Earth Day is an annual celebration of the Earth and its natural environment, observed on April 22 of each year.  The goal behind Earth Day celebrations is to foster appreciation and awareness of the Earth’s natural environment and the threats to clean air, clean water, and biodiversity.  Earth Day originated in 1970 when U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson called for an environmental teach-in.  The movement grew on its own and soon blossomed into an awareness-raising celebration held in several major cities across the United States.  It is now observed by 175 countries.

Many Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) programs will be holding events on or around April 22 to celebrate Earth Day and promote awareness among employees and community members.  There are many great ways to raise awareness while promoting interest in your site’s Wildlife at Work or Corporate Lands for Learning program.

• Host an environmental fair at your site, inviting environmental organizations and government agencies to exhibit.
• Host games, such as a litter scavenger hunt, that promote environmental awareness.
• Invite employees and community members to participate in a bird walk.
• Conduct a trash cleanup in a nearby park or waterway.
• Invite employees and community members to participate in habitat enhancement projects, such as building nest boxes or pulling non-native, invasive plants.

WHC will be participating in local Earth Day events around the DC Metropolitan region.  One of these events is the Earth Day celebration at Erickson Retirement Communities’ Riderwood site, which will have displays about the program’s habitat-related activities and other green initiatives, as well as a native plant sale.

If you would like help designing an Earth Day celebration for your site, please contact WHC’s Education and Outreach staff at CLL@wildlifehc.org or by calling the main office at (301) 588-8994.

General Motors was recognized among large businesses for their landfill-free program at manufacturing and other locations. Among the imaginative ways of re-using items has been the conversion of Chevy Volt battery cases into nest boxes for wood ducks!

Delta Dental of Michigan was recognized for its green re-design of the company’s Lansing headquarters, including shoreline habitat at an existing retention pond.

DTE Energy and ITC Holdings actively involve their employees in implementing green practices. These two companies, along with General Motors, are strong leaders in building corporate-based wildlife habitat in southeast Michigan and southwest Ontario through WHC’s Huron to Erie Waterways for Wildlife Project.

The Detroit Free Press, one of the city’s two major dailies, involves about 15 independent, community judges in choosing Green Leaders Awards from among hundreds of nominations each year. The awards highlight “individuals, businesses and organizations moving the state forward in innovation, job creation, sustainable development, community advocacy, conservation and more.” WHC’s Huron to Erie Project was honored in 2010. This year’s winners will be celebrated at an awards breakfast on April 27, and featured in a special report to be released April 29.

WHC Members Recognized as Michigan Green Leaders

• Delta Dental, winner, Green Building category
• General Motors, winner, Large Business category
• DTE Energy and ITC Holdings, honorable mention, Large Business category

Click here to view the video.

“Our members are the leaders in industry who have gone beyond regulatory compliance and integrated responsible environmental management into the core values of everyday business practices,” said Robert Johnson, WHC president. “We are pleased that ENVIRON has joined WHC as it demonstrates its commitment by joining this distinguished group of companies in managing lands to support sustainable ecosystems for the benefit of society.”

“We are excited to join WHC and look forward to partnering with WHC to collaboratively provide innovative approaches to restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat.  We assist landowners with sustainable conservation goals that create and sustain healthy ecosystems,” said Greg Reub, Senior Ecologist/Principal at ENVIRON. 

ENVIRON provides unparalleled expertise worldwide in habitat assessments and restoration, ecosystem services evaluations, ecological risk assessment, contaminated sediment management, and natural resource damage assessment to clients and the scientific community by providing focused, cost-effective investigation, assessment, and remediation services.  ENVIRON is a global, comprehensive natural resource and human health issues consultancy.  www.environcorp.com.

The Wildlife Habitat Council is a nonprofit, non-lobbying organization dedicated to increasing the quality and amount of wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public lands. WHC devotes its resources to building partnerships with corporations and conservation groups to create solutions that balance the demands of economic growth with the requirements of a healthy, bio-diverse and sustainable environment. WHC-assisted wildlife habitat and conservation education programs are found in 45 states, the District of Columbia and twelve other countries. To learn more, visit www.wildlifehc.org.

- END-

Contact:
Patricia Leidemer, Wildlife Habitat Council, 301-588-8994
Cathy Zadrzynski, ENVIRON, 734-794-0199

Photo (c) Bat Conservation International

There are approximately 1,200 species of bats worldwide, and they live in a wide variety of habitats. Although often misunderstood, bats provide many benefits to human societies.  Bats eat many insects regarded as pests, including mosquitos and agricultural pests.  Large bat colonies can also attract tourists, boosting the local economy.  For example, the colony of 1.5 million bats roosting under Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas, brings in 12 million tourist dollars each summer.  Unfortunately, many bat species are endangered due to threats such as habitat loss and degradation, overuse of pesticides that reduces populations of their insect prey, and white-nose syndrome, the latter of which has killed more than 5.7 million bats in the last few years.

