Month: July 2023

Originally published on wildlifehc.org

We’ve all heard the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Science has even backed up the powerful impact of imagery, with research showing that people tend to remember ideas presented in pictures better than in words.

Professionals who work in sustainability often find themselves needing to make the case for conservation. Whether that’s championing an effort like composting waste scraps from the campus cafeteria, securing funds to plant a pollinator garden on-site or informing community members about a local threatened species, convincing the stakeholders involved in these decisions requires using all the tools available — and that’s where conservation photography comes in.

Like all forms of photography, conservation photography tells a story, often about the beauty and majesty of nature as well as the factors that threaten species’ or ecosystems’ survival. When it comes to getting buy-in from key decisionmakers, educating students or just inspiring the general public, conservation photography is a powerful way to demonstrate the far-reaching impact of conservation work. This blog will explore how corporate conservation professionals (or anyone!) can use photography to support their conservation goals.

Bring wildlife close to home

Photography literally provides a close-up look at species or environments that people might not encounter otherwise. It can be easy to focus only on the animals or plants we see every day, which means it can also be easy to forget about those that exist half a world away. Conservation photography is a helpful reminder of the sheer diversity of life on earth. It also provides perspective, serving as a reminder that even the ecosystems and species found at one’s own workplace or in the backyard are just as valuable as those in exotic locales.

Tell a story

Like all artforms, conservation photography is storytelling at its core. Neuroscience confirms that stories impact the brain’s neurons, making them fire similarly to the person telling the story and creating a bond between the storyteller and the audience. This even leads to the release of dopamine, a feel-good chemical that helps people recall the story later. Using still images or video to illustrate the needs and experiences of a particular species reaches audiences on a visual, intellectual and emotional level.

Wildlife filmmaker and WHC Board member Chris Morgan is no stranger to the power of storytelling. Through his documentary projects like BEARTREK and Path of The Bear, Morgan’s own story and the stories of biologists and conservationists coincides with the bear species he is documenting. BEARTREK, for example, charts Morgan’s seven-year journey across three continents to understand the conservation efforts protecting species like the spectacled bear, polar bear and sun bear. By weaving human stories into the stories of rare species, conservation photographers and filmmakers build a strong bond with their audience.

Contribute to scientific research

Conservation photography provides visual data, especially when it comes to rare species. In addition to observing what a specific plant or animal looks like, photographers are incidentally also identifying its abundance, location, condition and behavior, which are all important data for understanding a population. Contributing to citizen or community science efforts allows anyone to be part of the study of a particular ecosystem or species. Amateur and professional photographers alike can submit photos and other data to initiatives like NestWatch, iNaturalist and other community science programs in order to contribute to the widespread understanding of a species.

Demonstrate a change over time

Nature is fluid, constantly evolving and adapting. Conservation photography illustrates both the harmful and beneficial changes that have occurred in an environment over time. Taking a photo of the same location at different times throughout the year — also called photo point monitoring — can show the effects of industrialization or habitat degradation; however, these repeat photographs can also showcase the positive effects of conservation efforts, from grassland restoration to the return of a species that had previously lost its habitat.

Get employees involved

One way to encourage conservation photography as well as employee engagement is through contests. Employee photography contests showcase the on-site biodiversity to a company’s entire employee base, explained Ann George, Senior Scientist at WHC member mining company Freeport-McMoRan (FCX), which has held an employee contest for over 10 years. “When people think of a mining company, they don’t think of wildlife,” George said, so a photography contest is a great way to educate employees and the broader community about how a company is managing and preserving biodiversity.

FCX develops a specific set of criteria for entries, including the exclusion of any invasive or ornamental species. The company’s biodiversity task force reviews the entries, of which they receive 400-500 each year, and the top choices are submitted to WHC’s annual calendar, printed and hung in the corporate office and showcased on computer lock screens across the company.

WHC member CEMEX also holds a photography contest for employees. “CEMEX’s ‘Nature Positive’ photo contest has helped us to connect with our employees around their positive experiences with nature on our sites, while demonstrating the important role that industry can play in halting and reversing biodiversity loss,” explained Jerae Carlson, Senior Vice President of Sustainability, Communications & Public Affairs at CEMEX USA. Not only does the contest raise awareness about on-site wildlife, but it also creates connections between coworkers. “Employees are often eager to share their positive experiences with nature and to see nature through the lens of their colleagues.”

For companies thinking about starting a photography contest, Carlson and George provided some tips. “Make it easy for everyone to participate,” said Carlson. CEMEX developed several submission options for employees, including a specific email address as well as a QR code that allowed employees without a company email to submit photos from their phones. Promoting the contest is also key: George recommended publicizing the contest thoroughly to employees and marketing it as an opportunity to hone photography skills while learning more about the company’s biodiversity projects.

You don’t have to be a professional photographer to have a positive impact on conservation with your photos. Armed with a smartphone, a keen sense of observation and a little bit of patience, anyone can capture moments in nature that support greater conservation goals.

