Champion Our Coast

Champion Our Coast 2022 Corporate Coastal Stewardship Guide

“Phillips 66 puts an emphasis on initiatives that provide sustainable answers and protect, beautify and promote our natural environment.

The Plaquemines Oyster Reef that we built with CRCL is the perfect example of this. Our employee volunteers had an incredible time working with the organization to construct the reef while learning about the south Louisiana coast”

TRISTAN BABIN, PHILLIPS 66 ALLIANCE REFINERY PUBLIC AFFAIRS ADVISER

Executive Director Kimberly Davis Reyher

N

ow more than ever, land loss threatens the future of south Louisiana — our communities, culture and economy. We are losing rich, productive

wetlands, as well as the bounty of seafood they provide us, with consequences that reach far beyond the Gulf Coast. With a continued land loss rate of an entire football field every 100 minutes, the challenge seems immense, but we see it as solvable. Our state has a comprehensive science-based plan that has widespread support from federal, state and local officials and communities. After years in the making, these plans are on the verge of being implemented.

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana was the first nonprofit in the state dedicated to the restoration of our coast. Over the past 34 years, we have influenced state policy and planning, built reefs and restored shoreline habitat – all helping sustain our state’s diverse culture, economy and environment.

Our work at CRCL enhances and supports this vision for creating the best Louisiana for future generations. We are proud of how far we have come, but we know there is more work ahead. We hope that you’ll join us.

Volunteers prepare oyster shell for a reef that will protect the coast from erosion and create habitat for new oysters.

Become a CRCL Corporate Coastal Steward C H A M P I O N O U R C O A S T — C O R P O R AT E C O A S TA L S T E W A R D S H I P G U I D E

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Table of Contents

1 2 3 4 5

What is CRCL? Our promise to you What is a CRCL Coastal Steward?

Why become a CRCL Coastal Steward?

Coastal Stewardship opportunities Committed Coastal Stewards

“Our coast is a part of the personality of our state. It is how many of our neighbors feed their families and how most of us relax.”

PATRICIA PRUDHOMME, CRCL VOLUNTEER

Volunteers deploy oyster shell in the waters of Plaquemines Parish.

Native Plants Program (SINCE 2010**)

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What is CRCL?

■ 200 events staged

CRCL is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to drive bold,

■ 6,930 volunteers engaged

science-based action to sustain a dynamic coastal Louisiana through

■ 52,252 volunteer hours logged

engagement and advocacy. Established in 1988, CRCL is Louisiana’s

■ 901,400 grass plugs planted

first statewide organization dedicated to coastal restoration. CRCL has

■ 42,812 trees planted

evolved over the years, growing from a small policy shop to a multi-

■ 544 acres enhanced

faceted organization with expertise in policy, science and outreach.

■

What we do:

Oyster Shell Recycling Program (SINCE 2014)

■ Habitat restoration and protection: CRCL implements turnkey restoration projects that engage volunteers in planting trees, grasses

■ 80 events staged

and other vegetation that sustain wetlands and provide wildlife habitat.

■ 1,670 volunteers engaged ■ 8,380 volunteer hours logged

■ Oyster shell recycling: CRCL builds oyster reefs that slow erosion while

■ 4 living shorelines deployed

providing habitat for fish and wildlife. Oyster shells that would otherwise

■ 7,600 linear feet of oyster reef habitat created

end up in landfills are collected from restaurants, bagged by volunteers,

■ Over 10,000 million pounds of oyster shell

and deployed around marsh edges to create living shorelines.

recycled ■ Outreach and community engagement: CRCL informs residents of the

**The Native Plants Program, previously the

challenges imposed by wetlands loss, the plans for restoration and flood

Habitat Restoration Program, was created in

protection, and the avenues to engage in decisions about our coast.

2000. Since then, we have engaged 14,930

CRCL engages students through our Student Ambassador and Future

volunteers and have enhanced more than 4,000

Coastal Leaders programs.

acres of land.

■ Policy and advocacy: CRCL analyzes and develops policies to ensure that money goes to the projects that restore and protect as much wetlands as possible.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW CRCL RESTORATION PROJECTS 6

C H A M P I O N O U R C O A S T — C O R P O R AT E C O A S TA L S T E W A R D S H I P G U I D E

Our promise to you ■ A partner you can trust. CRCL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving Louisiana’s coast and communities for the betterment of all residents.

■ Flexibility and creativity. We can customize a partnership to fit your company’s needs and budget.

■ Measurable impact. CRCL provides your company with the metrics (such as the number of plants planted or the linear feet of reef installed), photos and other information to document your volunteers’ contributions and to communicate the effectiveness of your corporate coastal stewardship.

■ Recognition:

We

ensure

that

sponsors

and

volunteers are acknowledged for their contributions to the restoration of our coast.

Volunteers plant marsh grass in Bayou Bonfouca.

