New White Paper Explores Community-First Actions that Support the Environment and Meet Community Needs

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BETHESDA, MD, January 24, 2023 – WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) offers a new white paper available for download today, Community-First Environmental Action | A Roadmap to Building Meaningful Corporate-Community Relationships. The white paper is sponsored by Ontario Power Generation and is available for free on our website.

All companies have an impact on the communities in which they operate — from positive results like employment opportunities to negative effects such as decreased air quality. Many companies are recognizing the opportunities to invest in community-centered, environmentally conscious initiatives in their own neighborhood.

This white paper discusses how corporations across the world are interfacing with the surrounding community on issues related to sustainability, conservation and education. The featured case studies illustrate how meaningful corporate-community relationships are mutually beneficial, allowing companies to attract and retain talent and providing an opportunity for local communities to meet their environmental health and climate resiliency needs.

Case studies in the white paper include:

  • Boeing: Boeing Plant 2, Washington, USA
  • Dow: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, USA
  • Exelon: Orland Park Prairie, Illinois, USA
  • Freeport-McMoRan: Sociedad Contractual Minera El Abra, Antofagasta, Chile
  • General Motors: Woodstock Parks Distribution Centre, Ontario, Canada
  • Ice Mountain/BlueTriton Brands: Twin Creek Nature Area, Michigan, USA
  • Marathon Petroleum: Marathon Gardens, Michigan, USA
  • The Earth Lab: Ejido Sisal, Yucatán, Mexico
  • WM: Bucks County Landfills, Pennsylvania, USA
  • R. Grace: Tyrone Plant, Pennsylvania, USA

About WHC:

For over 30 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.

Amplify – The Role of the Enterprise in a Nature Positive World, Part I

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Guest Editor: Margaret O’Gorman, WHC President

 

Read the online issue here.

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Just in time for COP 15, this issue of Amplify, the first in a two-part series, explores the nature positive frame, defining what is meant by nature positive and examining the role of enterprise in creating a nature positive world.

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The five articles in this issue, written by thought leaders in their respective arenas, explore the concept of nature positivity and offer a suite of approaches for meaningful business engagement. They attempt to pivot business leaders from “carbon tunnel vision” to a broader view of planetary issues that represent significant risk to business and the world economy. 

 

THE ROLE OF THE ENTERPRISE IN A NATURE POSITIVE WORLD, PART 1 — OPENING STATEMENT
Margaret O’Gorman
HOW BUSINESS & FINANCE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A NATURE POSITIVE FUTURE NOW
Eva Zabey and Erin Billman
THE PATH TOWARD A NATURE POSITIVE BUSINESS
Margot Greenen and Tom Butterworth
PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY TO ACHIEVING A NATURE POSITIVE FUTURE
Colleen Corrigan
9 CONSERVATION PRINCIPLES: FOSTERING COLLABORATION FOR NATURE POSITIVE OUTCOMES
Jessica L. Deichmann, Tamia Souto, Alfonso Alonso, Farah Carrasco-Rueda, Molly Dodge, Francisco Dallmeier, Tremaine Gregory, Ryan C. Richards, Chelsie Romulo, Hadrien Vanthomme, and Matthew L. Richardson  
PROTECTING & PROMOTING NATURAL SYSTEMS: A CRUCIAL STEP FORWARD FOR BUSINESS & COMMUNITY
Alison Shaw and Kacia Tolsma

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WHC Publishes New Tool for Businesses to Explore Nature-Based Solutions

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BETHESDA, MD, November 16, 2022 – WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council), with the support of Shell USA, has released a tool for corporations to better understand and potentially pursue  nature-based solutions to build resilience against the impacts of climate change.

This new resource, Nature-Based Solutions for Corporate Landowners | Interventions to Address Climate Change Challenges is available for download. It includes twenty NBS interventions, from reforestation to green roofs, as well as real-life case studies that show how corporations have successfully implemented each solution. Corporate landowners can use this tool to learn more about specific NBS and select those that best align with their needs.

“By identifying NBS options that are feasible, appropriate, cost-effective and scalable, the private sector can work to build climate-resilient communities while supporting nature,” said Rob Campbell, Director of Technical Services and Certification, WHC.

