Mary Kay partnered with The Nature Conservancy to protect Texas fisheries and the Gulf of Mexico in 2019, and this year will also be working to protect waterways and native species across the globe. The Nature Conservancy protects ecologically important lands and waters.
“All life on Earth began in and depends on our oceans,” says Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer at Mary Kay. “Water is the most valuable resource on our planet, and it’s essential that we do our part to protect it. When we began scaling our partnership with The Nature Conservancy last year, we focused on the waterways surrounding our home state of Texas. But we’re a global company, and we knew the need for support stretched far beyond the Gulf of Mexico. We’re thrilled to advance ecosystems and biodiversity conservation globally.”
Mary Kay’s partnership with The Nature Conservancy will now include:
- Australia: Working with indigenous communities in Northern Australia, the program will increase the role of women in conservation.
- New Zealand: Mary Kay and The Nature Conservancy will involve the indigenous community to support the restorative activities in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.
- Mexico: The Monterrey Water Fund will enhance watersheds and support local women.
- China: By protecting headwaters, this partnership will secure clean drinking water for millions of people.
- General Ocean: Plastic pollution mitigation will be accomplished through high-impact pilot programs.
- Solomon Islands: Protecting turtles through women-led ecotourism will fortify conservation and create sustainable economic returns for local communities.
- Colombia: The Bogota Water Fund will secure clean water.
- Canada: Investments in a healthy future will be made through strengthening indigenous stewards already in leadership.
- Europe: Protecting biodiversity in the UK and Germany will be done through the introduction of the native European oyster. A water fund will be created in Spain.
“We need healthy, diverse oceans for fishing, working and playing,” says Lily Verdone, Director of Freshwater and Marine at The Nature Conservancy. “But protecting oceans is about more than just protecting our planet: oceans add $1.5 trillion to the global economy each year. Mary Kay has long worked to impact change that will sustain the earth for generations to come, so they are a natural—and welcome—partner for The Nature Conservancy. We’d already seen such impactful change in Texas, and we’re thrilled to see what their contributions will help us accomplish in communities across the world.”
