The Conservation Fund is taking steps to green their offices by replacing trashcans with mini trashcans, using reusable cups and mugs, and replacing standard lightbulbs with more energy efficient ones.

At The Conservation Fund, protecting land is only the beginning of our story. As America’s partner in conservation, our team combines a passion for conservation with an entrepreneurial spirit to protect your favorite places before they become just a memory.

This April, in an effort to marry our day-to-day actions with our enthusiasm for land and water conservation, we launched our TCF: The Planet’s Partner in Conservation campaign. In the beginning of 2011, our Arlington Headquarters was approached by the Arlington County Government to participate in the Arlington Green Games. The Arlington Green Games are modeled after Chicago’s highly-successful 2009 Green Office Challenge which, in its first year, resulted in a reduction of more than 70 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 54,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide – equal to removing more than 10,000 cars off Chicago streets.

The Arlington Green Games are merely a springboard for creating permanent, sustainable reforms. The TCF Green Team conducted an assessment of our current practices and, while acknowledging that we have already taken several steps to “green” our office space, concluded that, as the Nation’s leader in land and water conservation, we can, and should, do better. On a rainy Earth Day, we launched TCF: The Planet’s Partner in Conservation. At an all-staff lunch, we outlined the measures we are taking to “green” our office, emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility and teamwork in creating lasting change. Our “green” actions include: replacing all standard trashcans with mini trashcans; initiating a lighting retrofit to replace all bulbs with compact fluorescents or LEDs; and replacing all communal cups, plates, and silverware with reusable items. Despite the chilly rain outside, the excitement was palpable (though the free pizza and cupcakes may have contributed a little bit!).

Emily Hankin, Sustainable Programs Associate

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