“Shell is working to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the communities that we serve,” said Michael Jeffers, Social Investment Advisory at Shell. “This tool aligns with Shell’s investments in NBS projects that work with ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands and coastal zones, or projects that improve agricultural sustainability. These projects absorb more CO2 or prevent the release of greenhouse gases, while also delivering benefits to local communities and biodiversity of the area.”
Climate-change challenges such as increased flooding, intense heat and cold waves and severe coastal erosion impact both corporate operations and the lives of local community members. NBS can address climate-change challenges while enhancing biodiversity, mitigating rising temperatures, increasing air quality and boosting carbon sequestration. These natural interventions support human health and well-being while providing opportunities for community engagement.

About WHC:

For over 30 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.

About Shell USA, Inc.:

Shell USA, Inc is an affiliate of Shell plc, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with operations in more than 70 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs more than 12,000 people working to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future.

WHC presents 2022 Ibis Award to Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia

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BETHESDA, MD, November 14, 2022 – WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) has announced the winner of the 2022 Ibis Award — Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia (TMMWV), located in Buffalo, West Virginia. The Ibis Award recognizes a WHC-certified program that has demonstrated resiliency of spirit and advancement of conservation despite unforeseen or unique challenges.  

“In 2015, Toyota announced the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 – a set of six visionary challenges that seek to make a game-changing contribution to some of the most critical environmental issues facing the world today,” said Amanda Williams, Environmental Engineer at TMMWV. “Working with WHC on Challenge 6 (In Harmony with Nature) has been a way to show our commitment to the environment through community outreach and by setting aside spaces that encourage balanced ecosystems where wildlife can thrive. We are extremely grateful to receive the Ibis Award from the Wildlife Habitat Council and to be recognized for our continuous commitment to the environment.”

Toyota’s site includes forest and wetland habitats, and employees have maintained a pollinator garden in addition to bird houses, bat houses and a raptor nesting platform to support avian species in the area. The Toyota team also built an outdoor classroom on-site, where they educate students from nearby schools about the needs of local species and migratory birds. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down in-person schooling, TMMWV recognized that, since they could not utilize the outdoor classroom for outreach, they would instead shift the space from an immersive site for learning to a larger habitat for pollinators.  

The TMMWV team planted nine acres of pollinator host species as well as 18 new tree species throughout the area. In addition to these new plants, employees also added 15 new bird houses, constructed two new walking trails, built an apiary to support local bees and added new interpretive signage to the site. They also worked with the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources to host a pollinator workshop where private landowners learned how to build their own pollinator habitats. Once restrictions due to COVID-19 were lifted and visitors could once again frequent the site, the team found that their efforts left them with a more robust program.  

“The Toyota team exemplified resilience in the face of challenges by using shutdowns as an opportunity to grow their program,” said WHC President Margaret O’Gorman. “By leaning into their strengths, the Toyota West Virginia team has made great gains for biodiversity and for their local community.” 

About WHC: 

For over 30 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries. 

New White Paper Examines How Companies Across the Value Chain are Responding to Opportunities for Biodiversity

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BETHESDA, MD, October 12, 2022 – WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) offers a new white paper available for download today, Building Sustainable Supply Chains | How Nature-based Solutions Can Address Operational Risks. The white paper is sponsored by Ramboll and is available for free on our website.

Much like nature depends on a complex web of relationships between various species, the private sector also relies on symbiotic connections between suppliers and consumers. Driven by pressure from both investors and consumers, more companies are recognizing that to have a net-zero impact on the environment, they must address biodiversity and climate risks across their supply chains.

This white paper explores how corporations at every tier of the supply chain are responding to industry-specific challenges while embracing opportunities to enhance biodiversity. Companies in certain supply chain tiers, such as extraction, have direct impacts on biodiversity and climate, while those in industries like manufacturing often have more indirect impacts. As such, no one approach to integrating biodiversity into the supply chain will work for all companies. By identifying and implementing locally appropriate, nature-positive actions that align with regional sustainability goals, the private sector can address the risks associated with their operations across the supply chain.

