This interactive module is a collection of concepts, tools, and methods that will encourage corporate managers and teams to implement voluntary, results-oriented, corporate wildlife habitat programs to help improve environmental performance.

Wildlife habitat programs, such as the Wildlife Habitat Council's Wildlife at Work, allow companies to take an environmental leadership role that significantly impacts the region and community of which they are a part. By managing corporate lands for wildlife habitat, landholders responsible for local economic growth make an important contribution to the regional resource base. This level of environmental protection not only improves the quality of the land base and supports more diversity of species, but:

• results in increased productivity and employee satisfaction;
• has quantifiable benefits to the bottom line, including reduced operating and maintenance costs;
• can improve environmental performance, sometimes promoting increased flexibility in operations and permitting;
• helps build bridges of communication and trust between management and employees, the corporation and local communities, and the corporation and conservation interests; and
• demonstrates corporate and management values.

Habitat programs build community by bringing diverse stakeholders of a particular region together to preserve and protect its natural values.

Organization and Purpose

This Source Book is intended for managers in corporations who have decision-making authority to initiate and promote wildlife habitat programs. As such, it is written to:

• show how managing corporate property to benefit nature is good for business;
• underscore the value of voluntary, collaborative efforts which address environmental issues of a given bioregion;
• outline key management principles and considerations important to employee-led conservation programs and community-based partnerships; and most important
• inspire and instruct by way of example through a collection of success stories.

This training module is not designed to provide detailed descriptions of wildlife habitat project implementation and execution helpful to a wildlife team leader. For that information, the reader is recommended to get a copy of the "Wildlife at Work Team Kit," also available from the Wildlife Habitat Council.

Voluntary wildlife habitat programs--although rewarding and fun--require serious commitment, careful planning, thoughtful management, and hard work. The information, success stories, and decision-support tools in this book are designed to help you generate ideas, organize your thoughts, and take carefully-considered decisions.

• The Opportunity examines why improved corporate environmental performance can occur through the adoption fo wildlife habitat enhancement. It demonstrates ways to identify and evaluate opportunities and goals for wildlife habitat enhancement and protection.
• Success Stories illustrate the various concepts and themes outlines above. A collection of short case studies demonstrate a variety of corporate wildlife habitat management projects that have helped their project sponsors enhance their level of environmental stewardship.
• The Process outlines three basic steps governing successful wildlife habitat programs:
• Planning a Wildlife Habitat Project
• Managing the Process
• Monitoring and Measuring Success
• Decision support tools are included to assist project planning, execution, evaluation and renewal. They are most often associated with Total Quality Management processes, and have been adapted with permission from the "Amoco Progress Toolkit."