Since 2000, the Fund has restored more than 26,000 acres of national wildlife refuge lands with more than eight million trees. As these trees mature, they are expected to trap the equivalent of more than nine million tons of CO2.
This restoration is all part of our reforestation-based carbon programs and includes our Go Zero© program, which was established in 2006 to help address two of the greatest environmental challenges of our time—habitat loss and climate change. Go Zero’s philanthropic approach to forest carbon engages foundations, companies and their customers and thousands of individuals in efforts to raise money that supports land conservation, restoration of native trees, and long-term monitoring of the impacts to climate, community and biodiversity.
Each year, Go Zero works with state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to identify its highest priority locations for restoration at national wildlife refuge lands. After the agencies carefully select a restoration site, its biologists choose a mix of native seedlings that will help reestablish a natural ecosystem.
We are proud that five of our Go Zero projects have been validated at the gold level under the Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Standards—no other group in the nation has as many. The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) is a partnership between leading companies, nonprofits and research institutes seeking to promote integrated solutions to land management around the world. With this goal in mind, the CCBA has developed voluntary standards to help design and identify land management projects that simultaneously minimize climate change, support sustainable development and conserve biodiversity.
Go Zero's 2,600-acre forest carbon project at Upper Ouachita NWR in Louisiana is our fifth and largest project to receive gold level status under the CCB Standards.
Upper Ouachita received gold validation in August 2011 and was certified by Scientific Certification Systems. Planting and carbon monitoring services were provided by TerraCarbon LLC.
Learn about this project & donate today to make a difference.
Read about the gold level validation here.
Click here to download the project design document.
Go Zero donors helped plant 245,000 oak, pecan and cypress trees across 814 acres of the Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote national wildlife refuges, important stops along the migratory bird route known as the Mississippi Flyway.
Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote sites received gold validation in December 2010 and were certified by Scientific Certification Systems. Planting and carbon monitoring services were provided by TerraCarbon LLC.
Learn more about this project here.
Read the gold level validation announcement here.
Click here to download the project design document.
Mingo NWR is the site of Go Zero's millionth tree, which was planted in 2010.
Mingo received gold validation in May of 2010 and with this we became the first group in the nation to receive gold validation under the CCB Standards Second Edition. This rating was certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS).
Learn more about this project here.
Read the gold level validation announcement here.
Click here to download the project design document.
Thanks to our donors, Go Zero restored 776 acres of native oak and hickory trees along the Kansas side of the Marais des Cygnes NWR. As the forest matures, it is expected to trap an estimated 260,500 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The Marais des Cygnes planting received gold validation in July 2009 and was certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) under its SCS Greenhouse Gas Verification Program.
Learn more about this project here.
Read the gold validation announcement here.
Click here to download the project design document.
Donations to the Fund's Go Zero program resulted in 350,000 trees planted at Red River NWR, restoring more than 1,100 acres of forestland. The cypress, oak and hickory trees will remove an estimated 126,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow into a mature forest over the next 100 years.
Red River NWR received gold validation in May 2009 and was certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) under its SCS Greenhouse Gas Verification Program.
Learn more about this project here.
Read the gold validation announcement here.
Click here to download the project design document.
You have the power to tackle climate change—one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. But you don’t have to do it alone: Go Zero can help you plant the seeds of a cleaner future and become a climate hero.
From home energy use to car trips and plane rides, many parts of your daily life produce climate-changing carbon dioxide. Add it all up, and you’ve got your carbon footprint. Find the size of your footprint with our Carbon Calculator.
You can offset your carbon footprint with every donation that you make to Go Zero. Since 2006, we’ve planted over a million carbon-storing trees and created new havens for our nation’s unique wildlife. Join our efforts, and share our pride.
If you would like more information about Go Zero, email Jena Meredith.
June 9, 2010
Contact:
Vanessa Vaughan, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809
Chuck Traxler, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Midwest Region, 612-713-5313
Poplar Bluff, MO — The Conservation Fund, in partnership with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Environmental Synergy Inc. (ESI), announced today that its forest-based carbon sequestration project in southeastern Missouri received Gold validation, the highest level available, under the standards of the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) (CCBA). The Conservation Fund is the first group in the nation to receive Gold validation under the CCB Standards Second Edition.
