Three-year, $800,000 donation is supporting intern program to help address biodiversity loss and climate change

TORONTO, June 2, 2023 /CNW/ - 407 ETR is announcing a major donation to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)  to conserve and protect biodiversity in Ontario. The Company's funding is being directed towards NCC's Conservation Intern program which helps prepare the next generation of environmental leaders with real-world, skills-building opportunities to care for natural areas in Ontario.

NCC interns will work to restore habitats that support biodiversity and native pollinators, plants, mammals and birds. Interns will also take part in efforts to control invasive species including phragmites —Canada's worst invasive species —while engaging with communities through outreach and volunteer events.

FAST FACTS:

• NCC has hired 20 interns for the 2023 Ontario program which runs from May to October.
• In 2022, NCC interns helped run 21 conservation volunteer events, engaging 285 community volunteers to remove invasive species, stabilize stream banks and plant 4,630 trees and shrubs in Ontario.
• One quarter of NCC's full-time Ontario conservation program staff are former interns.
• This 3-year $800,000 commitment marks 407 ETR's largest environmental donation to date and is supporting conservation activities in ecologically significant areas across Ontario like Happy Valley Forest, protecting the air we breathe and the water we drink.

"I'm excited to get to work at Happy Valley Forest just north of Toronto," says Misha Golin, Conservation and Trail Technician at NCC. "I'll have the opportunity to interact with local community members that walk the trails and teach them about nature and how to participate in stewardship. Working with species at risk and protecting sensitive habitat is important to me, so I'm honoured to contribute to conserving an old growth forest in the making."

"In order to address the immediate and longer-term challenges related to climate change and biodiversity, we need exceptional leadership," says Javier Tamargo, President & CEO at 407 ETR. "We know that today's interns are tomorrow's trailblazers and we're proud to be investing in these young professionals at NCC who are driving conservation and building a more sustainable planet."

"On behalf of NCC, I want to thank 407 ETR for its ongoing financial support," says Mike Hendren, NCC's Regional Vice-President in Ontario. "NCC is working to protect and care for our most important natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain. By investing in our Conservation Intern program, we are growing the next generation of conservation leaders here in Ontario. In the face of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change, nature is our ally. There's no solution to either without nature conservation. When nature thrives, we all thrive." 

A collaboration between 407 ETR and NCC  first sprouted in 2022 when 407 ETR donated more than $270,000 to NCC through its paperless billing campaign (the Company donated $2 for more than 63,000 customers who made the switch) and support for NCC's Giving Tuesday campaign.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country's unifying force for nature. We seek solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner, we work with people, communities, businesses and government to protect and care for our most important natural areas. Since 1962, we have brought people together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. NCC is a registered charity. With nature, we build a thriving world. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca/ontario.

Brianne Curry
 Communications Manager, Ontario Region
 Nature Conservancy of Canada
 Brianne.curry@natureconservancy.ca
 519-520-1340
 
Jill Murray-Dimic
 Senior Development Officer
 Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Region
 jill.murray-dimic@natureconservancy.ca
 647-951-6230

Highway 407 ETR is an all-electronic open-access toll highway located in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. The highway spans 108 kilometres from Burlington in the west to Pickering in the east.

407 International Inc. is the sole shareholder of 407 ETR and is owned by:

• Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) through indirectly-owned subsidiaries (50.01%);
• Cintra Global S.E. which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ferrovial S.A. (43.23%); and
• SNC-Lavalin (6.76%).

Follow us on social media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

SOURCE 407 ETR Concession Company Limited