We've made our end of year contributions to four amazing organizations. These contributions are integral to our agency's mission to be a force for good. As we grow we intend on increasing our contributions, considering additional organizations to support, and lending our voice to the incredible work of conservancy being done around the world.
The common theme for our contributions this year is protecting the diversity of Earth. As our species has grown rapidly, from 4 billion in 1974 to double that in just 50 years, we have encroached on the natural habitat of plants and animals. We can't just wait until a species approaches extinction before we jump into action when it is often too late.
When first coming upon a redwood grove, you enter a cool forest that filters in just enough sunlight to create a beautiful lattice of sunbeams. Then when you are in the middle of a wandering thought ushered in by the solemnity of the forest, you suddenly stop. You look up, gasp, and freeze. You are standing in front of a colossus. A tree so vast in every dimension that your mind takes time to comprehend what is before you. It is not hyperbole to say that encountering an old growth redwood tree is a deeply spiritual experience.
Most of the ancient redwoods were logged for commercial purposes. By the end of the 1950s, only about 10 percent of the original two-million-acre redwood range remained untouched. As a result very few old growth redwoods have survived, less than 2%.
We contributed to Save the Redwoods League's Montgomery Woods initiative this year. The League has been protecting redwood trees for 100 years, purchasing vast redwood forests and easements for access to protected areas. Learn more: savetheredwoods.org/project
There are only two species of elephants, the African Elephant and the Asian Elephant. They are highly intelligent and curious. They are also very large and plant-eating, which means they need vast areas to roam, to live, to raise their young, and to thrive.
In a protected area of Kenya, known as Tsavo, 35,000 elephants roamed some 50 years ago. Today that number has declined to less than half. Among the red elephants of Tsavo are 25 Big Tuskers, elephants so massive that their tusks weigh over 110 pounds each. These elephants are under constant threat from poachers.
We're proud to support the protection of elephants in Tsavo. Learn more about the "Big Tusker Project": tsavotrust.org
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust cares for orphaned elephants in Kenya. Their rescue, recovery, reintegration, and return to wild program has raised over 300 elephants and attended to nearly 10,000 veterinary cases. We're proud to support their work. Learn more: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/projects
After decades of deforestation, there are only 91 elephants left alive in Vietnam. Fauna & Flora International, the world's oldest conservation charity, has started an urgent campaign to identify elephants using telemetry and to steer them away from villages. Learn more: fauna-flora.org
Ours is a small part to play in the conservation of diversity on Earth. However, we believe that by contributing funds to pioneering organizations, and lending our voice to how business can be a force for good, we can help bring about change in how we collectively take care of the flora and fauna of our beautiful planet.