Case studies in the white paper include:

  • CEMEX: Rockfield Quarry, California, USA
  • Davey Resource Group: WSSI Native Habitat, Virginia, USA
  • Exelon: Benning Service Center, Washington, DC, USA
  • Freeport-McMoRan: Cerro Verde Facility, Arequipa, Peru
  • Georgia-Pacific: Leaf River Cellulose, LLC, Mississippi, USA
  • ITC: Right-of-Way at Tomlinson Arboretum, Michigan, USA
  • Solvay: Paulínia Site, São Paulo, Brazil
  • Toyota: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, Texas, USA
  • WM: WM Laconia Transfer Station, New Hampshire, USA

About WHC:

For over 30 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.

2022 WHC Awards Announced at WHC Conservation Conference

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DETROIT, MI, JUNE 15, 2022 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) announced the winners of its 2022 WHC Awards during the WHC Conservation Conference held in Detroit, Michigan on June 14-15. The WHC Awards honor excellence in corporate conservation, and recipients include national and international companies representing a variety of industries.

The year’s top awards, which signify exemplary leadership in corporate conservation, went to General Motors and ITC Holdings.

“We are proud to honor WHC members, including General Motors and ITC Holdings, for their outstanding accomplishments over the past year,” said Margaret O’Gorman, President, WHC. “Not only are these companies committed to making biodiversity a priority, but they also serve as excellent examples of how corporations can employ nature-based solutions to further global biodiversity and conservation goals. We are honored to recognize these leaders in corporate conservation with the WHC Awards.”

General Motors received the 2022 Corporation Conservation Leadership Award, which recognizes one company’s overall excellence in conservation and signifies their exemplary commitment to biodiversity, conservation education, and alignment with global conservation objectives.

This year’s Employee Engagement Award was also given to General Motors. This award recognizes the exceptional contributions of a company’s employees to their habitat and conservation education activities.

ITC Holdings was awarded the 2022 Gold Tier Program Award, which honors the overall depth of one conservation program, for the various projects at their corporate headquarters in Novi, Michigan.

New this year, the WHC Spirit Award was presented to CRH and ITC for displaying the most energy, enthusiasm and team spirit during the WHC Awards Dinner.

In addition to these corporate and program-level awards, individual projects are recognized for excellence in each of the WHC Project Guidance themes. This award category, presented by Boeing, offers projects of all sizes the ability to compete for recognition.

Freeport-McMoRan was this year’s most honored company, receiving five project awards (Awareness and Engagement, Caves, Desert, Mammals and Training) for their conservation and education work at Morenci Mine, Sierrita Mine and United Verde, all located in Arizona.

The following is a complete list of 2022 WHC Award Winners:

WHC Corporate Conservation Leadership Award
General Motors

WHC Employee Engagement Award
General Motors

WHC Gold Program Award
ITC Holdings, ITC Corporate Headquarters  |  Novi, Michigan

Avian Project Award
Boeing, Boeing Emery Landfill-Wichita  |  Wichita, Kansas

Awareness and Engagement Project Award
Freeport-McMoRan, Freeport-McMoRan Sierrita Mine  |  Green Valley, Arizona

Bats Project Award
Wacker Chemical, Adrian Site  |  Adrian, Michigan

Caves Project Award
Freeport-McMoRan, Morenci Mine  |  Morenci, Arizona

Desert Project Award
Freeport-McMoRan, Freeport-McMoRan Sierrita Mine  |  Green Valley, Arizona

Forests Project Award
ITC Holdings, ITC Corporate Headquarters  |  Novi, Michigan

Formal Learning Project Award
Bayer, Muscatine Plant and Big Sand Mound Nature Preserve  |  Muscatine, Iowa

Grassland Project Award
Boeing, Boeing Emery Landfill-Wichita  |  Wichita, Kansas

Green Infrastructure Project Award
Ice Mountain/BlueTriton Brands, Twin Creek Nature Area  |  Evart, Michigan

Invasive Species Project Award
Vulcan Materials, Grandin Sand Plant  |  Melrose, Florida

Land Conservation Agreement Project Award
Constellation, Criterion Wind  |  Oakland, Maryland

Landscaped Project Award
CRH Americas, Booneville  |  Booneville, Iowa

Mammals Project Award
Freeport-McMoRan, Morenci Mine  |  Morenci, Arizona

Other Habitats Project Award
Exelon, Brandywine ROW Stewardship Program  |  Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

