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President’s Message One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. For the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), it is a time for reflecting on what matters and examining our priorities in the light of a changing world. As one the nation’s most comprehensive and broad-based conservation organization, we understand that human health depends on the health of the planet. Progress in improving natural resources on corporate properties has been remarkable. Our Corporate Habitat Certification/International Accreditation program has grown to 312 WHC certified sites. These numbers represent another successful year for WHC and its members and partners. Even more important, the quality of both newly certified and recertified sites continues to improve resulting in increased wildlife benefits, community involvement and educational activities. The statistics reinforced for me our organization’s impressive reach and depth. Wildlife habitat management and environmental stewardship continue to contribute to the protection of biodiversity and restoration of green space.
Our partnerships with corporations, conservation organizations and local, state and federal agencies are designed to advance these goals and promote earth-friendly actions as an enjoyable part of everyday life. To meet the environmental challenges of the new millennium, in 2002 WHC has taken on new partners and projects, ranging from the Corporate Campaign for Migratory Bird Conservation to the opening of our Hammond regional office outside of Chicago. WHC workshops and conferences offer the public and private sectors an opportunity to articulate a positive and effective approach in response to the most significant environmental issues, such as biodiversity. A healthy biodiversity provides a number of direct benefits like food, medicine and energy. It is also responsible for mitigating pollution, protecting watersheds and combating soil erosion. Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. At our 14th Annual Symposium, Investing in Biodiversity, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and entomologist Dr. Edward O. Wilson offered the strategies necessary to ensure life on earth based on the cooperation of government, science and the private sector. Dr. Wilson signed copies of his book The Future of the Life, where he writes global conservation is necessary for our long-term health and prosperity.
WHC engages members and wildlife supporters in the restoration of wetland resources that serve as buffers around corporate properties. One goal of these partnerships has been the implementation of a comprehensive, integrated approach to wetland protection. By taking the ecosystem approach to environmental protection, we integrate the management of land, water and living resources. The quality of our nation’s wetlands and other water resources is directly linked to the quality of the environment surrounding these waters. Wetlands are some of the most biologically productive natural ecosystems in the world upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. They support high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Up to one half of North American bird species nest or feed in wetlands. In the 1600s, over 220 million acres of wetlands are thought to have existed in the lower 48 states. Today, less than half of the nation’s original wetlands remain. A major research finding is that the nation’s estimated wetlands loss rate has declined by 80 percent from the previous decade. But, an estimated 58,500 acres of wetlands are still lost each year in the contiguous United States. Multipurpose habitat projects, such as planting buffers, installing nest boxes, mine site reclamation and wetland restoration enhance properties for native biodiversity while protecting local watersheds. No matter the size of the project, WHC believes that each one helps humans make the connection between human health and the health of the planet. We recognize that conservation is a critical means of achieving this goal that can benefit all peoples, in all generations, for all time. Overall, we want to improve how we communicate with you. We want to showcase our results to deepen your understanding of the increasingly complex—but increasingly effective ways that the Wildlife Habitat Council is conserving special places. Indeed, this willingness to advance—to explore and expand our program’s projects—lies at the heart of WHC’s success. Please continue to support WHC in our efforts to save the Earth’s wild places. Thank you and congratulations on another noteworthy year in conservation! Sincerely,
Bill Howard, President For a copy of our Financial Statement, please contact Whc@wildlifehc.org.  Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader |
