Case Study

Corporate Social Responsibility Activities in Collserola Nature Park

Contact name

Glòria Arribas

Institution name

Collserola Nature Park

Region & country

Catalonia, Spain

Summary

Companies located in the surroundings of Collserola Nature Park come to the park to develop their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, which consist of volunteer tasks undertaken in the park.

Corporate Social Activity

Collserola Nature Park

Getting to know Collserola values prior to the activity

Collserola Nature Park

Corporate Social Activity

Collserola Nature Park

Corporate Social Activity

Collserola Nature Park

Background of the project

Several years ago, some business companies located in the vicinity of Collserola Nature Park approached the Park management authority with a proposal: to carry out their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in Collserola Park, as a way of contributing to the social and environmental improvement of the community in which they were located. Furthermore, companies use this type of activities as team building sessions.

From Collserola Nature Park, this was seen as an opportunity to involve citizens in the park’s management and to disseminate its values​​, which is one of the main axes of action of the park.

The needs identified were the following:

  1. The CSR activity should not only be focused on the activity itself; instead, it should also be used to disseminate both the values of Collserola Nature Park and the daily management work done in it.
  2. The activity should involve a maximum of 40 people to reduce environmental impact in the park.
  3. To inform the company that there are many other volunteering actions to be done other than planting a tree or building a nesting box.

Solution and actions taken

Previous to the development of the volunteer task itself, we decided to include a dissemination section to introduce the following concepts:

  • Natural and Cultural heritage values of the park
  • Structure of the Park managing authority
  • Different areas and kind of work done in the park

We do not accept groups larger than 40 people. When we have larger groups, we subdivide them in smaller ones, that need to come in different days. An explanation is given on why we adopt this conservation measure.

We have prepared a large list of possible activities that we adapt to the characteristics of the group.

Companies’ workers do these CSR actions in working hours, assume the transportation and diet costs. In addition,  they make a small economic contribution to park management. Some companies also adopt historical heritage (springs, dried stone buildings) present in the park and pay a fee for their maintenance.

Other institutions or parties involved

  • Business companies that contact us directly
  • Environmental NGOs that are contacted by companies seeking a place to develop their CSR activities

Results

Collserola Nature Park organizes CSR activities in this way:

  • Prior to the visit, there is a first meeting with the company to align objectives and approaches and to organize the CSR activity program.
  • The work program and the timetable are decided jointly between Collserola and the company. The factors to take into account are the period of the year, the number of people, the municipality where the company / the activity will be located, the duration (usually around 4 hours).
  • The activity to be carried out varies according to the characteristics of the group. It can be the maintenance of a spring, its accesses and surroundings, the revision of signposts, the elimination of invasive plants, the collection of rubbish, etc. The tasks last around two or three hours and are usually done inside the Park.
  • On the day of the activity, there is always a part of information-disclosure about the values ​​of Collserola and its management. For this reason, whenever possible, the activity includes a visit either to the Information Center or to the Environmental Education Center, where there are resources that can help meet this objective, such as exhibitions, videos, etc.
  • People are limited to a maximum of 50 people to avoid environmental impact. They organize themselves in smaller groups in order to work better. They are always accompanied by one or two Park technicians.
  • All the CSR activities and other collaborations are disseminated in the Park’s website, the Bulletin of the Park and in social networks.
  • At the end of the activity, there is a final evaluation

 

Challenges

The diversity of the demand in terms of :

  • Access to the park – By public transport vs. private buses
  • Language – Catalan, Spanish vs. English (for multi-national companies)
  • Time schedule – Morning vs Afternoon
  • Duration – Min. 4 hours vs fewer hours

All these aspects need to be taken into account when proposing and designing CSR activities. Collserola Park always seeks to carry out CSR activities for environmental educational purposes and tries always to adapt as maximum as possible to the requirements of the companies.

Lessons learned

  • For some workers,  it is through environmental CSR activities that they have their first opportunity to get to know the Park. Many of them come back with their families and friends

 

  • Given the permanent reduction of public funds, to establish partnerships with business corporations could be a way to get an extra income

Contact name

Glòria Arribas

Institution name

Collserola Nature Park

Website(s)

Partners

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