Other Species Project Award
Buzzi Unicem, Chattanooga Plant  |  Chattanooga, Tennessee

Pollinators Project Award
Boeing, Boeing Emery Landfill-Wichita  |  Wichita, Kansas

Remediation Project Award
WM, Twin Creeks Landfill  |  Watford, Ontario, Canada

Reptiles and Amphibians Project Award
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River Laboratories  |  Chalk River, Ontario, Canada

Species of Concern Project Award
Bayer, Muscatine Plant and Big Sand Mound Nature Preserve  |  Muscatine, Iowa

Training Project Award
Freeport-McMoRan, United Verde Site  |  Jerome, Arizona

Wetlands and Water Bodies Project Award
Exelon, Gwynedd ROW Stewardship Program  |  North Wales, Pennsylvania

Award finalists and winners were chosen from Conservation Certification applications submitted between January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 that were granted certification. Information on award criteria can be found here.

About Wildlife Habitat Council 

For 34 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.

White Paper | Trees at Work | Driving Conservation, Equity and Empowerment through Urban and Community Forestry

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BETHESDA, MD, March 3, 2022 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) offers a new white paper available for download today, Trees at Work | Driving Conservation, Equity and Empowerment through Urban and Community Forestry (UCF). The white paper is sponsored by Ontario Power Generation and is available for free on our website.

This white paper serves as an extension of the WHC Across Fence Lines initiative, a U.S. Forest Service-funded effort focused on engaging corporations in a best-in-class, community-centered approach to urban and community forestry.  

A Prime Opportunity for Corporate Conservation

Trees in urban and suburban settings are increasingly being seen as critical infrastructure, bringing a variety of positive benefits to a rapidly urbanizing world. At the same time, people in the U.S. and other parts of the world are seeking solutions to the ongoing climate and biodiversity crises, and addressing long-overdue matters of socioeconomic and racial inequity that have disproportionately placed these environmental burdens on poor communities and communities of color.

This white paper explores some of the many ways that corporations around the world have utilized community forestry work to provide biodiversity uplift, ecosystem services and resident empowerment within a wide range of communities, as well as how strategic UCF projects can serve all three purposes. While the goals, environmental needs, and geographic and socioeconomic contexts of the following featured case studies vary greatly, a number of common practices — close attention to tree selection, awareness of local soil conditions, an interest in forming partnerships, a reverence for local community needs and a commitment to maintenance for long-term success — arise throughout.

Case Studies:

  • Stellantis: Stellantis Etobicoke Casting, Ontario, Canada
  • Bayer: Camaçari Site, Camaçari, Brazil
  • Waste Management: Waste Management-Michelin Campground Natural Area, Kentucky, U.S.A.
  • Kinder Morgan: Hartford Street Terminal, Florida, U.S.A.
  • Bridgestone: Aiken County Off Road Tire Plant, South Carolina, U.S.A.
  • Buzzi Unicem: Hercules Cement Company, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
  • CEMEX: Barahona Site, Barahona, Dominican Republic
  • General Motors: Colmotores Plant, Bogotá, Colombia
  • DuPont: Experimental Station Laboratories, Delaware, U.S.A.
  • Marathon: Detroit Refinery, Michigan, U.S.A.

Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation, this white paper includes an introduction from Aaron Del Pino, Vice-President – Environment, Health & Safety, Ontario Power Generation, who states, “Trees, shrubs, and forest habitats mitigate the effects of climate change and are critical to supporting biodiversity by providing food and shelter for a variety of wildlife.”  

About Wildlife Habitat Council: 

For 33 years, WHC has been promoting and certifying ecological stewardship action on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since only 10-15% of the world’s land surface is protected, private lands provide an essential opportunity for restoring and protecting biodiversity. As the only international conservation NGO focused exclusively on the private sector, WHC provides a framework for voluntary conservation action on a wide variety of corporate lands. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries. 

Breathing Life into Engineering: An Introduction to Green Infrastructure

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As climate change and other environmental crises escalate worldwide, individuals, businesses and communities everywhere are exploring ways to adapt to these challenges. While some are focused on solving these problems through technological advances, many others are looking to nature for inspiration, and with good reason: from bumblebees that developed long tongues to drink from tubular blooms to cacti that evolved to store water, the natural world has much to teach us about adaptation.   

