TogetherGreen Announces Winners Of 2011 Volunteer Day Grants Funding

Hundreds of Public Volunteer Opportunities to be Offered at Dozens of Sites Nationwide

Starting today through June 2012, the National Audubon Society and Toyota invite groups, students, families, and individuals to roll up their sleeves and give back to their local community through TogetherGreen Volunteer Days.


A TogetherGreen Volunteer digs in at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, Vermont.

In the months ahead, 46 sites, located across 23 different states, will host free activities ranging from establishing native plant gardens to cleaning-up beaches to constructing trails to researching wildlife and more. Each Volunteer Day site will receive funds to hold up to six public events, with the goal of reaching new audiences, connecting people with nature, and producing conservation results.

To celebrate the fourth year of TogetherGreen Volunteer Days, sites will participate in a coordinated volunteer event surrounding National Public Lands Day (NPLD), the nation's largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands in the United States. TogetherGreen Volunteer Days sites will hold kick-off events from September 10 through October 2nd.

"There are heroes all around us," said Audubon President David Yarnold. "Every individual act of volunteerism is a chance to learn, teach and change the world.  At a time when problems seem insurmountable, people make a difference one great act at a time."

Major partner organizations, including the Sierra Club, AmeriCorps, The Nature Conservancy, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and the Bureau of Land Management, are working with Volunteer Day sites, plus local schools, businesses and community organizations. By building stronger alliances with other national and local organizations, Audubon and Toyota hope to attract new and diverse volunteers to help address local environmental problems.

“Volunteerism is at the heart of creating a healthier environment,” added Pat Pineda, group vice president of philanthropy for Toyota. “With the enormous environmental challenges our planet faces, we all have a critical role to play in helping to create more sustainable communities—for people and wildlife. Volunteer Days gives people a chance to join with their friends and neighbors to give back—and make a positive conservation difference in their neighborhoods.”

The following Audubon sites will receive TogetherGreen Volunteer Days support (listed in alphabetical order by state):


Since launching TogetherGreen Volunteer Days in September 2008, over 30,515 volunteers have participated in volunteer events nationwide, contributing more than 178,429 hours of donated time.

In addition, hundreds of Toyota employees and their families from across the country have participated in TogetherGreen volunteer events.  Many more are expected to join continuing efforts throughout this five-year initiative.

To find out how to get involved with a Volunteer Day site near you, please visit www.togethergreen.org/volunteer.


###

About TogetherGreen
Audubon and Toyota launched the five-year TogetherGreen initiative in 2008 to build the promise of a greener, healthier future through innovation, leadership and volunteerism. For more information, visit www.togethergreen.org.

About Audubon
Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org.    

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants, including one under construction.  Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.

Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed over half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs in the U.S.  

For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.