Supported by donations from the Fund’s voluntary carbon offset program, Go Zero®, the group restored 367 acres of walnut, hickory, oak and cypress trees at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge (Mingo NWR), near Puxico, Missouri. As the forest matures, it is expected to trap an estimated 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is equivalent to taking approximately 18,000 cars off the road.
When settlers first came to Missouri’s Bootheel region, lush bottomland hardwood forests, including giant cypress and tupelo trees, blanketed the southeastern corner of the state. Over the past century, the forests were cut for lumber, and by the 1930s, most of the land was cleared and the swamplands were drained.
"Today, Mingo Refuge protects the largest remaining bottomland hardwood forest in southeastern Missouri,” said Mingo National Wildlife Refuge manager Ben Mense. “Thanks to the Go Zero project, we were able to restore forest habitat that benefits migratory birds, the endangered Indiana bat and many other species."
The restored forests will be open to the public for wildlife-dependent recreational uses.
Go Zero works with companies and individuals to help reduce and then offset the carbon footprint of everyday activities, such as the CO2 emissions resulting from an in-town or cross-country move with "U-Haul, a flight purchased from Travelocity, a package shipped from Gaiam or the electricity it takes to power a Dell notebook for three years. Customer donations help plant native trees in protected parks and wildlife refuges like Mingo NWR that will capture and store carbon over time, while also creating forest habitats that are critical to birds, fish, bears and other wildlife.
"Go Zero donors are providing critical, private capital that will help address two of the most extraordinary environmental challenges of our time, climate change and habitat loss,” said The Conservation Fund's Go Zero director, Jena Meredith. “The Gold Level validation ensures these donations deliver real, measurable results to help address climate change and restore important wildlife habitat on behalf of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the American people."
Mingo NWR also benefits from donations from The Conservation Fund’s partnership with Dell’s via "Plant a Tree" program.
"At Dell, we're committed to making “being green” easy and cost-effective for our customers. Dell's Plant a Tree program is a great example of that,” said Mark Newton, director of environmental sustainability at Dell. “This partnership with The Conservation Fund provides a simple, meaningful way for customers to help offset the CO2 emissions of their computers, which adds up to a positive impact for our planet."
More than 411,000 U-Haul customers have elected to offset their emissions by making a donation to The Conservation Fund.
U-Haul and our customers are working to make a real difference in protecting the environment and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions,” said John "J.T." Taylor, president of U-Haul International, Inc. "We commend the Fund on its CCBA Gold validation at Mingo NWR. They are committed to achieving measurable and real results. Together we hope to expand help to communities where we live and serve."
Colorado-based Gaiam, a lifestyle company, has partnered with the Fund’s Go Zero program since 2006 by offering its customers the opportunity to zero out the carbon footprint associated with shipping their purchase. Gaiam was the first company in the U.S. to offer such a program.
"Gaiam customers care deeply about the environment and the impact their purchases make on their global footprint," said Christopher Fisher, director of customer experience at Gaiam. "The Go Zero program is a simple, yet significant opportunity we can offer our customers to help them safeguard the earth. At Gaiam, we believe simple choices make a difference. We congratulate The Conservation Fund on the CCBA Gold Level validation and are proud to be their partner."
"We are thrilled to see a third Go Zero project achieve CCB Standards validation," said Dr. Joanna Durbin, director of the Climate Community and Biodiversity Alliance. "Not only do all the Go Zero projects satisfy the requirements for significant environmental benefits by restoring degraded native forests—this one achieves the more rigorous criteria for Gold Level recognition of its biodiversity value by protecting the globally endangered Indiana bat."
"Together over the past decade, the Fund and ESI have forged creative partnerships to advance habitat restoration and forest-based carbon initiatives," said ESI's president, Carol Jordan. "Our work at Mingo NWR continues a legacy that will benefit the environment for years to come, and the CCBA Gold Level validation is a testament to our joint quest for high-quality projects and measurable results."
The Conservation Fund's Mingo National Wildlife Refuge Restoration Initiative was validated by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS).
