The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has embarked on a journey to protect our oceans, with support from Mary Kay, which holds water at the heart of its sustainability strategy: “This Earth Day, our oceans need us all,” said Jeffrey Parrish, Global Managing Director for Nature Protection at The Nature Conservancy. “With support from our corporate partners, TNC is working every day across the globe to conserve the reefs, coasts and fisheries that make life on this Planet, and our own lives, thrive. Together, we are making everyday Earth Day.”

In Asia-Pacific oceans, more than 90% of shellfish reefs have been degraded or destroyed. Reefs are critical for humanity. They provide food, income, and jobs for coastal communities and serve as a living rampart against climate-related storms and rising seas. With funding from Mary Kay, TNC is working to bring these shellfish reefs back from the brink, including protecting and restoring 60 oyster and mussel reefs in Australia, rebuilding lost oyster reefs in Hong Kong, and piloting the first shellfish reef restoration project in China. These projects also include education and stakeholder programs to inspire local communities to sustain these efforts far into the future.

Asia-Pacific is also home to the Coral Triangle, a vast region of coral reefs that includes the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Timor Leste, and Solomon Islands. This fragile system is under threat by poor fishing practices, plastic pollution, and climate change.

Mary Kay sustains TNC’s Coral Triangle work primarily in Indonesia, PNG and Solomon Islands, but also expands to conservation efforts and initiatives that impact the entire region. TNC’s local projects include establishing Marine Protected Area networks positioned to survive climate change, developing and integrating Ridges to Reefs planning in PNG and Solomon Islands, and—in efforts especially attuned to Mary Kay’s global mission of women’s empowerment—expanding women-led, indigenous and communal conservation in Indonesia and building gender equity into national and regional conservation commitments, such as the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI).

In June, The Nature Conservancy will release new research at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, will address the threats to health, ecology, economy, and governance of the world’s oceans and propel much needed science-based innovations aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action.

“On Earth Day, and every day, Mary Kay celebrates the work we do to invest in our planet and protect our oceans—a resource that sustains the livelihoods of about 3 billion people worldwide.” said Deborah Gibbins, Mary Kay’s Chief Operating Officer. “It is critical to our earth, future, and communities. Mary Kay is proud of our partnerships to help create sustainable and lasting impact on communities around the world. It is indeed a partnership for the planet.

She added, “We know there is still more work to be done, and we know we can, and will, do more. Taking care of our earth is important to Mary Kay, and Earth Day gives us an opportunity to reaffirm our commitments to sustainable action.”

To read more about Mary Kay’s commitment to sustainability, visit marykayglobal.com/sustainability and download Mary Kay’s global sustainability strategy, “Enriching Lives Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”