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Take a journey with us around the world to see what our global teams did to support World Biodiversity Day. From crafting seed boxes in New York, to planting trees in Singapore, Japan, and South Africa, explore the volunteering activities they took part in to plant the seeds of change. We empower our people to offer their time and talent to their local communities through volunteering.
Keep the Bronx Blooming in New York
In the US, our colleagues teamed up with Bronx is Blooming, in partnership with New York Cares. 20 colleagues got involved in a workshop creating seed pods which were transported to community gardeners in the Bronx, to be planted to promote wildflower growth.
“From insights on the importance of pollination and how acidity plays a role, to donning gloves and aprons to make seed pods that will do incredible work, it was an excellent way to spend time together an hour together.” – Carolyn Chamberlain, Americas Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
Planting trees in the Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan and Pulau Ubin, Singapore
Meanwhile, in Japan, our colleagues and their families came together on Earth Day at a tree planting event organised by the NPO Environment Relationship Institute.
In support of their ‘Present Tree’ project to restore forests, 24 of our volunteers went to the Yamanashi Prefecture to plant 120 trees along with family members. By planting indigenous trees, we can help restore forests to protect rich biodiversity and prevent natural disasters in the lower reaches of the Fuefuki rivers.
“This is the second year that we have participated in the ‘Present Tree’ project. Abandonment of forestry is a big problem in Japan and through our participation, we can learn about it – and help address it.” – Shingo Sugiura, Chief Administrative Officer – Japan
“It’s really meaningful to be spending Earth Day here. It’s really exciting to have my children learn to look after the planet and it’s also great to know that the efforts we are putting in today will help maintain the rich biodiversity of the area.” – Joshua Bennison, Analyst, Equities - Japan
Plus, more than 70 of our people in Singapore came together to plant over 50 trees at Puau Ubin, to the northeast of the main island. These trees will support the Singapore National Parks Board’s ‘OneMillionTrees’ movement.
The Bioblitz challenge in Asia
Across Asia, our people joined the Schroders-iNaturalist Bioblitz challenge. Our colleagues in Hong Kong went on an eco-tour to the Lung Fu Shan Country Park to identify the wildlife and plants that live there. They then recorded the species they saw to help Lung Fu Shan Country Park understand how rich the local biodiversity is. Across Asia, a total of 2,171 observations were made, with colleagues identifying 814 species!
A fruity day planting in South Africa
Our South African colleagues partnered with the Food & Trees for Africa charity to plant trees for the Mpitsi Agricultural Farm Co-Operative Ltd, which is situated just outside Johannesburg.
Issued with gardening gloves, and using muscles they didn’t know they had, they dug, hoed, planted and watered over 60 fruit trees, which are expected to bear fruit within a year of their planting. Not only will these trees support the environment and improve biodiversity, but they’ll also provide food security and an income for the Mpsitsi family.
The team walked away with dirty hands, but with a newfound respect for the physical demands of farming and the vital role farmers play in putting food on our tables. And they had full hearts after a fun day out volunteering for a cause that has a positive impact on both people and the planet.
Teaming up with Bankside Open Spaces Trust in London
In London, our volunteers teamed up with Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) in one of their beautiful parks close to London Bridge, in the heart of the city. The team got stuck into weeding plant beds, clearing litter from the park and trimming shrubs to foster new growth. Plus, BOST’s very own gardener, Liz, demonstrated how to identify wild garlic and rocket.
Supporting our people
We support our people in the causes that matter to them, through our global employee engagement campaigns, employee charitable matching and our volunteer schemes. Find out more about working at Schroders.
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