What do bees, butterflies, beetles, bats, and Toyota all have in common? They are all doing their part to preserve and expand biodiversity. Pollinators, like bees and butterflies, play a fundamental role in the reproduction of up to 90% of flowering plants globally. So how does Toyota fit into this narrative? Toyota has pledged to support 26,000 acres of pollinator habitat, across North America. As an extension of Toyota Motor North America, our Toyota of Plano team is proud to be a part of the greater effort to help protect biodiversity in our community and across our country.
While it may seem as if Toyota is focusing on the conservation of a very small selection of species, the omnipresent impact of these species is crucial to maintaining many ecosystems. Infact, according to Amber Barnes, the conservation program manager for Pollinator Partnership, “pollinators are keystone species in our natural ecosystems, allowing flowering plants to reproduce and provide resources for all the other wildlife in natural areas”. When asked about Toyota’s decision to choose this new initiative Becky Martin, the Manager of Environmental Sustainability at Toyota, said “Toyota believes in supporting pollinator populations in an effort to try to prevent further declines, because we recognize pollinators are so critical to our food system…Pollinators are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food.”
Why 26,000 acres of pollinator habitat? Toyota has facilities that currently occupy 26,000 acres of land across North America, and the pollinator preservation project is an extension of Toyota’s most recent 5 Year Environmental Action Plan. This initiative will help Toyota to meet the biodiversity goals necessary to achieve its target of having a net-positive impact on society by 2050.
To make this preservation project possible, Toyota has partnered with both the National Environmental Education Foundation(NEEF) and the Pollinator Partnership(P2). These organizations will work together to ensure the protection and enhancement of the thousands of acres that Toyota has pledged to support. By bringing in experts in pollinator conservation, the Toyota Environmental Sustainability Team hopes to ensure conservation efforts are completed properly and in a manner that will preserve ecosystems for years to come.
More specifically, the National Environmental Education Foundation will be placed in charge of development, implementation, and management of the 2022 Biodiversity Conservation Grant Program. The Biodiversity Conservation Grant Program will provide and determine the dispersal of funding for habitat enhancement - including efforts to create, restore, remediate, improve, and protect ecosystems that pollinator species rely on. NEEF will also be responsible for evaluation and reporting to Toyota on each project's individual impact.
The Pollinator Partnership will focus on helping Toyota to launch the Pollinator Friendly Place Initiative. This initiative will allow Toyota to create, enhance, and protect thousands of acres of pollinator habitat, increase private landowner education, improve implementation management practices, and provide education and volunteering opportunities to Toyota staff and the public.
The combination of these programs will help Toyota in their mission to improve pollinator health and education on these species. A movement that should help protect several ecosystems and the around 75% of North American crop plant growth that relies or benefits from pollination. With Toyota Motor North America conveniently located in Plano, Texas - next door to Toyota of Plano - the Plano, Carrollton, Denton, Frisco, Allen, Mckinney, and other close-lying communities can expect to have greater access to volunteering opportunities. According to Toyota Newsroom, Texas can also expect to house at least 2 of Toyota’s 61 pollinator habitats - located across North America.
When asked if there’s anything else that Toyota hopes to accomplish through their efforts, Martin said “we also hope to encourage other corporations to join us in making commitments to protecting nature and biodiversity.” Our Toyota of Plano team is eager to see the positive impact that Toyota’s new biodiversity initiative will bring, and we look forward to supporting Toyota Motor North America as they continue to push boundaries within the automotive industry - in an effort to improve safety, technology, and environmental standards.
Visit Toyota of Plano today, and ask about our new line up of Toyota vehicles. Many of which boast impressive fuel economy and exceed environmental standards, and because Toyota of Plano is a flagship and high volume Toyota dealership, we have access to a higher quantity of new vehicles. You can find everything from the more environmentally conscious 2022 Toyota Pruis to the 2022 Toyota Sienna, an iconic family car. Plus Toyota is introducing four redesigned electric vehicles to our 2023 electric line up - the 2023 Corolla Hybrid, 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid, 2023 Toyota Crown, and the highly anticipated all new 2023 bZ4X! We are fortunate to also house one of the best selections of used vehicles in the DFW area, and all our used vehicles are inspected and certified on-site by our expert Toyota of Plano technicians. Your dream car is just down the road at Toyota of Plano!
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