"It is inspiring to see the continued, measurable impact of The Conservation Fund's initiatives," said Dr. Robert J. Hrubes, SCS senior vice president. "The Mingo NWR is the third CCBA project Scientific Certification Systems has validated for The Conservation Fund, and I look forward to providing carbon assessment services as their work continues."
Go Zero planted its one millionth tree at Mingo NWR this year. Watch the video to learn more.
Hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals, Accenture Supply Chain Academy, Americas Lodging Investment Summit, Bella Figura Letterpress Invitations, Carfax, Inc., City of Austin, Conde Nast Publications, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Dell Computer Corporation, Delta Air Lines, Inc., e-Blue Horizons, LLC, Ernest Maier Block, Florida Center for Environmental Studies, Gaiam, Inc., Indianapolis Colts NFL, Land Rover Portland, Lee County Board of County Commissioners, L'Oreal USA, Inc., McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC, Michigan International Speedway, Molinaro Koger, NBC Universal, New Jersey Natural Gas, Organic, Inc., Philadelphia Eagles, Premiere TV, Inc., Reverb Inc., SEAT Planners Incorporated, Sesco Lighting, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc., The North Face, Training Resources Group LLC, Travelocity, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U-Haul International, Inc., University of Delaware, Vans, Way Basics, William McDonough & Partners, P.L.C., World Class Charters, Inc.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov.
Scientific Certification Systems is a global leader in independent certification and verification of environmental, sustainability, stewardship, food quality, food safety and food purity claims. SCS assessments lead to the recognition of accomplishments in greenhouse gas inventories and offsets, agricultural production, food processing and handling, forestry, fisheries, flowers and plants, energy, green building, product manufacturing and corporate social responsibility. SCS has audited voluntary carbon offset projects on five continents. www.scscertified.com.
April 14, 2010
Contact:
Vanessa Vaughan, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809
Gina Goff, C&S Wholesale Grocers,(603) 354-7414
Keene, NH—For the third year in a row, C&S Wholesale Grocers is helping The Conservation Fund’s Go Zero® program restore native forests for wildlife by offsetting the annual carbon dioxide emissions of its corporate headquarters buildings (including the estimated roundtrip commutes of its employees) and a percentage of two warehouse facilities. This year, C&S will support the planting of almost 10,000 trees and the restoration of 33 acres at two Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges: Grand Cote and Lake Ophelia. Since the company’s first grant to The Conservation Fund, C&S has supported the planting of approximately 15,000 trees and the restoration of 50 acres on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“Environmental sustainability is important to us. We're gathering and interpreting data and using it to evaluate improvements in our business operations that will help reduce our impact on the planet,” said Scott Charlton, C&S Executive Vice President of Operations. “At the same time, we are supporting a program that makes a difference on the ground – for climate, wildlife and local communities.”
“C&S Wholesale Grocers is helping The Conservation Fund address many of the greatest environmental challenges of our timesaid Jena Meredith, The Conservation Fund’s Go Zero Director. “We applaud C&S for reducing its impact on the planet and increasing its environmental commitment every year. Their leadership creates healthier forests, protects biodiversity and enhances our nation's public recreation areas.”
Go Zero works with individuals and companies like C&S Wholesale Grocers to help reduce, and then offset, the carbon footprint of everyday activities. Donations help plant native trees in protected parks and wildlife refuges. The trees will capture and store carbon over time, while also creating forest habitats that are critical to birds, fish, bears and other wildlife.
April 13, 2010
Contact:
Vanessa Vaughan, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809
Davin Hutchins, NomadsLand, 202-213-5828
For television or radio broadcast, please contact info@Nomadsland.com to obtain raw video or audio footage
The Conservation Fund and award winning filmmakers from Nomadsland have teamed up to create our first environmental documentary. The 5-6 minute high-definition film features the Fund’s partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, leading companies and thousands of donors as we help address two of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges – habitat loss and climate change.
Climate change has become one of the most complex and pressing environmental issue of this century. But while many of us agree that we must do something, the challenge sometimes seems great. What small action can you take to make a difference? Go Zero. The Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program makes it simple for individuals, corporations, or even entire communities to first measure their carbon dioxide emissions, learn helpful ways to reduce those emissions, and then offset the remainder by planting trees.
