WHAT do international companies who employ hundreds of staff in large buildings have in common with nature?

More than you think if they are one of the 490-odd firms who are an Investor in Wildlife.

The scheme, run by the Essex Wildlife Trust charity, has recently celebrated its silver jubilee celebratory year.

And now the charity is hoping to reach another significant milestone.

The Investors in Wildlife scheme sees the trust work in partnership with like-minded businesses, who are keen to demonstrate their commitment to environmental issues and to help protect the county's precious wildlife.

Never, however, has the scheme’s membership topped the 500 mark.

But now the trust is just a handful of businesses away from reaching that figure.

Michele Farrant, corporate manager, said: “Twenty five years of the scheme is a magnificent achievement.

“Sincere thanks go to all members but especially founder members who have supported us for a quarter of a century.

"We simply would not be able to deliver so many projects without you.

"We are now so close to our 500th member, we recently passed 490, so we would love businesses to consider joining us, to receive the profile and benefits that membership brings, and to demonstrate their commitment to our fantastic county.”

The Investors in Wildlife scheme was started in 1991 thanks to Cliff Moore, a trust volunteer and former bank manager.

Mrs Farrant said: "Cliff is a very strong ambassador for the trust and felt this was an opportunity for companies to work with a local wildlife organisation.

"He could see the potential of engaging with businesses and spreading the word and the income to the trust.

"He started talking to lots of companies in the area - it was his baby."

She added: "We have expanded over the years and now are working with a huge range of companies around the county.

"It is about having the association with the largest environmental charity in the county."

The size of companies varies from Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises to well-established blue chip firms.

Mrs Farrant said: "They are right across the spectrum. Some have a natural affinity with nature, such as landscape gardeners but others are accountants or quantity surveyors, for example."

In turn the companies benefit from the publicity and the knowledge their backing is doing something to help the countryside on their doorstep.

Depending on the membership package they sign up for, the trust also advertises business to other companies within the county and beyond.

Businesses of any size and from any sector can join.

Membership is tiered, so that annual membership fees to appeal to a wide variety of companies.

One of the original members is Essex and Suffolk Water who use Abberton Reservoir to supply drinking water to our customers in Essex.

The site is also a hotbed for wildlife - in fact a wetland of international importance due to the number of species that visit and its visitor centre is one of 11 in the county run by the trust.

It also uses a water supply from Hanningfield reservoir, another of the trust's visitor centre sites.

Helen Jacobs, senior conservation advisor at Essex and Suffolk Water, explained how it has benefitted.

She said: “During our 25 years of corporate membership our two organisations have worked together to help the conservation of biodiversity on our sites and to facilitate public access and conservation education.

"Abberton and Hanningfield reservoirs, which are both vital for us to supply drinking water to our customers in Essex, are also enjoyed by over 90,000 people a year who visit the Essex Wildlife Trust centres at the sites. This is a testament to what can be achieved when businesses and Wildlife Trusts work together.”

Another investor is Olympus KeyMed, a healthcare equipment company based in Southend.

As this company has demonstrated, it's not just having the association with the charity that's good for its reputation, but it provides an opportunity for the trust to reach out to individual staff.

Mrs Farrant said she she had previously taken a stand to the firm and talked to staff about the trust's work and how they can become involved.

"Then people could join from a family perspective or join individually. They could get a membership card to go to our nature reserves," she added.

Last year KeyMed also hosted a fundraising event to acknowledge World Environment Day.

Match funding by the company resulted in more than £3,000 for the trust and the money will help to protect various habitats under threat around the county.

In total the trust receives in excess of £100,000 from its corporate members a year.

Mrs Farrant added: "There are lots of things you can do with companies to provide them with a profile, depending on what they want from the partnership."

Essex Wildlife Trust has more than 35,800 members, manages and protects over 8,400 acres of land on 87 nature reserves and two nature parks in the south of the county and runs 11 visitor centres.

In addition to Abberton, others centres include Fingringhoe Wick, Hanningfield reservoir and The Naze.

Nature reserves include Abbotts Hall Farm, Weeleyhall Wood and Wrabness.

Its overall aim is to protect wildlife for the future and for the people of Essex.

To find out more about Essex Wildlife Trust’s Investors in Wildlife corporate scheme, contact Michele Farrant on 01621 862984 / 07792 097609 / michelef@essexwt.org.uk