Global (English)

FedEx and NFWF Deliver Urban Conservation Projects

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April 21, 2011

FedEx Corp. and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) deliver money and muscle for urban conservation projects in 12 major cities. This is the second year of their unique collaboration to address pressing urban environmental challenges across the U.S. Through NFWF, grants have been awarded to local nonprofits that will maximize FedEx philanthropic and volunteer resources. The selected projects will improve air and water quality and enhance community spaces in Philadelphia, New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Memphis, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Seattle.

“Last year, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s work with FedEx and local nonprofit partners engaged 7,500 community members and resulted in the planting of over 14,000 trees and 66,000 native plants. Their actions reduced carbon dioxide output by 340,000 pounds,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director of the Foundation. “This is only an initial snapshot of the impact of our collaboration. We expect to have even more impressive outcomes this year as we double the number of involved organizations and communities.”


The FedEx contributions, ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 per project, will be implemented through NFWF’s Five Star Restoration Program, Long Island Sound Futures Fund, the Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants, and the King County Community Salmon Fund. Funds from FedEx will be significantly leveraged by support from federal and state government agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as other private and non-profit partners.

“Our work with NFWF enables FedEx team members to collaborate and work directly with local nonprofits to improve the air, water and urban spaces that we share in the communities where we live and work,” said Mitch Jackson, vice president, environmental affairs and sustainability, FedEx Corp. “A significant portion of our operations, people and facilities are based in metropolitan centers, and we value helping to connect the world in responsible and resourceful ways.”

FedEx team members will participate in a day of service with each NFWF grant recipient. They will help clear invasive plant species in Memphis, Seattle and Philadelphia; restore the Presidio Coastal Bluffs in San Francisco; plant trees in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh; work alongside local youth on the Bronx River in New York City; remove trash and debris at Mattahunt Woods in Boston; plant native vegetation in Los Angeles and Dallas; pick up beach litter in Chicago; and install a rain garden in Washington, D.C.

The FedEx commitment to NFWF is part of EarthSmart Outreach, a FedEx commitment to environmental and volunteer efforts that focus on environmental sustainability. Complete information on the FedEx and NFWF grants are available at www.nfwf.org/fedex.

The organizations participating in the FedEx EarthSmart Outreach projects for 2011 are:

Philadelphia

Grantee: Temple University

FedEx Grant Award: $25,000 / Match: $40,070

Project Date: April 19, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers will clear invasive plant species and install deer fencing in Fairmount Park.


New York City

Grantee: Rocking the Boat

FedEx Grant Award: $35,000 / Match: $35,000

Project Date: April 20, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers will work alongside local youth to build a storage shelter for boat building materials and assist with repairing boats and making oars.

www.rockingtheboat.org/about

San Francisco

Grantee: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

FedEx Grant Award: $50,000 / Match: $41,012

Project Date: April 20, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers will help restore the Presidio Coastal Bluffs, a section of San Francisco that is home to some of the most endangered plants on Earth. By removing invasive species, native plants will thrive, attracting the return of native wildlife that once flourished in this area.

www.parksconservancy.org/about

Boston

Grantee: Student Conservation Association (SCA)

FedEx Grant Award: $25,000 / Match: $66,000

Project Date: April 27, 2011

Project Description: SCA, FedEx, Boston Parks & Recreation and The Mattahunt Elementary School will beautify Mattahunt Woods, removing invasive species and debris, collecting trash, and planting.

http://www.thesca.org

Memphis

Grantee: Wolf River Conservancy

FedEx Grant Award: $25,000/ Match: $56,789

Project Date: May 9, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers will expand the Wolf River Greenway by clearing land and removing invasive species along the waterway.

www.wolfriver.org

Indianapolis

Grantee: Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.

FedEx Grant Award: $25,000 / Match: $50,562

Project Date: May 9, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers, neighbors, and project partners will plant hundreds of trees and remove several acres of invasive species in the Pogue’s Run watershed.

www.kibi.org

Pittsburgh

Grantee: Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania

FedEx Grant Award: $25,000 / Match: $12,240

Project Date: May 12, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers will remove existing vegetation; amend soil; plant trees, shrubs, and perennials; mulch, and more on Moon Township Municipal Grounds.

www.aswp.org

Los Angeles

Grantee: Bolsa Chica Conservancy

FedEx Grant Award: $25,000 / Match: $70,000

Project Date: May 20, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers will remove invasive plants and install native vegetation at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. Along with trash and debris, invasive plants choke the growth of plants vital to the plant community and the ecosystem.

http://bolsachica.org

Dallas

Grantee: Trinity Commons Foundation

FedEx Grant Award: $25,000 / Match: $35,000

Project Date: May 21, 2011

Project Description: This project will focus on Dallas’ largest civic works project, the Trinity River Corridor Project. Volunteers will plant vegetation around the wetland areas and along the riverbank.

www.trinitycommonsfoundation.org

Chicago

Grantee: Alliance for the Great Lakes

FedEx Grant Award: $25,000 / Match: $50,000

Project Date: June 11, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers will remove litter and collect and record valuable data regarding beach health.

www.greatlakes.org

Washington, D.C.

Grantee: DC Greenworks

FedEx Grant Award: $50,000 / Match: $235,000

Project Date: June 21, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers will plant gardens, install rain barrels, remove asphalt and replace it with pervious pavement, and plant trees at Center City Public Charter School.

www.dcgreenworks.org

Seattle

Grantee: Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust

FedEx Grant Award: $25,000 / Match: $126,000

Project Date: June 16, 2011

Project Description: Volunteers will cut and grub invasive Himalayan blackberry that has taken over much of the area surrounding Issaquah Creek. During the next nine months, aggressive weeds lining the bank of the creek will be removed and thousands of trees will be planted to provide shade and improve habitat.

http://mtsgreenway.org/about



About FedEx Sustainability


FedEx is committed to connecting the world responsibly and resourcefully. We set long-term goals to reduce aircraft emissions intensity 20 percent by 2020, increase FedEx Express vehicle efficiency by 20 percent by 2020, and expand on-site renewable energy generation and procurement of renewable energy credits. FedEx works to achieve these ambitious goals through EarthSmart - a FedEx commitment to minimize our impact on the environment. EarthSmart is designed to encourage innovation that makes our business - the way we work and the services we offer - more sustainable, both economically and environmentally. FedEx commitment has been recognized through inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index - a global list of the world’s largest, most sustainability organizations. FedEx has also been placed in Boston College’s Reputation Institute 2010 CSR Index Top 50 Ranking and retained the U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership Printer’s List #1 Ranking.

About FedEx Corp.


FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $38 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 290,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.


About NFWF


The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores our nation’s wildlife and habitats. Created by Congress in 1984, NFWF directs public conservation dollars to the most pressing environmental needs and matches those investments with private contributions. Working with federal, corporate and individual partners, it has awarded 11,034 grants to 3,800 organizations and leveraged $529 million in federal funds into $1.8 billion for on-the-ground conservation. To learn more, visit www.nfwf.org.