As part of the Year of the Bat, partner organizations are holding events across the globe.  WHC staff can provide information to certified Wildlife at Work and Corporate Lands for Learning programs on ways to use the Year of the Bat as an opportunity to celebrate bats on site and promote their programs.  Programs that actively manage for bat populations are also eligible to apply for WHC’s newest partner award, the Bat Conservation Action Award.

For more information about certification and the Bat Conservation Action Award, please contact WHC’s Certification Manager at certification@wildlifehc.org.

Summerhill Pyramid Winery is showing their commitment to preserving the environment and connecting people to nature a by supporting the Wildlife Habitat Council and the Get to Know Society. Summerhill is pleased to announce a 10% discount for supporters of WHC for every purchase of the Bateman wine series. Additionally, for every bottle sold, Summerhill will donate $1 to the Wildlife Habitat Council, as well as $1 to the Get to Know Society.

To order, click here. To receive the discount, click on “Add a Coupon” in your Shopping Cart, and enter the code “4whc”.

TAI has already begun this important process. As of December, 2011, biodiversity assessment visits have been completed for two facilities: Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. Toner Products Division (TABS-TPD) located in Mitchell, South Dakota; and Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS) Headquarters in Irvine, California. Recommendations for enhancing site habitat at these facilities include landscaping with native plant species, enhancing habitat for pollinators and bird species, and reaching out to the local community.  Toshiba considers WHC’s widely recognized Wildlife at Work^SM certification program an important membership benefit.  Both TABS-TPD and TAIS are pursuing certification in Wildlife at Work.

The Wildlife Habitat Council is pleased to have Toshiba America, Inc. as a member and looks forward to helping the corporation achieve its biodiversity goals.

Through a special partnership of the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), Monarch Watch and the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign, WHC programs in the northeast and Midwest United States may be able to receive free or low-cost seeds, low-cost plugs (small plants) and expert advice on species selection from Monarch Watch  Director Chip Taylor. This offer is limited-time and available only in selected states. Click here to view the flyer for details on eligible locations and the upcoming informational webinar. Contact bbtm@monarchwatch.org with questions.

Photo (c) Friends of Sligo Creek

Volunteers from the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), based in Silver Spring, Maryland, spent five hours on November 18, 2011, cutting and pulling Chinese wisteria from a dense and expansive infestation in lower Long Branch. This is one of just two sites in the county where Weed Warriors are actively battling this highly aggressive vine.

After cutting down a large swath of these shrub-high plants (which also climb trees), volunteers pulled many of the long roots that run just below the ground underneath a carpet of English ivy. Some of these runners were as long as twenty feet!

A soaking rain earlier that week helped make the pulling possible. All this work helped put a real hurt on the wisteria. Following the effort, Carole Bergman of the county Parks Department announced that spraying of the wisteria infestation would be scheduled for next spring.

Members of Hikers for Habitat and Team SOS pose with a penguin statue in a small park near the Council’s main office in Silver Spring, MD. The penguin is the “unofficial mascot” of Silver Spring and is featured in various pieces of art around the city. Clockwise, from left: Corinne Lackner, Emily Voldstad, Doug Stephens, Katie Basiotis, Susan Robinson, Colleen Beaty, and Sara Barnas.

Monday, October 31, 2011, marked the completion of Montgomery County, Maryland’s 2011 Walk & Ride Challenge. A group of staff of the Wildlife Habitat Council’s (WHC) main office in Silver Spring, Maryland, participated in the challenge, which ran from October 10-28, 2011. The challenge aimed to encourage employees in parts of Montgomery County to incorporate walking into their daily routine by considering alternative commute modes, like public transit, carpooling, biking, and walking, to driving alone and sitting in traffic. The Challenge was run in partnership with the North Bethesda Transportation Center, Bethesda Transportation Solutions, and Montgomery County Commuter Services.

WHC employees formed two teams for the challenge: Hikers for Habitat and Team SOS (Sustainable Office Stewards). The team members each wore a pedometer to count the number of steps taken during the workweek, and logged these steps on the Challenge’s website. At the completion of the challenge, WHC’s Walk & Ride teams had taken 819,380 steps during the challenge.

Participation in the Walk & Ride Challenge is one of the steps taken by WHC as part of its involvement in the Montgomery County Green Business Certification Program. WHC was originally certified by the program in January 2011, and will be able to include its participation in the 2011 Walk & Ridge Challenge on its next recertification application. Certification in the Green Business Program is a demonstration of WHC’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.