Last year, Mary Kay Inc., an international leader in corporate and social responsibility, announced that it has partnered with The Nature Conservancy to protect fisheries in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. Today, Kay announced that it has expanded its partnership with The Nature Conservancy to protect waterways and native species around the world.
„All life on Earth began and depends on the oceans,“ said Deborah Gibbins, chief operating officer of Mary Kay. „Water is the most precious resource on our planet, and it is imperative that we do something to protect it. When we began building our partnership with The Nature Conservancy last year, we focused on the waterways in our home state of Texas. But our company has a global presence, and we recognize that help is needed far beyond the Gulf of Mexico. We are very pleased to be able to support ecosystem and biodiversity conservation on a global scale.”
Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working globally to protect ecologically significant areas and water for nature and people. The organization’s practices are grounded in science and employ pragmatic solutions to the most pressing conservation threats at the broadest scale.
Conservation programs are as broad and diverse as the ocean life they are designed to protect. In addition to the Texas Sustainable Fisheries Program, Mary Kay will support The Nature Conservancy through the following programs:
– Australia:In northern Australia, Mary Kay will work with Indigenous people to increase the role of women in conservation, including healthy land development in collaboration with government and non-government partners, adoption of conservation tools and the establishment of a women’s centre at Fish River Station, an area of more than 185,000 hectares in the Northern Territory.
– New Zealand: In New Zealand, Mary Kay and The Nature Conservancy will engage indigenous people in sustainable agriculture, including supporting the implementation of wild clam restoration activities in Hauraki Bay near Auckland and establishing a fund to initiate greater philanthropic support for wildlife conservation.
<8211>Mexico:In Mexico, Mary Kay and The Nature Conservancy will work together to establish the Monterrey Water Fund to improve the watershed and support women in the area. These improvements include irrigation systems, soil studies and crop diversification.
– China: In China, Mary Kay and The Nature Conservancy will work to protect rural springs to ensure clean drinking water for millions of people in the country. By 2021, the team will present five projects aimed at producing water from springs in Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and one other province.
<8211; Oceans in general:The collaboration will also mitigate plastic pollution in the Indo-Pacific tuna fishing grounds. Together, they will work with leading plastics scientists to identify fishing areas that contribute most to ocean pollution so that effective pilot programs can be developed and implemented to mitigate pollution and clean up our seas.
– Solomon Islands: In the Solomon Islands, partners will protect turtles through women-led ecotourism in the South Pacific. Mary Kay’s contribution will help create a viable local joint venture focused on ecotourism in the Arnavon Islands that will strengthen turtle conservation and provide equitable financial resources for residents who are best positioned to protect endangered species.
<8211; Colombia:Through the Bogota Water Fund, partners will improve water security for millions of people in Colombia.
<8211>– Canada: In Canada, Mary Kay and The Nature Conservancy will empower Aboriginal people who care for their land by supporting current and future leaders in traditional territories. It’s an investment in a healthy future for these communities, their land and water resources for generations to come.
– Europe: In the UK and Germany, both companies will work to protect biodiversity and marine resources, such as the conservation of native European oysters. In Spain, they will jointly set up a water relief fund. The country is currently facing huge problems related to water scarcity and poor water quality.
„We need healthy, diverse oceans to be able to fish, work and play,“ said Lily Verdone, director of The Nature Conservancy’s freshwater and marine water section. „Protecting the oceans is not just about simply protecting our planet: the oceans contribute $1.5 trillion to the global economy each year. Mary Kay has long been working for change to ensure a sustainable Earth for generations to come, making it a natural and welcome partner of The Nature Conservancy. We have already seen significant change in Texas and look forward to seeing how its support will help residents around the world.“
Mary Kay also sponsored the conference, a live-streamed event that brought together experts, scientists and conservationists to discuss topics such as the High Seas Initiative ocean conservation program, coral reef restoration, addressing plastics in the oceans and sustainable fisheries.
Source: TS