Covia Biodiversity Partnership Thrives With the Arbor Day Foundation

Aug 10, 2023 10:30 AM ET
Three people planting in Chowan Swamp
Chowan Swamp Planting in Action

At Covia, we are proud to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation, the largest member nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees. In 2022, to recognize the Arbor Day Foundation’s 50th anniversary, we offered every U.S. Team Member a tree to plant at their home or to donate as a living tribute. Hundreds of Covia Team Members took advantage of this special opportunity. As part of this initiative, our Team Members were encouraged to visit the Arbor Day Foundation’s online tool, i-Tree, to calculate where to specifically and strategically plant trees for the greatest energy- and money-saving benefits. Not only did it provide a great educational resource for our Team Members, but it also gave them an opportunity to learn more about tangible benefits for their entire community such as improved air quality, carbon sequestration, and reduced stormwater runoff.

More recently, Covia supported the planting of 12,285 native longleaf trees in the Chowan Swamp in North Carolina to help return this land to its native state. The trees will support the wide array of local wildlife, serving as an important link in the regional conservation of waterfowl, black bears, and the endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers. These new trees will establish a resilient and biodiverse ecosystem and provide natural beauty for residents of the area to enjoy. 

This fall, Covia will once again collaborate with the Arbor Day Foundation, along with local planting partners, in Oregon, Illinois. This planting project will help restore the city's tree canopy, which has been severely damaged by the nationwide Emerald Ash Borer infestation. Covia is looking forward to sharing more information about this community-based project in the coming weeks. 

“We’re proud to work with the Arbor Day Foundation as we strive to restore and protect a diverse range of ecosystems and habitats,” said Natalie Eglinton, Covia’s Director of ESG. “Our partnership with them helps us get our Team Members involved in efforts to improve the natural environment in the communities we live and work in.”