Based in Washington, D.C., NomadsLand LLC is a turn-key interactive video cause marketing company that designs and delivers “Video Solutions for Social Change.” NomadsLand works with its clients to conceive and produce high-concept viral micro-documentary campaigns for corporate social responsibility endeavors, social-minded entrepreneurs, sustainable tourism ventures and nonprofits. NomadsLand’s website features a self-publish video widget solution for social causes and a network of 1600 social issue filmmakers. http://www.nomadsland.com.
The Conservation Fund and award winning filmmakers from Nomadsland have teamed up to create our first ever environmental documentary. The 5-6 minute high-definition film features the Fund’s partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Travelocity’s Travel for Good Program, and Travelocity’s customers as they help address two of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges – habitat loss and climate change.
Travelocity and its customers have helped the Fund’s Go Zero program plant more than 23,000 trees since 2007. “We’re proud to work with The Conservation Fund to help restore America’s forests,” said Alison Presley, manager of Travelocity’s Travel for Good program. “Every time a Travelocity customer makes a donation, it’s a small but important step toward a greener, leafier tomorrow.”
The Conservation Fund and award winning filmmakers from Nomadsland have teamed up to create our first environmental documentary. The 5-6 minute high-definition film features the Fund’s partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, leading companies and thousands of donors as we help address two of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges—habitat loss and climate change.
Climate change has become one of the most complex and pressing environmental issue of this century. But while many of us agree that we must do something, the challenge sometimes seems great. What small action can you take to make a difference? Go Zero. The Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program makes it simple for individuals, corporations, or even entire communities to first measure their carbon dioxide emissions, learn helpful ways to reduce those emissions, and then offset the remainder by planting trees.
March 17, 2010
Contact:
Vanessa Vaughan, The Conservation Fund
(703) 908-5809 / vvaughan@conservationfund.org
Chuck Traxler, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, 612-713-5313
Poplar Bluff, MO — One Midwest Region National Wildlife Refuge is getting a big boost toward its habitat restoration goals with the donation of more than 100,000 native trees this month. The event marks a milestone for The Conservation Fund's voluntary carbon offset program, Go Zero®—the planting of its one millionth tree—made possible by a mix of donations from corporations, foundations and individuals.
Together with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Environmental Synergy Inc. (ESI), the partners are restoring 367 acres of walnut, hickory, oak and cypress trees at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge (Mingo NWR), near Puxico, Missouri. As the forest matures, it is expected to trap an estimated 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere.
When settlers first came to Missouri’s Bootheel region, lush bottomland hardwood forests, including giant cypress and tupelo trees, blanketed the southeastern corner of the state. Beginning in the late 1800s, the forests were cut for lumber, and by the 1930s, most of the land was cleared and the lush swamplands were drained. In 1945, USFWS established Mingo NWR to protect the largest remaining tracts of bottomland hardwood forest in the region. Yet, small pockets of land within Mingo NWR remained fragmented and bare of forest, with little value for wildlife.
“The 367 acres we’re working on now were historically forested, but converted to farmland over the past three decades,” said Mingo NWR manager Ben Mense. "Restoring this area to its natural, forested condition is a high priority for the Refuge. Thanks to this partnership with Go Zero, we are able to fulfill the USFWS mission to work with others to conserve and protect fish and wildlife habitat, and the Go Zero mission to help trap carbon dioxide. In the end, we all benefit from partnerships like this.”
Go Zero works with companies and individuals to help reduce and then offset the carbon footprint of everyday activities, such as the CO2 emissions resulting from an in-town or cross-country move with U-Haul, a flight purchased from Travelocity, a package shipped from Gaiam or the electricity it takes to power a Dell notebook for three years. Customer donations help plant native trees in protected parks and wildlife refuges that will capture and store carbon over time, while also creating forest habitats that are critical to birds, fish, bears and other wildlife. Already, the Fund’s carbon-based forest restoration programs, including Go Zero, have restored 23,000 acres with seven million trees that are expected to trap more than eight million tons of CO2 as the forests mature.