Engineered solutions that utilize natural processes to address environmental issues are known as green infrastructure. Green infrastructure typically uses the carbon sequestration, water filtration and temperature moderation abilities of healthy soil and native vegetation to manage challenges like stormwater runoff, urban heat island effect and atmospheric carbon. Unlike conventional responses to these issues, such as shoreline hardening or carbon capture technology, green infrastructure provides many co-benefits to people and wildlife and, if properly constructed and maintained, can often provide cost savings in the long term.  

The most common forms of green infrastructure include:  

Living walls and green façades  

While we often conflate the idea of “green space” with “open space,” native plants that are integrated into a built environment still bring big benefits in the form of increased air quality, improved mental wellness and habitat for pollinators. Such plantings are especially important in cities, many of which are experiencing rapid growth and, with it, habitat loss.  

Living walls (which feature grasses, perennials or shrubs planted right into walls or freestanding vertical structures) and green façades (where native vines, planted into the ground, are allowed to climb up a building’s walls) have become a popular way to benefit the environment with limited space, while also providing temperature and noise control, both indoors and around a building.   

Key considerations: If not properly managed, the roots of living walls and green façades can impact a building’s structural integrity, so before installation, it is important to discuss plant selection and maintenance strategies with an experienced contractor. Most living walls contain built-in irrigation systems, and companies in areas with severe winters may want to consider a modular wall design, which allows for panels of plants to be removed and brought inside during cold snaps.  

Learn more: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting green infrastructure, including living walls, throughout North America. Their website features educational resources and a directory of professional contractors across the continent.  

Green roofs 

Rooftop runoff often contains contaminants such as heavy metals, dust and bacteria, which, during heavy rain events, can overflow from gutters or sewers into waterways.  

Roofs planted with vegetation, known as green roofs, have become a popular way to address this issue. The soil and plants on a green roof can absorb up to 80% of rainfall, reducing the burden on sewage systems while also moderating building and outdoor air temperatures, extending the life of roofs, and creating habitat for birds and pollinators.  

Key considerations: Green roof creation entails either adding pre-planted trays to a roof, or planting vegetation atop layers of insulation and soil. Depending on the method used, and the depth of the soil, green roofs can accommodate succulents, grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and even trees. Since these installations add weight to roofs, it is important to consult with an experienced engineer or contractor before getting started, and to have the roof maintained and inspected regularly.  

Learn more: The Green Roof Research Center at Penn State, which tests the performance and benefits of green roofs across campus, is the only research center of its kind in North America. The center’s website features extensive research on best practices for roof creation and maintenance. 

Bioswales and rain gardens 

As with roofs, the impervious materials used in sidewalks, driveways and parking lots can lead to contaminated runoff, containing motor oil, road salt and pesticides, entering waterways.  

Rain gardens and bioswales, which feature native vegetation planted in a depression, capture and filter this runoff before it returns to the water table or a nearby waterway. By capturing stormwater or slowing its flow, these installations also decrease the risk of flooding and erosion. Although bioswales and rain gardens serve similar purposes, they differ in design. Rain gardens are designed to draw water directly down into the soil. Although bioswales’ soil and plants do absorb some stormwater, their sloped design is meant to redirect much of the runoff toward a drain — or into a connected rain garden!  

Key considerations: Rain gardens are best suited for areas with fast-draining soil — creating one in clay or other poorly drained soil can result in pools of stagnant water, which are conducive to mosquito breeding. Gardens should also be kept at least 10 feet away from buildings to protect foundations from water seepage. Management of rain gardens and bioswales will be similar to that of other native gardens (e.g., watering during the first year, invasive species control), although teams may wish to put more effort toward soil health to ensure proper drainage (check out WHC’s healthy soils webinar for inspiration). 

Learn more: A local agricultural extension office is a good resource for researching the soil types and native plants found in your area. The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture website contains a state-by-state extension directory.  

Living shorelines  

About 40% of the world’s population lives within 90 miles of the ocean, and eight of the world’s 10 largest cities are in coastal regions. To protect properties in these areas against storm surges, erosion and the looming threat of sea level rise, many governments and private landowners have turned to shoreline hardening solutions like seawalls and bulkheads. This type of gray infrastructure, however, decreases habitat for aquatic wildlife that depends on coastal vegetation, and can exacerbate erosion along unprotected parts of the coast.  

