CorpComms Magazine

Deloitte has received the ultimate accolade after a newly discovered species of frog was named after the professional services group in recognition of its support for rainforest conservation work.

The 'nectophyrnoides deloittei', with its distinctive auburn colouring, was discovered in the Rubeho Forest in Tanzania five years ago by the African Rainforest Conservancy (ARC).

Deloitte has worked with ARC since it identified a rainforest conservation project as an ideal opportunity to engage employees in fundraising and volunteering.

Over the past year, its employees have raised more than £200,000 to support projects such as the preservation of bio-diverse rainforest roughly the size of Wales and training village committees to manage the forests.

Heather Hancock, managing partner for innovation and brand at Deloitte, described the project as 'pioneering' for the group, adding: 'We wanted to demonstrate our commitment to the rainforest, to biodiversity and to the development needs of local people.'

Deloitte is a founder of the United Bank of Carbon, a charity that brokers partnerships between businesses and approved rainforest conservation projects.

The Rubeho Forest comprises three forests in the Rubeho Mountains, a little known range which forms part of Africa's Eastern Arc Mountains, which is surrounded by five villages housing about 10,000 people who rely on agriculture for their livelihood.

Over the past decade, several new species, including an indigenous partridge, have been discovered in the forest.

share me: del.icio.us | digg | reddit | Tweet