Whirlpool Corporation has been named one of the 2023 Best Companies for Multicultural Women by Seramount, part of EAB. The award recognizes the top 80 companies that create and use best practices in hiring, retaining and promoting multicultural women in the United States.

“Inclusion is a key pillar of Whirlpool Corp.’s enduring values, and we have continuously worked to create a culture where every person is welcome, respected, valued and heard,” Kim Kavala, senior director of inclusion & diversity and global learning, said. “We are proud these efforts have once again been recognized by Seramount and remain committed to celebrating diverse perspectives and taking meaningful action to embed inclusion and belongingness throughout our organization and the communities where we live.”

For 111 years, Whirlpool Corp. has been committed to supporting its employees, who embody the company’s dedication to improve life at home, in the community and on the planet. CEO and Chairman Marc Bitzer became a Catalyst CEO Champion for Change signatory in 2018, pledging to increase the Whirlpool Corp.’s female representation in executive and senior level positions and ensure accelerated inclusion of women, including women of color, in senior roles. Representation of women at the most senior levels has increased overall as a result of this focus. The company also made significant strides to progress its U.S. Racial Equality Pledge including establishing new unconscious bias training, expanding its mentorship program to facilitate relationships for Black managers and senior managers.

Whirlpool Corporation maintains 17 employee resource groups (ERGs) globally to further raise awareness for an inclusive culture, including the Whirlpool Women’s Network (WWN), which empowers and engages women at all levels within the corporation and community through engagement, development and career progression.

The company is frequently recognized for its efforts to cultivate an inclusive and diverse workplace and was recently honored by U.S. News & World Report as One of the Best Companies to Work For in 2023 as well as named One of America’s Most JUST Companies for 2023.

To create its annual list, Seramount asked companies close to 600 questions on representation; hiring, attrition, and promotion rates; recruitment, retention, and advancement programs; and company culture. The 2023 Seramount survey also assessed progress for women by specific racial/ethnic group as well as factors influencing that progress, including mental health, anti-racism progress, and participation in mentoring and sponsorship programs. The report found that there has been significant progress in creating cultures encouraging multicultural women to join and rise through the ranks.

This year’s Best Companies for Multicultural Women employ about 3.9 million people at 39,810 work sites in every state across 16 industries. Key findings in the survey showed that multicultural women make up 10 percent of corporate executives this year, in comparison to only 8 percent last year. In addition, multicultural women represent 15 percent of the highest earnings, 1 percent more than last year.

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From May 30 to June 2, Lenovo joined the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) in Helsinki, Finland. The WCEF gathered forward-looking thinkers and doers and presented the game-changers in the circular economy, including Lenovo. Starting with a great opening on “Circular solutions for nature and the economy”, the event delivered strong messages on the urgency to act now. The concept of a circular economy is now well established but needs to move to the next step and be implemented in our economy. This implementation will require education, regulations, and investments from all industries. Most importantly, embracing the circular economy can create more sustainable supply chains, decoupling greenhouse gas emissions from business growth for the future.

WCEF attendees were able to learn about Lenovo’s transition to a circular economy through innovations in our supply chain, product design and services. “It was enlightening to meet with companies – like our project end-of-life management partners, who are on the front lines of creating a circular economy for electronics. We saw first-hand how Lenovo’s focus on repairability and durability contributes to the prolonged lifecycles of refurbished and reused systems, creating opportunities throughout the circular value chain,” said William Dominici, Director PCSD Strategy, Lenovo. Lenovo’s innovations in packaging and product design were presented, like the Lenovo ThinkVision P32pz-30 monitor with 95% of post-consumer content (PCC) plastic ABS in the real cover recycled metals steel and its industry first plastic-free packaging.

Rather than focusing on making a single product line sustainable, Lenovo is holistically integrating closed loop recycled plastic (plastic from electronics) into a wide range of products, including the recently announced Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 laptop and the Lenovo Tab Extreme which features a chassis made of 100% recycled aluminum. Lenovo’s packaging engineers never stop thinking about ways to make our packaging more sustainable through recycled materials and elimination of plastic. ThinkPad Z13 packaging is made from 100% bamboo and sugarcane fiber, and Lenovo Tab Extreme is also the first Lenovo tablet to have plastic free packaging.

Lenovo’s participation in the WCEF was also the occasion to discuss Lenovo’s sustainability services and Lenovo’s participation in the circular economy across products’ lifecycle. Considering there are more than 50 million tons of e-waste produced per year, Lenovo Asset Recovery Services can help give IT hardware a second life by encouraging the reuse, recycle and refurbishment of devices.

As a global technology powerhouse, we were proud to join the conversation at this year World Circular Economy Forum, demonstrate our commitment to this field, and contribute to the solutions it represents. “Having the chance to learn, interact and share with fellow circular economy advocates was beyond encouraging, said Claudia Contreras, Executive Director Global Sustainability Services, Lenovo. While we have a long road ahead, it is extremely motivating to know that we in Lenovo are putting real action behind commitments.”

Read more about Lenovo’s efforts to create a smarter, more sustainable future for all in the company’s FY 2021-22 ESG Report.