Growing Eco-Stewardship

All over the world, Goldcorp conducts business with utmost respect for people and the planet. Across our operations in central Mexico, communities have benefitted from jobs, career training, health services, education, social programs and more, for a legacy of opportunity long after the mine lifecycle. Equal care is given to protect and preserve precious resources, habitat and ecosystems.

At our Camino Rojo project near Peñasquito mine, Goldcorp is surveying indigenous plants and wildlife for environmental baseline studies to inform reclamation planning and minimize impact before, during and after mining operations. In collaboration with the Mexican government, the studies also include biodiversity planning and reporting, as well as physical and chemical analysis.

With exploration underway at Camino Rojo, native plants are being relocated to the Peñasquito nursery, specially built several years ago when Goldcorp undertook one of Mexico’s largest conservation efforts. Employees transplanted 559,499 cacti and native plants, each tagged with GPS technology for precision care during the mining cycle and exact replacement afterward, achieving an impressive 96% survival rate.

Indigenous cacti and other species at Camino Rojo are likewise GPS tagged prior to nursery transplant to ensure that future reclamation plans provide precise details for the replacement of each plant in its original location, with precisely the same sun exposure.

Goldcorp also propagates saplings at the Peñasquito nursery to support ProArbol, a federal reforestation program. “We are raising 15 types of trees, including mesquite, acacia, agave, pine and Fresno,” says Armando Escarcega, Environmental and Community Relations Manager at Peñasquito. “Our goal is to grow 5 million plants annually.”
 
Caring for plants is only a small sampling of Goldcorp’s commitment to the environment in Mexico. The Camino Rojo water team is tracking wildlife by satellite photography and conducting tests on two large, on-site watersheds. In addition, the team is sourcing alternate local water supplies to ensure the most efficient use and conservation of natural resources. 

In many Mexican communities, Goldcorp also supports eco-education programs for preschool, primary and junior-high students, with the goal of instilling early and lasting respect for the environment on a local and global scale.
 

Read more about our extensive environmental initiatives in Above Ground magazine.