As such, many landowners are choosing to instead fortify their coasts with living shorelines. This approach involves installing oyster reefs or planting native marsh vegetation to weaken breaking waves while also trapping sediment to counteract any erosion that does occur, helping to protect properties while also fostering healthy coastal habitat.  

Key considerations: In areas with a high flooding risk, a living shoreline alone may not provide sufficient protection. Coastal fortification should, in these cases, be approached as a continuum, with intermediate options (such as combining a small stone breakwater with coastal vegetation) often being the best course of action. Depending on the scale of a living shoreline project, it may be necessary to obtain both a state-level permit and one from the Army Corps of Engineers. A local marine contractor can help you navigate this process.  

Learn more: The NOAA website features a wide variety of resources on living shorelines, including pricing and permitting information, case studies of successful projects and, for high-risk areas, guidance on combining green and gray infrastructure.      

Next Steps 

Installing green infrastructure, especially projects that require permits or inspections, is a big decision that requires thorough research and planning. Once implemented, however, these projects provide invaluable environmental, economic and social benefits. To demonstrate how companies across the country have implemented green infrastructure and other nature-based solutions, WHC has published white papers on natural climate solutions and green infrastructure. For insights on starting a green infrastructure project of your own, read our stakeholder-informed project guidance or contact WHC Consulting today. 

Read more WHC blogs. 

WHC presents 2021 Ibis Award to the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant

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SILVER SPRING, MD, December 6, 2021 – Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) has announced the winner of the 2021 Ibis Award — the Stellantis Windsor (Ont.) Assembly Plant. The Ibis Award recognizes a WHC-Certified program that has demonstrated resilience of spirit and advancement of conservation despite lockdowns, quarantines and additional government-mandated regulations.  

Since 2009, the plant has hosted educational events, such as tree plantings, for Windsor residents. The work performed by community members at these events has been a critical part of the company’s efforts to address the lack of urban tree canopy in the Windsor area. Participants, most of whom have been students, have helped plant 1,500 trees across the property. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, local regulations prevented Windsor Assembly Plant employees from organizing large-scale community events. Despite these barriers, the team remained committed to providing high-quality environmental education experiences for colleagues and Windsor residents.  

“We are very proud and thankful to receive the Ibis award from the Wildlife Habitat Council in recognition of our efforts to help promote a positive and sustainable environmental footprint within Windsor and Essex County,” said Jon Desjardins, Windsor Assembly Plant Manager. “Faced with unprecedented challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic this past year, our employees and the Unifor Local 444 Joint Workplace Committee demonstrated commendable resiliency in overcoming those obstacles and carrying out the hallmark initiatives of the conservation program for our colleagues and local youth in the community. We are grateful for their efforts in making our world and our environment a better place.” 

The Windsor team opted to pivot from large-scale events to planning activities that participants of all ages could complete in an independent, socially distanced manner. The activities provided opportunities for creativity and outdoor exploration during a challenging time. Educational offerings included:  

  • Coping with Covid artwork: participants created and submitted environmentally themed art. 
  • Tree identification: participants explored the plant’s grounds and took note of various native tree species. 
  • Virtual geocaching: instead of finding a hidden box on-site, participants were provided with a link where they could upload pictures of themselves taking pro-environmental actions.  
  • Photography contest, Native or Invasive: participants photographed plants, birds, fish and animals, and determined if they were native to the Windsor area.  
  • Treasure hunt with a twist: using a map and written, pirate-themed clues, participants navigated to an on-site pollinator habitat and planted additional milkweed seeds. 

Participants would send proof of participation to the activity organizers, who received as many as 125 submissions per activity, a figure comparable to the 130-person turnout for the team’s pre-pandemic planting events. While the organizers received submissions from everyone from preschoolers to site employees, most of the participants were secondary school students. The teens could use the activities to fulfill community service hours required for graduation, during a time when pandemic-related closures made finding volunteer work difficult. Extra credit was given to students who participated in habitat enhancement work, such as planting native wildflowers or trees, and submitted proof to the organizers.  

