Working With Businesses in the Crane Valley

The Crane Valley Partnership (CVP) represents a collaboration among charities, community groups, borough councils, private businesses, and government agencies within the River Crane catchment area. Its primary aim is to restore one of London's most natural river systems, preserve surrounding habitats, and improve public access for nearby communities to enjoy nature.

XXXXXX Lgoal explains... community lead on the SMC ....

Why we need the help of the businesses

The engagement of businesses in the Crane Valley Partnership (CVP) is crucial for achieving its objectives of restoring the River Crane catchment area. Businesses play a pivotal role in environmental sustainability and community development, providing essential resources, expertise, and funding necessary for successful conservation efforts and habitat restoration projects. Additionally, businesses operating within the catchment area have a vested interest in maintaining environmental health, as it directly impacts their operations, employees, and customers.

What's in it for the businesses

Participating in the CVP allows businesses to contribute to the preservation of natural ecosystems while enhancing their corporate social responsibility profile and building positive relationships with the local community. Furthermore, businesses and their employees will have the opportunity to engage in a wide range of activities organized regularly by Lgoal and CVP partners, or they can choose ad hoc activities tailored to the specific needs and requirements of their environmental and sustainability goals. These activities can become part of each businesses' PR and Communication strategy.

Calendar of events and activities in the River Crane Valley [tbd]

Examples of ad hoc activities that can be organised and tailored for each business

Employee Engagement: Companies can request Lgoal’s partners to organise or promote the following among their employees: tree planting; habitat restoration projects (native planting, wild-life friendly landscaping); trail maintenance; cleaning up; natural areas; litter picking; hang your quote for life on a tree; name a trail.
Eco-Friendly Challenges: Challenges or competitions that encourage employees to adopt eco-friendly practices both at work and in their personal lives.
Environmental Education Workshops: Workshops and seminars on SWC themes: biodiversity, ecosystems, and conservation practices. Local experts and organisations may be invited to share their knowledge.
Green Team Formation/SWC Ambassadors: Green teams within the company composed of passionate employees who will promote sustainability and conservation efforts. This team and/or the ambassadors can come up with ideas and initiatives to engage coworkers.
Local Species Adoption: Adoption of a local species by employees, whether it's a plant, animal, or bird, by learning about it, raising awareness, or contributing to its protection.
Nature Photography Contest: Nature photography contest among employees, showcasing local flora and fauna.
Lunch and Learn Sessions: Lunch and learn sessions where employees can hear from local environmental organisations about the Smarter Water Catchment projects.

Citizen science opportunities for individual or teams of employees

Bird Monitoring: Employees can participate in birdwatching and bird counting programs, such as the Audubon Society's Great Backyard Bird Count. They can document bird species and numbers in their local areas, which contributes to important avian research.
Butterfly and Pollinator Surveys: Employees can help monitor and report on butterfly populations and other pollinators like bees. Initiatives like the Monarch Watch or Bumble Bee Watch rely on citizen scientists to collect data.
Water Quality Testing: Employees participate in water quality testing projects where they collect water samples from local rivers, streams, or ponds. Organisations like the FreshWater Watch provide resources for such efforts.
Wildlife Tracking: Employees can track animal movements and signs in their local area, contributing data to wildlife conservation efforts. Projects like eMammal involve setting up camera traps to capture images of wildlife.
Plant and Tree Identification: Employees can participate in projects that involve identifying and cataloging local plant and tree species. This data can be used for ecological research and conservation planning.
Invasive Species Removal: Organise events where employees work together to remove invasive plant species from natural areas. This helps protect native ecosystems.
Air Quality Monitoring: Employees can use air quality monitoring kits to measure pollutants like particulate matter and contribute to air quality research. Programs like AirVisual offer resources for citizen scientists.
Climate Observations: Employees can collect and report climate-related data, such as temperature, precipitation, and weather conditions. The National Weather Service and apps like iNaturalist allow users to submit observations.
Bat Monitoring: Employees can participate in bat monitoring programs by setting up bat detectors or conducting bat counts, which helps with bat conservation efforts.
Mapping and GIS: Employees can help create maps and gather geographic information through projects like OpenStreetMap, which can be valuable for disaster response, conservation, and urban planning.
BioBlitz Events: Employee can participate in BioBlitz events, where teams work together to identify as many species as possible within a designated area and timeframe.
Community Science Fairs: Science fairs or events where employees can showcase their citizen science contributions and learn from each other.
Go to the CVP website for more ideas!

Contacts

email business@lgoal.org.uk

tel 07 -------