More than 383,000 U-Haul customers have elected to offset their emissions through a donation to The Conservation Fund. “U-Haul and our customers have made a real difference in protecting the environment and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions,” said John "J.T." Taylor, president of U-Haul International, Inc. “We celebrate with The Conservation Fund as it plants its one millionth tree. Together we are working to help the communities where we live and serve.”
Mingo NWR is benefiting from a joint program between Carfax and Michigan International Speedway (MIS) to help offset emissions resulting from the Show Me the CARFAX Race Weekend at MIS—including the CARFAX 400 Sprint Cup Series and CARFAX 250 Nationwide Series. “Carfax is proud to support the Go Zero program,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “We’ve expanded our efforts each of the past four years at MIS to help curb the effects of climate change. There are many simple ways to make a difference and seeing how it delivers such meaningful results for dedicated groups like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a great reward.”
Colorado-based Gaiam, a lifestyle company, has collaborated with the Fund's Go Zero program since 2006 by offering its customers the opportunity to zero out the carbon footprint associated with shipping their purchase. Gaiam was the first company in the U.S. to offer such a program. “We know the option for our customers to zero out the carbon impact of shipping their Gaiam order is important to them," said Christopher Fisher, director of customer experience. “At Gaiam, we believe simple choices make a difference. Providing access to Go Zero is a simple, yet significant way our customers can help the earth. We congratulate The Conservation Fund on the planting of its millionth tree and are proud to be their partner.”
Travelocity and its customers have helped the Fund’s Go Zero program plant more than 23,000 trees since 2007. "We're proud to work with The Conservation Fund to help restore America's forests,” said Alison Presley, manager of Travelocity's Travel for Good program. “Every time a Travelocity customer makes a donation, it's a small but important step toward a greener, leafier tomorrow."
Environmental Synergy Inc.(ESI), an Atlanta-based developer of forest carbon projects, will manage the planting and carbon monitoring plans, using on-site measurements over time. USFWS will manage the land and the forests as they grow. The 367-acre project will be validated against the standards of the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance.
Hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals, Accenture Supply Chain Academy, Americas Lodging Investment Summit, Bella Figura Letterpress Invitations, Carfax, Inc., City of Austin, Conde Nast Publications, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Dell Computer Corporation, Delta Air Lines, Inc., e-Blue Horizons, LLC, Ernest Maier Block, Florida Center for Environmental Studies, Gaiam, Inc., Indianapolis Colts NFL, Land Rover Portland, Lee County Board of County Commissioners, L'Oreal USA, Inc., McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC, Michigan International Speedway, Molinaro Koger, NBC Universal, New Jersey Natural Gas, Organic, Inc., Philadelphia Eagles, Premiere TV, Inc., Reverb Inc., SEAT Planners Incorporated, Sesco Lighting, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc., The North Face, Training Resources Group LLC, Travelocity, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U-Haul International, Inc., University of Delaware, Vans, Way Basics, William McDonough & Partners, P.L.C., World Class Charters, Inc.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov.
January 14, 2010
Contact:
Vanessa Vaughan, The Conservation Fund
(703) 908-5809 / vvaughan@conservationfund.org
Stacy Shelton, US Fish & Wildlife Service, 404-679-7290 (o); 678-575-7796 (c)
Alexandria, LA — Two central Louisiana national wildlife refuges are getting a big boost toward their habitat restoration goals with the donation of more than 245,000 native trees this month. Private support for the initiative comes from a mix of donations from corporations, foundations and individual donors to The Conservation Fund’s voluntary carbon offset program, Go Zero®.
Together with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Environmental Synergy Inc. (ESI), the partners are restoring 814 acres of native oak and cypress trees at Grand Cote and Lake Ophelia near Marksville, Louisiana. As the forests mature, they are expected to trap an estimated 260,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere.
Go Zero works with companies and individuals to help reduce and then offset the carbon footprint of everyday activities, such as the CO2 emissions resulting from an in-town or cross-country move with U-Haul, a flight purchased from Travelocity.com, a package shipped from Gaiam.com, or the electricity it takes to power a Dell notebook for three years. Customer donations help plant native trees in protected parks and wildlife refuges that will capture and store carbon over time, while also creating forest habitats that are critical to birds, fish, bears and other wildlife.