Speaking to the Stellantis team’s resiliency, WHC President Margaret O’Gorman said, “By exercising flexibility and remaining sensitive to local needs, the Windsor team has not only been able to maintain their conservation program but has also grown its decades-long relationship with the greater Windsor community.”  

In addition to the Ibis Award, the team’s efforts have been commended by Stellantis’ corporate offices, the Windsor municipal government and a local museum. Given this praise, and the overwhelmingly positive comments from participants and their parents, the Windsor team intends to continue offering self-directed educational activities, even when organized events become possible again.  

About Wildlife Habitat Council
Wildlife Habitat Council partners with corporations, fellow conservation organizations, government agencies and community members to empower and recognize wildlife habitat and conservation education programs. Our members are environmental leaders at local, national and global levels, voluntarily managing their lands to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. Since 1988, WHC has certified more than 1,000 habitat and education programs worldwide; WHC Conservation Certification programs can be found in 47 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, and 25 countries. To learn more, visit http://tandemglobal.org or follow @WildlifeHC on Twitter. 

About Stellantis
Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) is one of the world’s leading automakers and a mobility provider, guided by a clear vision to offer freedom of movement with distinctive, affordable and reliable mobility solutions. In addition to the Group’s rich heritage and broad geographic presence, its greatest strengths lie in its sustainable performance, depth of experience and the wide-ranging talents of employees working around the globe. Stellantis will leverage its broad and iconic brand portfolio, which was founded by visionaries who infused the brands with passion and a competitive spirit that speaks to employees and customers alike. Stellantis aspires to become the greatest, not the biggest, while creating added value for all stakeholders, as well as the communities in which it operates. 

Follow company news and video on:
Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
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WHC and SP Receive EPA Award to Promote Pollution Prevention in Southeastern U.S. Auto Industry

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SILVER SPRING, MD, OCTOBER 18, 2021 – Corporate conservation organization Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and automotive industry environmental sustainability association Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) will receive $68,000 in funding from the EPA Region 4 Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) Grant Program, an initiative that supports pollution prevention (P2) efforts in the American Southeast. The award will be used to explore and promote nature-based solutions (NbS) that address pollution prevention within the region’s automotive industry and across the supply chain.

The SRA grant will allow WHC and SP to expand on their longtime collaboration, which was formalized through a memorandum of understanding in October 2018. Together, the two organizations have already made strides in addressing global environmental challenges, with WHC providing technical support to the SP Biodiversity Work Group Pollinator Challenge which, as of 2019, has resulted in SP members collectively managing over 2,400 acres of pollinator habitat on their corporate lands.

With the SRA funding comes a new opportunity for WHC and SP to engage collaborating automotive companies with a presence in Region 4, such as Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Lear Corporation, Toyota Motor North America and others, through a series of P2-oriented workshops.

“Calls to address both pollution and biodiversity loss are quickly increasing,” says Sara Cook, Senior Manager, Conservation Strategies, WHC. “This award represents a chance for our organizations to explore and implement solutions that will speak to both challenges, using our respective experiences and professional networks to scale up impact across the nation and beyond.”

WHC and SP’s efforts will be implemented over the course of a two-year period, with the first workshops to be developed in early 2022. Workshop attendees will work to identify methods and opportunities for the automotive sector to reduce pollution by implementing NbS and will learn about the co-benefits of nature-based P2 work.

Kellen Mahoney, Program Director of SP says, “these workshops will empower automotive manufacturers, and their suppliers, to drive industry-wide change while also working toward company and facility-level sustainability goals.” The work done during the grant period will ultimately result in the development of key P2-related metrics and performance areas and the characterization of the P2 potential of lands managed by the automotive industry.

About SP

The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) is an association of automakers and their suppliers working in collaboration with the US EPA and other governmental entities toward a shared vision of an automotive industry with positive environmental impact. To learn more, visit www.supplierspartnership.org

About WHC

Wildlife Habitat Council partners with corporations, their employees, fellow conservation organizations, government agencies and community members to recognize and encourage wildlife habitat projects for conservation, education, and recreation. To learn more, visit www.wildlifehc.org

For More Information

Sara Cook | Wildlife Habitat Council | 480.621.9055

Kellen Mahoney | Suppliers Partnership for the Environment | 202.530.0096