Virgin America and NatureBridge partner for Earth Day

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Virgin America, the only California-based airline, teamed up with environmental science education program NatureBridge for Earth Day 2014.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Virgin America, the only California-based airline, teamed up with environmental science education program NatureBridge for Earth Day 2014. Virgin America teammate volunteers pitched in at Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands to help clean up the shoreline, remove invasive plants and preserve the area’s biodiversity. Across the country, Virgin America teammates in other cities also are participating in local environmental clean-up events in support of Earth Day throughout April. In addition to Virgin America’s efforts on the ground, guests flying Virgin America will be able to join the effort from 35,000 feet by donating to NatureBridge or Carbonbund.org this month via the donation platform on the airline’s Redโ„ข in-flight entertainment system. Virgin America was the first domestic airline to offer guests the ability to offset the carbon emissions from their flight by using the Red seatback touch-screen entertainment system via the nonprofit Carbonfund.org.

“As California’s hometown airline, sustainability is just as important to us as it is to our community, teammates and guests,” said Abby Lunardini Vice President of Brand Marketing and Communications at Virgin America. “Having a partner like NatureBridge to help educate our teammates and provide opportunities for Earth Day where we can assist in the protection and restoration of our state’s natural resources is an important part of our culture and mission.”

Virgin America teammates’ efforts at Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands will help to preserve the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is known for its tide pools, wildflowers and unique rock formations. NatureBridge educators led the airline’s teammates as they helped improve the coastline by removing non-native, invasive plant species along the beach.

“We are so pleased to partner with Virgin America, an airline that has demonstrated its commitment to the environment and sustainability,” said Susan Smartt, NatureBridge President and CEO. “Partnerships like this are key to our ability to expand and reach new audiences and help us in our mission to foster environmental literacy for a sustainable planet through hands-on environmental science in our national parks.”

Virgin America’s Earth Day efforts stretch across the nation, with teammate participation in clean-up and restoration projects in each of the airline’s destination cities. Virgin America teammates are supporting clean-up efforts in locations including Austin, the Blue Hills Reservation in Boston, Grapevine Botanical Gardens in Dallas, Snyder Park in Fort Lauderdale, Rockaway Beach in New York, Paseo Verde Park in Las Vegas, Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles, Southport Park in Orlando, Busse Woods Cook County Forest Preserve in Chicago, Pacific Beach in San Diego and South Marina Park in Seattle. Volunteers include members of Virgin America’s Green Team โ€“ a teammate-led group focused on finding innovative ways across the airline’s operations to reduce the company’s footprint.

Since its 2007 launch, Virgin America has made environmentally sustainable practices part of its training and operations. The carrier operates a fleet of 53 new Airbus A320-family aircraft that is up to 20% more CO2 efficient than the average U.S. fleet. The airline employs environmentally friendly practices, such as minimizing use of auxiliary power units, single-engine taxiing, electronic flight bags, idle reverse landings, utilizing advanced avionics to fly more efficiently and cost index flying โ€“ the practice of regulating speed to reduce fuel burn. In 2011, the airline became the anchor tenant at San Francisco International Airport’s beautiful and sustainable Terminal 2 (T2) โ€“ the first major LEEDยฎ Gold-certified airport terminal in the U.S. Virgin America is making additional investments within its T2 spaces to ultimately achieve LEEDยฎ Platinum-certification.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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