Category: Business helps wildlife

1. Beluga Whales Little Gray and Little White make their move!

   Posted on 8:00pm Saturday 28th May 2022

   This blog was first published on 20 June 2019 and then again with John Bishop's Great Whale Rescue programme in October 2020  - and now there's more news! Hot on the news that the Greeks have created the world’s first dolphin sanctuary, two Beluga Whales from an aquarium in Shanghai have just arrived in Iceland 6,000 miles away to go to a whale sanctuary there. The whales – Little Grey & Little White – are 12 years old.  They’ve been in captivity since they were about 2 years old and performed in font of crowds as “entertainment”.  The British Firm that runs the aquarium – Merlin Entertainment – bought the Changfeng Ocean World Zoo in 2012.  And it started to look for a home for Little Grey & Little White. Head of the British Conservation Charity, Sea Life Trust, explained that preparations have been on-going for about 18 months to prepare the whales for their journey. They travelled by plane on a Cargolux freighter to Iceland, then, truck and a ferry from the mainland to the island where they will live.  Teams monoitored the whales to ensure they were safe and comfortable during the flight.  A Cargolux engineer and a team of global veterinary experts with experience in transporting marine mammals were also on board to check on the whales’ welfare. Their new home is the world’s first open water Beluga sanctuary – it will provide a more natural sub-Arctic environment for them, with wilder habitat.  The bay will be protected to protect the two female whites as it is thought they won’t survive on their own in the wild.  The Sanctuary is in a natural and beautiful sea inlet, in Klettsvik Bay.  There’s a landside care facility, and a visitor centre minutes away – so you can visit! The sanctuary was created in partnership with Whale and Dolphin Conservation.  It’s run by the SEA LIFE Trust with a donation from Merlin Entertainments.    Scientists are going to study Little Grey & Little White to see how they adapt to their new natural home.  And depending on how they get on, the sanctuary could become home to other Belugas as well. So here's the update:  May 2022 Little White and Little Gray are released into an open sea sanctuary, where they can adapt and explore.  They will then be released further into the open sea - and monitored to ensure they can live in peace. Find out more about the two Beluga Whales here Good luck in your new home, Little Grey & Little White and a big thank you to Cargolux Airlines for your help and role in moving Little Grey & Little White to sanctuary.   And if you're in the UK, why not check out The Cornish Seal Sanctuary, which rescues and rehabilitates grey seals pup from around the Cornish Coastline.

    

2. Saving Wildlife One Mattress At a Time

   Posted on 9:00pm Monday 25th Jan 2021

   One thing that has improved throughout history is the human race’s desire to support important causes and give voices to those who cannot speak up for themselves. We do this in several ways—signing petitions, protesting, donating, volunteering, etc., to name a few. Our need to support affects our daily lives, including the purchases we make on everything from groceries to mattresses. A growing number of consumers only shop at companies that have a social cause they care about. That’s especially true for younger demographics. Whether it be a cause for social groups, health, animal, nature, etc., many brands are working with nonprofits and charities to make product purchases go further. Nolah Mattress is an example of a consumer company wanting to do better. Defenders of Wildlife Nolah Mattress is working with Defenders of Wildlife (DOW) to help the world’s 41,415 threatened species. According to the organization, 16,3006 of those are in danger of extinction. The organization’s core mission is to save wildlife and their habitats from destruction and extinction. It also restores and protects vulnerable species’ habitats. DOW lobbies against laws that would harm these species and their habitats. To make that happen, the organization often works with other brands and companies to sponsor their efforts. and Nolah Mattress have partnered with Defenders of Wildlife to help wildlife. Nolah Mattress’s Conservation Mission Nolah Mattress has partnered with Defenders of Wildlife to help the organization on its mission. With every mattress purchase made, Nolah Mattress adopts an animal that’s in danger. Fees that customers would have paid for shipping are instead donated to DOW to help them defend that animal. Customers will even receive an adoption certificate with their mattress purchase. This partnership doesn’t raise prices for customers, either. Each mattress will still be shipped free with a free return if the customer changes their mind within 120 days. Plus, the product comes with a 15-year warranty. This partnership will help Nolah Mattress assist DOW to preserve and protect America’s biodiversity. Proceeds go toward both on-the-ground efforts and court battles against laws that hurt wildlife. Nolah Mattress and DOW are working together to save America’s lakes and lands from harm. DOW members will also use funds that Nolah Mattress raises to preserve biodiversity ranging from bees to bison. How Your Business Can Help If you’re a business owner, there are many ways your business can pursue wildlife and environmental preservation initiatives. Even if you’re in a competitive industry, you can find ways to help the environment. Some common methods of helping out include: Partnering with a Nonprofit or Charity- There are plenty of charities and nonprofits, both local and national, that need your help. If your business is ready to commit to a long-term partnership, reach out to an organization like Defenders of Wildlife or Wildlife Conservation Network to get started. Becoming a Certified B Corporation- B Corps are a network of businesses committed to social and environmental causes. If you’re not already B-certified, you’ll need to work with the organization to become certified—click here to get started. Creating an Eco Workspace- Even if you aren’t part of B Corps, you can still make gradual changes to your workplace that help the environment. You can: Limit how much your office prints, Use energy-saving practices, Recycle, if you aren’t doing so already, Ditch single-use products and plastics, Avoid packaging with styrofoam, And more. Starting an Internal Donation Drive- This strategy is advantageous if you’re a small or new company. Choose an organization that your company wants to support, and pick a timeline in which employees can donate to that organization. If you work with clients or other companies, you could also provide them the opportunity to donate as well. Having a Company-Wide Volunteer Initiative- If you’re a newer company or don’t have the resources to commit to a partnership right now, you can always start with this easy step. Ask your employees for a list of organizations and causes they care about. Work together to chose one, and pick a day to volunteer your time to help them out. A relatively inexpensive initiative that’s easy to implement into offices is creating an eco workspace, as mentioned earlier. Making a Lump Sum Donation- You don’t have to have a long-standing partnership to help an eco-friendly organization. Make a lump-sum donation whenever your company is able to or donate supplies or other much-needed items to that organization. Preserving and Saving Our Biodiversity If Nolah Mattress’s partnership with Defenders of Wildlife inspires you, there are ways that you can help either as a consumer or business. As an employee or employer, talk to your company about ways that you can get involved in the important mission of preserving and saving America’s biodiversity.