More than 287,000 U-Haul customers have elected to offset their emissions by donating over $1 million to Go Zero. “By leveraging our human, technical, financial and business resources, U-Haul and our customers have attempted to make a real difference in protecting the environment,” said John “J.T.” Taylor, president of Phoenix-based U-Haul International, Inc. “U-Haul customers should be applauded for their support of The Conservation Fund and these two Louisiana refuges, and for positively impacting the communities where we live.”
The refuges will also benefit from customer donations made via Dell's “Plant a Tree for Me” program. “Providing a great customer experience starts with delivering great value and continues with working to protect the environment throughout the life of our systems,” said Mark Newton, lead environmental strategist for Dell. “The 'Plant a Tree for Me' program lets us partner with our customers, The Conservation Fund and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to make a positive difference for our planet.”
Colorado-based Gaiam, a lifestyle company, has collaborated with the Fund’s Go Zero program since 2006 by offering its customers the opportunity to zero out the carbon footprint associated with shipping their purchase. Gaiam was the first company in the U.S. to offer such a program. “The Conservation Fund's Go Zero program is a great fit for Gaiam and its customers particularly because it focuses on planting a mix of native tree species to restore high-priority conservation lands,” said Gaiam's Chris Fisher, director of customer experience. “Once those lands are restored, they belong to everybody - even future generations.”
After decades of farming, much of the land within Grand Cote and Lake Ophelia refuges was too degraded to support a natural ecosystem. Although both areas were identified by the USFWS as high priorities for restoration when the refuges were established in 1989, public funding necessary to restore the forests has never been available.
“Loss of forest habitat is a huge challenge for ducks, songbirds and even the Louisiana black bear,” said Cindy Dohner, southeast regional director for USFWS. “The Go Zero program is providing tremendous benefits to wildlife and people. The Service relies on partnerships like these to restore ecosystems and enable wildlife to return and flourish once again.”
Each fall, hundreds of thousands of migrating birds descend upon Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote to escape the North’s freezing temperatures, plump up on quality grub and select their mates for spring breeding. Many find shelter within the parks and wildlife refuges of central Louisiana. However, over the past century, Louisiana’s once lush forests and waterways have been cleared, dammed, leveed and drastically altered, leaving fewer habitats for our partners in flight.
“Every day, we hear about the impacts of deforestation in the Amazon or Indonesia,” said The Conservation Fund’s Louisiana state director, Ray Herndon, “but it’s happening in the Gulf Coast area too. Migratory bird populations have lost more than 24 million acres of bottomland hardwood forest habitat over the last century along the Red River and lower Mississippi River valleys. Habitat destruction is more pronounced here than in any other area of the United States.”
Loss of native, forested habitat is especially hard on migratory birds. Waterfowl, songbirds and shorebirds all use forested, moist soil and open-water wetland habitats for nesting, foraging and taking cover from predators. To help keep the bird buffets stocked along the Mississippi Flyway, Go Zero partners with leading companies committed to making a difference for the global climate, America’s forests and their wildlife communities.
Environmental Synergy Inc. (ESI), an Atlanta-based developer of forest carbon projects, will manage the planting and carbon monitoring plans, using on-site measurements over time. USFWS will manage the land and the forests as they grow. The 814-acre project will be validated against the standards of the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance.
Heroes of Go Zero include: Hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals, Accenture Supply Chain Academy, Americas Lodging Investment Summit, Bella Figura Letterpress Invitations, Carfax, Inc., City of Austin, Conde Nast Publications, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Dell Computer Corporation, Delta Air Lines, Inc., e-Blue Horizons, LLC, Florida Center for Environmental Studies, Gaiam, Inc., Indianapolis Colts NFL, Land Rover Portland, Lee County Board of County Commissioners, L'Oreal USA, Inc., McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC, Michigan International Speedway, Molinaro Koger, NBC Universal, New Jersey Natural Gas, Organic, Inc., Philadelphia Eagles, Premiere TV, Inc., Reverb Inc., SEAT Planners Incorporated, Sesco Lighting, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc., The North Face, Training Resources Group LLC, Travelocity, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U-Haul International, Inc., University of Delaware, Vans, Way Basics, William McDonough & Partners, P.L.C., World Class Charters, Inc.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. In the past decade, the Service and its partners have added 32,000 acres to seven refuges and reforested or restored approximately 80,000 acres on more than 40 refuges in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov and www.fws.gov/southeast.