Kellyn LaCour-Conant

Hannah Cohen

Restoration Programs Director

Community Engagement Associate

Gardner Goodall Native Plants

Darrah Bach

Restoration Coordinator

Oyster Shell Recycling Program Coordinator

Sofia Giordano

Kimberly Ortiz

Oyster Shell

Remote Sensing and

Recycling Technician

Monitoring Technician

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What is a CRCL Corporate Coastal Steward?

Volunteers plant trees in the marshes of eastern New Orleans.

Everyone who lives or works in Louisiana benefits from our coast. But without action, our coastal land loss crisis will continue.

It’s not just land that we’re losing. Our wetlands support one of the most productive fisheries in the world, and Louisiana’s energy industry infrastructure in south Louisiana is worth billions of dollars.

Surveys show that across our state, there is overwhelming support for coastal restoration. A CRCL Corporate Coastal Steward understands the importance of our coast and is willing to commit resources — volunteers and money – toward protecting and restoring it.

97% of Louisiana voters are concerned with coastal land loss and climate change.

BDPC, LLC + PINSONAT 2019 SURVEY

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C H A M P I O N O U R C O A S T — C O R P O R AT E C O A S TA L S T E W A R D S H I P G U I D E

Shell collected from our partner restaurants is bagged by volunteers before being used to create living shorelines.

“We all had a great time! I honestly enjoyed volunteering for such a great cause. Looking forward to volunteering at future events.”

KELLI DeALMINANA, EMR

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Why become a CRCL Coastal Steward?

Through volunteer and corporate sponsorship programs, CRCL provides the opportunity for local residents and employers to bring positive, lasting change to our wetlands. Together we can slow the devastation of our coast through collaborative, science-based action.

A partnership with CRCL gives your company the opportunity to: ■ Drive more business. Becoming a CRCL Corporate Steward distinguishes your company as a thought and action leader and highlights your commitment to improving our world.

■ Create stronger bonds with your staff and your community: Corporate Stewards give their employees a sense of purpose, spur innovation and generate leadership qualities, helping to retain talent and establishing your company as a great place to work. They also connect their workers to the communities in which they live.

■ Build energetic teams within your organization. Coastal Stewards bring together people who might not normally engage with one another.

■ Engage in outdoor events that offer social distancing and opportunities for corporate team building

87% of Americans prefer companies who advocate for an issue they care about 2017 CONE COMMUNICATIONS CSR STUDY

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C H A M P I O N O U R C O A S T — C O R P O R AT E C O A S TA L S T E W A R D S H I P G U I D E

Volunteers interact with members of the community to build an oyster reef.

“Volunteering with this organization was a really special experience for me. I want to support how I can!”

JESSICA VASQUEZ, CRCL VOLUNTEER

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Tree Plantings

Coastal Stewardship Opportunities

½ Day = $15,000 1 Day = $20,000 2 Days = $28,000 Series = $60,000

stewardship goals. Sponsorship of a planting event starts at $15,000 per day for dune

Marsh Grass Plantings

grass restoration and increases for marsh and tree plantings. Sponsoring an Oyster Shell

½ Day = $10,000

Recycling Program volunteer activity begins at under $10,000 per day. Want to make a

1 Day = $11,000

greater impact? Ask about multi-day or multi-year projects across Louisiana’s coast.

2 Days = $15,000

■ Sponsor a restoration event: Let CRCL tailor a restoration event that meets your

Series = $24,000 ■ Experience the coast: Want to learn more about the coast and restoration efforts?

Let CRCL arrange a guided tour via kayak, boat or plane. This can be in addition to a sponsored restoration event or a standalone experience.

■ Get employees involved in volunteering: Boost staff morale and camaraderie with a team-building event! Sign up a group of your employees to volunteer with an existing

Dune Grass Plantings ½ Day = $9,000 1 Day = $13,000

event.

A little something extra ■ Add a volunteer appreciation event to thank employees and others who have contributed to your sponsored restoration project.

■ Sponsor a public engagement and education event at which CRCL hosts a presentation and discussion over dinner.

Reef Deployment $18,000-$36,000

Oyster Shell Bagging

■ Host a happy-hour fundraiser to benefit the coast.

$10,000-$20,000

■ Sponsor an existing event — CRCL routinely honors coastal stewards, throws

Future Coastal Leaders

“parties for the coast” to raise funds for our programs and hosts a biennial conference called State of the Coast.

Thinking outside the box?

$1,000/student

Contact Marissa Wendte for other ways that you can support our coast,

Student Ambassadors

communities and economies.

Marissa Allweiss Wendte Development & Membership Director marissa.wendte@crcl.org 504-439-3301

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C H A M P I O N O U R C O A S T — C O R P O R AT E C O A S TA L S T E W A R D S H I P G U I D E

$1,000/student

Before building an oyster reef, volunteers learn about why our wetlands are important and what we can do to save them.

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2020 & 2021 Coastal Stewards

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Become a CRCL Partner in Coastal Stewardship.

Sustain our coast.

Enrich your corporate culture.

Connect to the community.

Say cheese! These volunteers just helped make a brighter future for south Louisiana.

crcl.org