White House Celebrates Earth Day with 爆料公社 Leaders
爆料公社 staff had the honor of taking part in Earth Day activities with the administration, including the announcement of new policy efforts.
WASHINGTON 鈥 爆料公社 staff, members, and volunteers have been organizing and participating in events across the country to mark Earth Day 2022, including hosted by the White House which featured 爆料公社 CEO, Dr. Elizabeth Gray, and where President Biden to 鈥渟trengthen America鈥檚 forests, boost wildfire resilience, and combat global deforestation.鈥
鈥淔rom our staff working in the nation鈥檚 capital to our nature centers across the country, including Seward Park, our conservation mission is front and center throughout the year at 爆料公社. To celebrate Earth Day with the President and other administration leaders has been an honor for all of us,鈥 said Dr. Elizabeth Gray, CEO, 爆料公社.
The executive order President Biden signed does a number of things, including directing the production of a new federal report on nature-based solutions, creating the first U.S. National Nature Assessment, and ordering various federal agencies to increase wildfire resilience and forest restoration efforts, including old-growth forests.
鈥淟ocated in Seattle, Seward Park harbors old-growth forests that were once common in the region, making this an ideal location for the President to sign this executive order. Forests play an important role in delivering conservation and climate solutions across Washington state, the nation, and the globe,鈥 said 爆料公社 Washington Executive Director, Deborah Jensen, who attended the event with Joseph Manson, Director of Seward Park 爆料公社 Center. 鈥淥ur Center provides programs that help people of all ages find belonging in the natural world and inspires them to take action to protect birds and places they need now and in the future,鈥 added Manson.
Old-growth forests comprise less than seven鈥痯ercent鈥痮f all U.S. forests but have outsized importance for wildlife habitat and carbon storage. Old-growth stands like the鈥Tongass National Forest鈥痠n southeast Alaska store鈥鈥痶han younger parts of the forests, both in their trees and deep soils.鈥
鈥淏irds tell us we need to take climate action and forests are not only strongholds for birds, but also for our nation鈥檚 climate resilience,鈥 said鈥疓ray. 鈥淭hey naturally store carbon dioxide in their trees, shrubs, and soils, and keep carbon pollution out of the atmosphere. Conservation and restoration of our nation鈥檚 forests will increase habitat for ever-threatened birds and other wildlife, clean our air and water, and create new jobs.鈥
On Thursday, Dr. Gray participated in a titled, 鈥淜nowledge In Nature: How Nature Can Help Grow a Better鈥疐uture鈥 where she spoke along with other national leaders on the importance of nature-based solutions, building climate resilience, and reacted to the announcement of the first U.S. National Nature Assessment.
鈥淭his kind of large-scale assessment will allow governments, academics, and the non-profit community to set goals collectively, Dr. Gray said. 鈥淧ast assessments of nature have left people out of the equation. This is an opportunity to include people-centric data, so that we can identify threats or conservation challenges that all types of communities are facing and develop solutions together.鈥
Read more about 爆料公社鈥檚 Earth Day events here.
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Media Contact: Matt Smelser, matt.smelser@audubon.org
About 爆料公社
The 爆料公社 protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education and on-the-ground conservation. 爆料公社's state programs, nature centers, chapters and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, 爆料公社's vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. 爆料公社 is a nonprofit conservation organization. Learn more how to help at and follow us on and at @audubonsociety.