Go Zero® donors know trees help to clean the air we breathe by capturing CO2, but did you know that our 2010 Go Zero restoration locations are helping secure a bounty for birds?
High above the Go Zero restoration areas at Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote national wildlife refuges in central Louisiana, a boisterous and vast winged migration quacks and honks its way from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico and back. Known as the Mississippi Flyway, this blue highway in the sky services millions of ducks, geese, shorebirds, blackbirds, sparrows, warblers and thrushes.
Each fall, hundreds of thousands of migrating birds descend upon the Gulf Coast region to escape the North’s freezing temperatures, plump up on quality grub, and select their mates for spring breeding. Many find shelter within the parks and wildlife refuges of central Louisiana. But over the past century, their wintering habitat has changed. Louisiana’s once lush forests and waterways have been cleared, dammed, leveed and drastically altered, leaving less habitat for our partners in flight.
“Every day, we hear about the impacts of deforestation in the Amazon or Indonesia,” says The Conservation Fund’s Louisiana state director, Ray Herndon, “but it’s happening in the Gulf Coast area too. Migratory bird populations have lost more than 24 million acres of bottomland hardwood forest habitat over the last century along the Red River and lower Mississippi River valleys. Habitat destruction is more pronounced here than in any other area of the United States.”
According to scientists from Environmental Synergy Inc. (ESI), decades of conversion from forest to marginal farmland and the myriad flood-control measures that followed resulted in a land mass that today supports less than 5 million acres of bottomland hardwood forest. “No other wetland system in North America has suffered such a tremendous reduction in area,” says Carol Jordan, ESI’s president. “Much of the remaining forest exists in fragments that are too small to support the birds, fish and other wildlife resources that were once abundant.” That is bad news for the birds whose spring and fall migratory paths lead them along the Mississippi Flyway deep into the heart of central Louisiana.
Migratory waterfowl, songbirds and shorebirds all use forested, moist soil and open-water wetland habitats for nesting, foraging and taking cover from predators. During the fall and winter, these habitats flood, thus setting the table for wintering waterfowl looking to plump up on high protein nuts and other foods. In late summer, the water recedes within open-water wetland pools, creating mudflats for migrating shorebirds.
To help keep the bird buffets stocked along the Mississippi Flyway, The Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to identify key tracks of land in need of restoration. After the Service carefully selects each restoration site, its biologists choose a mix of native seedlings that will help reestablish a natural ecosystem. As the forests mature, they help keep the birds fed and sheltered, and at the same time, trap carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“Loss of forest habitat is a huge challenge for ducks, songbirds and even the Louisiana black bear,” says Brett Wehrle, Refuge Manager of the Central Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes both Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote refuges. “The Go Zero program is providing tremendous benefits to wildlife and people. It is an incredible luxury to get these sites restored, and then to step back and watch the habitat change and the wildlife return. We simply couldn’t do it alone.”
Restoring native forests in the Gulf Coast region is more important than ever, as birds forced from contaminated marshes must look for healthy habitat nearby to rest and feed.
Moving forward, The Conservation Fund is committed to helping our partners in federal, state and local agencies as they work to restore this damaged ecosystem. As these agencies plan to acquire healthy new habitat for birds and wildlife affected by the spill, we continue to play an active role. To date, we have protected more than 300,000 acres in the region.
With your help, we can do even more.
Donate now to help the Fund’s Go Zero program restore forestland in the Southeast.
Photos: Mallards taking off / Serega, iStockphoto.com (top); Birds in flight, Grand Cote NWR/Photo courtesy USFWS, Central Louisiana Refuge Complex (bottom)
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Phone: 703-525-6300
Fax: 703-525-4610
Email: postmaster@conservationfund.org
