Partnership Includes Volunteer Restoration Project at Chino Hills State Park
(SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA) – May 15, 2012 – California state parks will get some crucial extra hands this summer thanks to a new partnership announced by The Student Conservation Association (SCA) and Union Bank, N.A.
SCA, the national leader in youth service and stewardship, will expand the placement of college and high school-aged volunteers in state parks through funding provided by Union Bank. SCA field members will protect and restore more than 100 public lands across the Golden State this year, while gaining the work skills and experience necessary to compete in today’s tight labor market.
“Union Bank seeks to strengthen our communities by fostering economic, social, and environmental sustainability,” states Carl A. Ballton, President & COO, Union Bank Foundation. “We are proud to partner with SCA, and provide career support to the diverse young conservationists who protect our natural treasures and enhance our quality of life.”
As part of its practice of creating partnerships with local communities, volunteers, and bank employees, more than 50 Union Bank staffers will join with SCA volunteers to help restore Chino Hills State Park in Brea on Saturday, May 19th. Project participants will remove destructive non-native mustard and thistle which threaten to tip the ecological balance in a critical link along the Puente-Chino Hills biological corridor. Teams will also propagate several species of indigenous plants.
“Union Bank’s longstanding commitment to sustainability makes them an ideal corporate partner, and the support of Union Bank employees makes this a true collaboration,” says SCA President Dale Penny. “Their support for connecting youth to nature will yield enormous benefits for participating individuals and local parks for decades to come.”
California state parks have been significantly impacted in recent years by budget cuts and closures. The efforts of SCA volunteers will help to support nearly a dozen state parks including Andrew Molera, Angel Island, Bodie, Jedediah Smith, McArthur-Burney Falls, Mount Diablo, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Redwood, and Sugarloaf Ridge. SCA field members also serve on scores of federally managed lands throughout California, including Angeles National Forest, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Pacific Crest Trail, and Yosemite National Park.
About UnionBanCal Corporation & Union Bank, N.A.
Headquartered in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a financial holding company with assets of $92.3 billion at March 31, 2012. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service commercial bank providing an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. The bank operates 407 branches in California, Washington, Oregon, Texas, New York and Illinois as well as two international offices. UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. Union Bank is a proud member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG, NYSE:MTU), one of the world’s largest financial organizations. Visit www.unionbank.com [1] for more information.
About the Student Conservation Association
The Student Conservation Association SCA is the only national organization that develops tomorrow's conservation leaders by providing high school and college students with service opportunities in all 50 states, from urban communities to national parks and forests. Since 1957, SCA’s hands-on practice of conservation service has helped to develop a new generation of conservation leaders, inspire lifelong stewardship, and save the planet. SCA is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC with offices in Boise, ID, Charlestown, NH, Oakland, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, and Seattle, WA. For further information, visit www.thesca.org [2].
Contacts
Daniel W. Weidman, Union Bank, N.A., (213) 236-4050, daniel.weidman@unionbank.com [3]
Kevin Hamilton, Student Conservation Association, (603) 543-1700 x 1185, khamilton@thesca.org [4]