Message from our Social Responsibility (II)

Within this second chapter, we want to show you some of the actions that we carried out during the months of 2013 within our Environmental Responsibility Program:

January:

• 29/01/2013: As collaborators of AFANION (Association of Families of Children with Cancer of Castilla-La Mancha), we announced the cultural event consisting of the Painting Exhibition that the painter Paqui Fages held from February 1 to 28 in the Exhibition Hall of the Gran Hotel. 40% of sales went to Afanion.

• 22/01/2013: At Ideas we continue to bet on suppliers that include the option of making donations to NGOs as an alternative to more traditional or mercantilist formulas as part of their courtesy gifts or loyalty campaigns, such as La Caixa, which offers the Star Points Program, designed to reward the loyalty of its customers by accumulating Star Points to redeem them for the products and services in the catalog, offering the possibility of using the points to collaborate in solidarity projects of different NGOs. Thus, within the framework of this program, at Ideas we make a donation of our La Caixa Star Points to the Spanish Association Against Cancer (225 points), which serve to contribute financially to the organization's cooperation and assistance programs. Throughout the year Ideas made three more donations, with 225 points on May 9th, with another 225 on August 12th and with 225 points on December 3rd.

February:

• 21/02/2013: At Ideas MedioAmbiental, express our support for the creation of the new degree at the UCLM called “University Master's Degree in Forest Engineering” to be taught by the Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineers of Albacete.

March:

• 13-15/03/2013: During these three days we participated in the VII National Congress on Environmental Impact Assessment (CONEIA), organized by the Spanish Association for Environmental Impact Assessment. The holding of papers, communications and meetings were organized at the Palace of Exhibitions and Congresses of the City of Oviedo. This sixth conference on “Management, Monitoring and Innovation” included our academic collaboration with the publication of two communications: Arquillo Poster and Bonillo Poster

To this, we must add our active participation in all organized events and our commitment to the Spanish Association for Environmental Impact Assessment as its Regional Delegates of Castilla-La Mancha.

April:

• 13/04/2013 We participated in the Reforestation in Memory of Juan Antonio Cebrián, an event held in the Periurban Park of La Pulgosa (Albacete) as a complementary action to the project that began in 2012, consisting of the adaptation of a plaza and the installation of a commemorative plaque in this park, in which Ideas participated in the planning, design and management of this action. This day was organized in collaboration with the Juan Antonio Cebrián Association, an entity founded as a means of channeling various initiatives to honor the memory of a journalist from Albacete and a lover of nature, with three main objectives: To preserve and disseminate the figure and cultural legacy of Juan Antonio Cebrián; to promote cultural activities in general; and to promote communication, the exchange of ideas and cooperation between associates and citizens in general.

The event was held thanks to the support and collaboration of entities such as the Hon. Albacete City Council (Department of Environment, Parks and Gardens staff) and companies that donated material and time to this work (VIVEROS EL SEMBRADOR, which donated the plant, and the JJ GARDEN NURSERY, which provided the logistics of the plant). For our part, we collaborate in the organization and development of the day, as well as in the dissemination of the event.

In numbers, the day is summarized in more than 250 trees planted: 150 Pinus halepensis (Pinus Carrasco) and 100 Pinus pinea (Pinonero Pine), in pots of 1.50 liters and more than 80/100 cm in height, on an area of more than two thousand square meters in the vicinity of the square created the previous year, framed within the network of reclaimed spaces called “The Cebrián Forest”. The reforestation carried out seeks to promote the conservation of natural resources, the improvement of biological diversity and the landscape, as well as social participation.

The day, which lasted all morning, was attended by more than fifty people, all of them followers of the La Rosa de los Vientos program, members of the association, Juan Antonio's relatives (with his wife Silvia at the head),... with a common denominator: forest lovers.

Picture of the day of reforestation.

Small collaborators of Ideas MedioAmbiental.

• 21/04/2013: presentation of our R+D+I project, Biocan utility, to Red Eléctrica de España (REE), hoping that it will be of your interest and future collaborations with this entity: BIOCAN Proposal

May:

• 13/05/2013: Caritas Diocesana together with the Bishop of Albacete recognized the work of Ideas together with other companies, inviting us to an open day held on Monday, May 13, 2013, where we received recognition as a Solidarity Company.

June:

• 04/06/2013: The General Directorate of Mountains and Natural Spaces of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Social Work of La Caixa 2013 awarded us the project: Actions to control invasive alien species in protected areas, specifically for the species Cylindropuntia rosea. This species is a cactus native to Mexico, intentionally introduced for use in gardening and to form hedges in arid areas. Its presence, together with problems of competition with native vegetation, makes it difficult to graze with goats and sheep and wild herbivores, since the animals are injured with strong thorns. It is also dangerous for humans, causing painful punctures when manipulated or transited through invaded places. (See section 2.3.3 of this report in which they describe and detail the tasks of diffusion, location, elimination and destruction of this invasive plant)

July:

• 01/07/2013 We renew our commitment and financial support, with the payment of our membership fee (No. 200616) of 120€ to the WWF-Spain entity. Our collaboration of several years with this entity is based on respect and admiration for its work, with which we share objectives and many of its principles:

1. To be a global, independent, multicultural and apolitical organization.
2. Use the best available information and scientific resources to address all environmental issues that affect us.
3. Seek dialogue with all social sectors and avoid unnecessary conflicts.
4. Provide concrete conservation solutions through a combination of field projects, policy initiatives, training and education.
5. Involve local communities in the planning and execution of their programs, while respecting their cultural and economic needs.
6. Strive to build alliances with other organizations, governments, businesses and local people to enhance the effectiveness of WWF.
7. Carry out their activities in a cost-effective manner and apply donor funds in a transparent manner.

