build them.”
Fifteen bat houses were constructed at Pocono Raceway and four will be used around the raceway’s property. The Pennsylvania Game Commission will utilize the others to provide a shelter for female bats and their young throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The bat houses can accommodate up to 150 females and their young. Bats are a critical element to the ecosystems balance as each one can eat up to 5,000 insects per night and provide mosquito control.
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Game Commissions, signs will accompany each bat house explaining the partnerships and benefits of the bat houses.
Pocono Raceway will host seven major events in 2017, including two NASCAR and one Verizon IndyCar Series weekend. Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.poconoraceway.com, by calling 1-800-RACEWAY or in person at the Pocono Raceway Ticket Office on Long Pond Road.
2017 Pocono Raceway Schedule
Friday, June 9: ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards
Saturday, June 10: NASCAR XFINITY Series, FOX, 1 p.m.
Sunday, June 11: NASCAR Cup Series, Fox Sports 1, 3 p.m.
Friday, July 28: ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards
Saturday, July 29: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Fox Sports 1, 1 p.m.
Sunday, July 30: NASCAR Cup Series, NBC Sports Network, 3 p.m.
Sunday, August 20: Verizon IndyCar Series
Robert Morrell |
Good thing is done at the race track.