White Papers

Thinking "smaller" provides private corporate landowners an accessible starting point for action. These actions could develop into gateways for conservation on larger landscapes, and for repetition of small acts of conservation across multiple locations. Designing small for biodiversity is a low risk exercise that can have a high rate of return when a successful small project can be highlighted as an unique but welcome addition to a corporate workplace. DOWNLOAD

Grasslands are one of the most common habitat types in the world and one of the most threatened. An opportunity exists for corporations to manage privately owned grasslands in nature-friendly ways that will realize multiple values for many stakeholders, including benefits to climate change mitigation and adaptation, stormwater run-off, cost savings and aesthetics. DOWNLOAD

With historically low unemployment rates, competition for talent acquisition and retention are driving companies to invest in engagement efforts for a competitive advantage. Employee engagement programs that are focused on conservation and biodiversity offer meaningful and accessible opportunities for employees to get active, learn something new and make a positive contribution to the environment. DOWNLOAD

Birds are everywhere. From the grey pigeon seen on city streets to the brightly feathered tropical species found in rain forests, birds have colonized every continent and evolved to inhabit niches both specialized and general. Because they are everywhere, birds can easily be the focus of a corporate conservation effort. Most species respond well to conservation management, making them an ideal indicator to overall ecosystem health. With accessible technology and an increased need, now is the time for corporate landowners to engage in bird conservation projects. DOWNLOAD

All businesses can contribute to the prosperity of the communities in which they are located, as well as contribute to protecting, restoring or enhancing nature through ecological stewardship practices on their lands. The SDGs provide the ideal framework from which to connect corporate lands to community improvement, and to report interconnected corporate citizenship actions into CSR initiatives. DOWNLOAD

Bat conservation projects have the potential to excite and engage employees and community members in activities that benefit local bat populations, challenge myths and elicit new cultural and scientific understanding about these creatures. DOWNLOAD

When corporate landowners engage in ecological connectivity initiatives to reduce fragmentation, they are contributing to landscape-scale efforts that have benefits beyond the corporate footprint and across the entire ecoregion. DOWNLOAD

Many companies today choose to use the environment as the integrating concept for STEM, providing learning opportunities through hands-on, outdoors and nature-based activities. These approaches—examples of which are outlined in this white paper—take advantage of the lands on which an operation is located,  understand community needs by providing place-based and relevant programs, and meet multiple corporate goals across the spectrum of corporate citizenship efforts. DOWNLOAD

Green infrastructure is versatile, beneficial and well-suited to corporate properties of all types — from industrial facilities and suburban corporate campuses, to office buildings in dense urban areas. While the specific techniques, project scale and designs will vary from location to location, the  principles of green infrastructure are universally applicable. Green infrastructure is therefore remarkably versatile as a solution for corporate landscapes. DOWNLOAD

In the U.S., 80 percent of the habitat that species listed under the Endangered Species Act depend on exists on private lands. Therefore, leadership by business, across all scales of land holdings, is essential to species protection and recovery. These businesses understand that compliance with endangered species conservation programs generate a return on investment that can include reduced costs, a secured social license to operate and an increase in public support. DOWNLOAD