OCTOBER 7, 2020 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) announced the winners of its 2020 WHC Awards during WHC Connect, the organization’s first virtual conference, held online October 6-7. The WHC Awards honor excellence in corporate conservation; recipients include both national and international companies across a variety of industry sectors.

This year’s top awards, signifying leadership in conservation, were won by CEMEX, DTE Energy and Fidelity Investments, and were based on applications submitted between July 16, 2019 and December 31, 2019.

New this year, WHC presented the first ever Ibis Award to Bacardi for its work at its facility in Jacksonville. The Ibis Award recognizes a WHC-Certified program that has demonstrated resiliency of spirit and advancement of conservation despite shutdowns, quarantines and changes in the workplace. This award was based on applications submitted between January 1, 2020 and July 15, 2020.

“We’re honored to recognize the outstanding achievements of WHC members, including Bacardi, CEMEX, DTE Energy and Fidelity Investments,” said Margaret O’Gorman, President, WHC. “The companies, programs and employees around the world we salute with WHC Awards represent the importance of nature-based solutions on corporate lands. These solutions are vital to solve the biodiversity and climate crises and our members are at the forefront of this challenge.”

CEMEX received the 2020 WHC Corporate Conservation Leadership Award. The Corporate Conservation Leadership Award honors one company’s overall achievement in conservation efforts, and signifies an exemplary level of corporate commitment to biodiversity and conservation education, and meaningful alignments with global conservation objectives.

The Employee Engagement Award, given to DTE Energy, recognizes a company’s involvement in conservation through the sheer force of its employee teams who participate in its habitat and conservation education activities.

Fidelity Investments received the Gold Tier Program Award, which honors the overall conservation depth of one exceptional program, for its conservation efforts at the Fidelity Investments facility in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Smithfield was also awarded the 2020 WHC Forests Project Award.

Projects are recognized for excellence in each of the WHC Project Guidance themes. This category offers projects of all sizes the ability to compete for recognition. Learn more about the Project Award criteria here.

CEMEX was the year’s most honored company, picking up four awards in the following categories: Corporate Conservation Leadership Award, Awareness & Engagement (Huichapan “Cerro Pardo” y “Puzolana,” Mexico), Deserts (El Carmen Nature Reserve, Mexico), and Landscaped (Ready Mix USA, Alabama).

The following is a complete list of 2020 WHC Award Winners:

WHC Corporate Conservation Leadership Award
CEMEX

WHC Employee Engagement Award
DTE Energy

WHC Gold Program Award
Fidelity Investments Smithfield, Rhode Island

WHC Ibis Award
Bacardi Bottling Corporation  |  Jacksonville, FL         

WHC Avian Project Award
Muskegon County Wastewater Management System, Muskegon County Wastewater Facility  |  Muskegon, Michigan, U.S.A.

WHC Awareness & Engagement Project Award
CEMEX, Huichapan “Cerro Pardo” y “Puzolana”  |  Huichapan, Hidalgo, Mexico

WHC Bats Project Award
Argos USA, Argos Newberry Plant   |   Newberry, Florida, U.S.A.

WHC Deserts Project Award
CEMEX, El Carmen Nature Reserve   |   Coahuila, Mexico

WHC Forests Project Award
Fidelity Investments, Smithfield   |   Smithfield, Rhode Island, U.S.A.

WHC Formal Learning Project Award
Benjamin Moore, Pell City   |    Pell City, Alabama, U.S.A.

WHC Grasslands Project Award
Waste Management, Kirby Canyon Recycling and Disposal Facility  |   Morgan Hill, California, U.S.A.

WHC Invasive Species Project Award
Toyota, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas   |   San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A.

WHC Landscaped Project Award
CEMEX, Ready Mix USA   |   Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A.

WHC Mammals Project Award
MEG Energy, Christina Lake Regional Project   |   Alberta, Canada

WHC Other Habitats Project Award
Vulcan Materials, Cajon Creek Habitat Conservation Area   |   Glendale, California, U.S.A.

WHC Pollinators Project Award
Albemarle, Kings Mountain Pollinator Habitat   |   Kings Mountain, North Carolina, U.S.A.

WHC Reptiles & Amphibians Project Award
Waste Management, West Carleton Environmental Centre   |   Ottawa, Canada

WHC Rocky Areas Project Award
Exelon, R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Station   |   Ontario, New York, U.S.A.

WHC Species of Concern Project Award
Waste Management, Kirby Canyon Recycling and Disposal Facility   |   Morgan Hill, California, U.S.A.

WHC Wetlands & Water Bodies Project Award
Exelon, Gwynedd Stream Rehabilitation and Protection Project   |   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Award finalists and winners were chosen from Conservation Certification applications submitted from July 16, 2019 – December 31, 2019 that were granted certification. Information on award criteria can be found here.