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Corporates and Wildlife
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Here is an interesting report from National Geographic Magazine (July 1990)
A number of American Industries are managing their real estate holdings for use
by wildlife. In a rare show of co-operation, environmentalists and corporations
are working together to create natural settings through an umbrella group called
the Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Council (WHEC). The more than 60 members include
some of the nation's largest corporations and environmental groups: ALCOA, Dow Chemical,
Du Pont, Exxon, General Electric, and the National Wildlife Federation, The Trust
for Public Land, Ducks Unlimited, and the Izaak Walton league.
As much as 255 of the contiguous 48 states may belong to the corporations. Included
are lands bought as buffers around company facilities for safety or security or
in anticipation of future plant expansion. With a few alterations at minimal expense,
improved habitat can host deer, small mammals, songbirds, raptors, and fish and
reap a harvest of goodwill in the local community.
A sampling of projects:
- Amoco built nesting sites in South Carolina for imperiled least terns near the purified
water of a chemical plant's treatment ponds.
- Dow Chemical is catering to wildlife on several sites, including a plant near Joliet,
Illinois, where deer roam.
- GE worked to restore a Wisconsin prairie to its natural state.
- Three Chesapeake Bay power companies created projects to nurture popular but disappearing
striped bass, then released thousands into local rivers.
- Consumers Power, largest landholder in Michigan, is managing a nesting area for
common terns, creating habitat along transmission corridors, and placing kestrel
nests on utility poles.
Even small projects sometimes bring unexpected results. Du Pont redesigned an office
park near Wilmington, Delaware, to include bluebird boxes and bird and butterfly
attractions such as cardinal flowers, coneflowers, and sunflowers. Local school
children and employees enthusiastically joined the effort. A pleasant surprise was
improved morale of the employees.
Wildlife management makes people feel good about where they work.
Back home, a number of names come up, like
Ballarpur group (with extensive paper plantations,
and now, strong support for the Wildlife Preservation Society of India, which is
doing pioneering anti-poaching work)
Godrej (has been long associated with WWF-India)
Tata group (TISCO can support Dalma, just as Tata
Tea supports Eravikulam in the South)
Dabur, Williamson and Magor (they protect the White
Winged Wood Duck in Assam. In addition, they have gardens adjacent to Kaziranga,
Manas, Jaldapara, Gorumara, and Buxa)
Claridges hotel group (with a stake near Corbett)
Indian Hotels (Khajuraho hotel near Panna, Sawai Madhopur
hotel near Ranthambhor, Sasangir Lodge near Gir)
IDPL and BHEL (plants at Rishikesh can adopt Rajaji,
from which they purloined land)
East India Hotels (hotel near Panna)
Air India, Welcomegroup (Keoladeo Ghana is near the
Agra hotel)
UB Group (which has had to buy a game ranch in South
Africa, since private forests are not possible in India)
ITDC (lodges at Periyar and Bharatpur)
Modi Xerox (the Kashipur plant is near Corbett),and
so on.
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