Texan by Nature Recognizes Companies Committed to Conservation

Texan by Nature (TxN), a conservation nonprofit led by former First Lady Laura Bush, announced its first-ever Texan by Nature 20. The list recognizes 20 companies across 10 industries with Texas operations that are each making demonstrative commitments to conservation.

Eight of the TxN20 companies are headquartered in North Texas, and Omaha, NE-based Union Pacific has local operations. The companies with area headquarters include:

Comerica
Darling Ingredients
DFW Airport
Farmer Bros
Harvest Seasonal Kitchen
Parkland Health & Hospital System
Southwest Airlines
Texas Health Resources

The rest of the TxN20 list includes: American Campus Communities, Apache, Austin Convention Center, Cactus Feeders, CEMEX, Cirrus Logic, Dell, H-E-B, King Land & Water, NRG Energy, and Phillips 66.

The TxN20 list, presented in partnership with Texas Monthly, was chosen based a stated dedication to conservation, demonstrated commitment to conservation via investment and volunteerism, measurement and reporting of spending and impact on conservation efforts, and employee engagement. The companies were identified by submissions as well as research on publicly available information about conservation and sustainability efforts and chosen by a cross-industry selection committee.

“At Texan by Nature, our firm belief is that our long-term prosperity and health is dependent upon our natural resources. In launching the TxN20, we aim to spotlight innovation in conservation and inspire more substantial efforts to create a new model of conservation for Texans and our shared future,” said Joni Carswell, CEO and president of Texan by Nature, in a statement. “It is an honor to showcase and celebrate the Texas-led innovation, commitment, and elevated practices spanning vast industries and our unique state.”

The group pointed out that Texas has an opportunity to model the importance of bringing conservation and business together, as its home to some of the largest cities in the U.S. and the world’s tenth largest economy. Texas features 11 eco-regions, eight mountain ranges, and over 150 conservation organizations.

Texan by Nature, headquartered in Austin, works with the state’s business community to implement Texas-led conservation practices, partnerships, and resources, which includes hosting a statewide leadership roundtable series.

The roundtables were held in major cities last year and brought together a wide range of industries to discuss conservation challenges and opportunities, such as lack of education, awareness, collaboration, best practices and industry standards. Those events uncovered a desire from business leaders to learn more about conservation efforts statewide, their industry best practices, and to receive recognition for their conservation efforts.