Page 85 - 2021 Sustainability Report

COMMUNITY WELL-BEING

exhibit’s largest rocks are boulders that originated in 12 “We started by reaching out to our plant managers, who
Martin Marietta quarries in North Carolina, South Carolina, all were very excited about this opportunity,” Kirby says.
Georgia, Virginia and Maryland, said Senior Manager of “We then sent out our geologists, who worked with our
Geological Services Josh Kirby. Martin Marietta’s geology operations teams to select samples that were of interest.
and exploration groups worked closely with East Division Our exploration crews then picked up and prepared each
operations staff to facilitate the boulder donation with the sample for delivery.”
goal of showcasing the wide variety of rock types present
in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

Once the boulders were placed, Kirby and his team “We think about it in terms of hazards versus healthy
prepared a brief writeup for each, detailing the rock type, risks,” Kloda says. “We tell visitors that they may get
the original location and other relevant background bumped here because that’s part of being outside. And
information. In total, the process took several months from that’s okay. This is all about body participation. What we
start to finish. don’t want are hazards. If we identify hazards, we work to
eliminate them.”
Kloda says the boulders are very much a draw in the exhibit,
which also includes a sheltered classroom space where To that end, the exhibit is built with fall surfaces in areas
children can participate in geology-related workshops. where climbing is likely to take place. While it is expected
that visitors will climb the stone walls, they are asked to
While Martin Marietta and the Museum of Life and Science avoid taller sculptures and the stone cave’s roof, among
both have an interest in educating the public, doing so other areas. Staff and volunteers have also learned where
safely is the top priority. Just as company teams seek to to position themselves in order to provide assistance to
minimize potential hazards, so, too, does the museum children who may need it.
staff.

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