August 1:

• 01/08/2013: Collaboration with the organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF), with the contribution of a donation of 300€. With this small contribution, we wish to help and support this international medical-humanitarian organization that assists populations in precarious situations, and victims of catastrophes and armed conflicts, without discrimination based on race, religion or political ideology.

September:

• 01/09/2013: Collaboration with the entity Action Against Hunger with the contribution of a donation of 300€. As with other non-profit organizations, with this small contribution we want to help this international, neutral and independent humanitarian organization that fights malnutrition while guaranteeing water and safe livelihoods to the most vulnerable populations. Its mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection and treatment of malnutrition. From crises to sustainability, they address the different causes of malnutrition and their effects using their knowledge and experience in nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, health and political advocacy. All their activities seek to maintain and/or restore human dignity. His vision: a world without hunger.

October:

• 01/10/2013: Collaboration with Caritas with the contribution of a donation of 300€. In this case, and at the local level, we continue to maintain our commitment to this organization by contributing €300 to support its important work. Promoting the integral development of individuals and peoples, especially the poorest and most excluded.

• 01/10/2013: Collaboration with the non-profit association Intervention, Aid and Emergencies (I.A.E.), whose members, all of them volunteers, are dedicated to training and preparing dogs and guides to carry out such an important activity as making it possible for a dog's sense of smell to be used to locate survivors buried in a disaster. Our contribution as members (No. 224) was the payment of 120€.

November:

• 13/12/2013 We signed an agreement with the State Agency for Higher Scientific Research Council (CSIC) for the transfer of Animal Carcases to the Archaeobiology Laboratory. In 2013, we made our first free transfer of animal carcasses to the agency for the constitution of the vertebrate reference collection of the Archaeobiology Laboratory of the Institute of History. Specifically, as a result of this agreement, on November 26, 2013, a collection of twenty specimens was sent to the agency, consisting of the species Turdus philomelos, Cardeulis chloris, Sylvia atricapilla, Sylvia cantillans, Phylloscopus Bonelli, Aegithalos caudatus, Phoenicurus ochruros, Hippolais polyglotta, Alauda arvensis, Miliaria calandra, Gallinula chloropus, Saxicola torquata, Ficedula hypoleuca, Melanocorca, ypha calandra and Alectoris rufa. The origin of these samples comes from the monitoring and control tasks of Environmental Surveillance carried out by ENVIRONMENTAL IDEAS in its activity, specifically during the mortality survey of facilities, and which are later used for detection experiments or in canine training tests for Biocan Utility.

• 11/2013: Completion of the Baobab Project promoted by the NGO Friends of Mali, developed in Gourel-Bey (Mali), whose contributions include the one we made from Ideas in 2012. Specifically, the project allowed objectives to become a reality, such as:

1. Installation of solar panel and lighting for the school classroom, with another 28 solar panels with regulators and some batteries distributed among families.
2. Delivery of tools and material to the Women's Garden Association.
3. Purchase and installation of a millet and cereal mill.
4. Provision of an all-terrain vehicle for transporting sick people and marketing products from the Women's Association of La Huerta.
5. Diverse distribution of hospital supplies.
6. Distribution of footwear, clothing, school supplies, etc.

December:

• 17/12/2013: as in previous years, at Ideas MedioAmbiental we collaborate with the Association of Families of Children with Cancer of Castilla-La Mancha (AFANION), through the donation of 10 poinsettias and 100€ in cash for the “7th Solidarity Breakfast” Campaign, consisting of the celebration of a hot breakfast, followed by a cold lunch and a raffle of gifts donated by companies and businesses in Albacete.

• 24/12/2013: Through the donation of 100€, we collaborate with the proposal promoted by the San Silvestres Albacete Team 2013: San Silvestres Albacete Challenge 2013. The cause of this proposal is to combat acute childhood malnutrition, with the objective of obtaining donations for the cost of treatments.

• 31/12/2013: We made the contribution of 300€ to the Food Bank of Albacete. It is an independent, non-profit, charitable and social private foundation, established with the intention of contributing to providing a response to the basic needs of many people who suffer from hunger, marginalization, unemployment, poverty, etc. in the society of Albacete and its province, bringing what is left over in that society to the charitable institutions that welcome people in need.

• 12/2013: Support for the campaign for situations of social vulnerability promoted by the Red Cross of Albacete, through the financial donation of 200€.