2024 WHC Awards Announced at WHC Conservation Conference

NEW ORLEANS, June 6, 2024 /3BL/ - Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) announced the winners of its 2024 WHC Awards during the WHC Conservation Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 4-5. The WHC Awards honor excellence in corporate conservation, with awardees representing various national and international companies across industries.

The year’s top awards, recognizing leadership in corporate conservation, were won by Freeport-McMoRan, WM and El Sobrante Landfill and Wildlife Preserve.

“WHC applauds our members, including WM and Freeport-McMoRan, for their outstanding accomplishments over the last year,” said Margaret O’Gorman, President, WHC. “The companies and programs honored by this year’s WHC Awards are leading by example, illustrating how the private sector can take action to make every act of conservation matter. It is a privilege to recognize the efforts of these leaders in corporate sustainability.”

The Employee Engagement Award, given to Freeport-McMoRan, celebrates the exemplary contributions of one company’s employees towards their habitat and conservation education efforts.

The 2024 Gold Program of the Year Award, which honors the overall depth of one corporate conservation program, was awarded to WM for its El Sobrante Landfill and Wildlife Preserve in Corona, California.

WM received this year’s Corporate Conservation Leadership Award, which recognizes one company’s overall achievement in conservation and commends their corporate commitment to biodiversity, conservation education and alignment with global conservation objectives.

In addition to these corporate and program-level awards, individual projects are recognized for excellence in each of the WHC Project Guidance themes. This award category offers projects of all sizes the ability to compete for recognition.

Freeport-McMoRan was the year’s most honored company, receiving the WHC Employee Engagement Award in addition to four project awards (Bats, Mammals, Marine Intertidal and Species of Concern) recognizing their species and habitat conservation efforts in Peru and Indonesia.

The following is a complete list of 2024 WHC Award Winners:

WHC Corporate Conservation Leadership Award 
WM

WHC Employee Engagement Award 
Freeport-McMoRan

WHC Gold Program of the Year Award 
WM, Waste Management El Sobrante Landfill and Wildlife Preserve | Corona, California

Avian Project Award 
Covia, Emmett Facility | Emmett, Idaho

Awareness and Community Engagement Project Award 
Cemex, Tamuín "Caliza y Arcilla" (México) | San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Bats Project Award 
Freeport-McMoRan, Unidad de Producción Cerro Verde | Arequipa, Peru

Caves Project Award 
Constellation, Criterion Wind | Oakland, Maryland

Desert Project Award 
Cemex, Atotonilco: Cerro Jardín + Xoyatla + Coayuca (Mexico) | Hidalgo, Mexico

Forests Project Award 
Anglo American Quellaveco, Quellaveco | Moquegua, Peru

Formal Learning Project Award 
Cemex, Center Hill Mine | Center Hill, Florida

Grasslands Project Award 
Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Prairie Wetland Conservation Area | Wichita, Kansas

Green Infrastructure Project Award 
BlueTriton Brands, Inc., Twin Creek Nature Area | Evart, Michigan

Invasive Species Project Award 
Ontario Power Generation, Western Waste Management Facility & Bruce Complex | Ontario, Canada 

Invasive Species Coordinated Approaches Project 
Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Belle | Belle, West Virginia

Land Conservation Agreements Project Award 
Constellation, Criterion Wind | Oakland, Maryland

Landscaped Project Award 
Exelon, Pepco – WaterShed for Sustainability | Rockville, Maryland

Mammals Project Award 
Freeport-McMoRan, PTFI | Papua, Indonesia

Marine Intertidal Project Award 
Freeport-McMoRan, PTFI | Papua, Indonesia

Other Species Project Award 
Boeing, Santa Susana Field Laboratory | Canoga Park, California

Pollinators Project Award 
Covia, Tunnel City | Tomah, Wisconsin

Remediation Project Award 
Boeing, Santa Susana Field Laboratory | Canoga Park, California

Reptiles and Amphibians Project Award 
CRH, Dufferin Aggregates Acton Quarry | Ontario, Canada

Rocky Areas Project Award 
WM, Waste Management El Sobrante Landfill and Wildlife Preserve | Corona, California

Species of Concern Project Award 
Freeport-McMoRan, Unidad de Producción Cerro Verde | Arequipa, Peru

Training Project Award 
Cemex, Ready Mix USA Regional Office | Birmingham, Alabama

Wetlands and Water Bodies Project Award 
Bacardi, Bombay Sapphire Distillery | Hampshire, United Kingdom

Award finalists and winners were chosen from WHC Certification applications submitted between January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023, that were granted certification. Information on award criteria can be found here.

About WHC

WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) has been working at the nexus of business and biodiversity for 35 years and is the only international NGO focused exclusively on enabling private sector action for nature. WHC builds strategies and frameworks for companies to integrate nature with climate, equity and engagement to support sustainable ecosystems and healthy communities. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations. WHC-certified programs can be found in 19 countries and 48 U.S. states. Learn more at www.wildlifehc.org.