3. Please see this video from Gravitas - how nature is reclaiming its spaces due to the Coronavirus

   Posted on 2:00pm Friday 10th Apr 2020

   Sometimes you see something on the internet or on television that really hits you hard and makes a point extremely well. I saw this video, this afternoon, and I wanted to share it with you.  Please share it with everyone you can. The ultimate message is that we SHARE this planet.  It demonstrates how dominant the human race has become - and how selfish.   I am not going to tell you anymore about it - please just watch it for yourself.   Here it is: Thank you, Gravitas. Please vow to make a difference today.  Find out how to reduce your impact on the earth's resources here.

4. There’s good news in Northumberland, thanks to nature lovers.

   Posted on 5:00pm Monday 15th Jul 2019

   There’s good news in Northumberland, thanks to nature lovers. Nature lovers there have got together to help buy and protect a tract of land there.  It’s a 600 acre site called Benshaw Moor in Redesdale, with heather habitat, peatland and limestone waterfall and springs. Birdlife at Benshaw include curlew, snipe, skylark, meadow pipit and short-eared owls. It’s now Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s 63rd nature reserve. ©Duncan Hutt Thanks to a united effort, 600 acres at Benshaw Moor in Northumberland is safe. The Trust was concerned that the land be used for business such as a commercial conifer forestry, or windfarm.  Shooting will not be allowed there any longer. £570,000 was raised from charitable trusts, businesses and a significant bequest.   The public donated £75,000.  The bequest came from the late George Swan, who wrote the Flora of Northumberland which was a record of the county’s plant species.  Mr Swan specified that the bequest be used to buy a site of botanical importance. Nature lovers will still be involved:   the wildlife charity’s team and volunteers will do surveys to better understand the site to help guide its future management.  Possible options include areas of native woodland, and conservation grazing, with Exmoor ponies or cattle. It just shows what can happen if we all get involved and unite for wildlife.   Find out how you can get involved in and help the Northumberland Wildlife Trust – even if you don’t live in this beautiful area! Get involved  - volunteer, visit nature reserves, go to events etc Support the Northumberland Wildlife Trust – donate, become a member, leave a legacy. There are 46 Wildlife Trusts around the UK and in Alderney and the Isle of Man – find your local here

    

5. BBC: Why are Nike trainers turning up on beaches?

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 19th Jun 2019

   The BBC have a news report about Nike trainers turning up on beaches from the stunning Orkney Islands to the Channel Islands, from Bermuda and the Bahamas to Ireland.  It's thought that the trainers - along with a lot of other shoes and various products - toppled overboard in heavy seas.  This means that even more items are turning up on beach shores, endangering wildlife who may think they are something to eat, or who get tangled up in them. So wouldn't be great if companies who lose items at sea in such spillages do a team day where they help clean up the planet, whether it’s a beach or the countryside?   And if there is a spillage in sea, they have to give a certain amount of their profits to marine conservation charities at the nearest point to which the spillage happened?