Canadian Environment Week: Doing conservation bett

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 7, 2017) - TELUS (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU) -

Efforts to protect Canada's landscapes and their species-at-risk have received a big boost. On the occasion of Canadian Environment Week, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has announced a technology and innovation partnership with TELUS to support conservation efforts in all 10 provinces.

The three-year, $750,000 agreement will provide NCC with internet connectivity, data capacity, hardware, a wide area network (WAN) and new phone systems, to help more effectively protect nearly 3,000,000 acres (1,214,056 hectares) of natural spaces. This will support direct protection of habitats for more than one-quarter of Canada's most imperiled plants and animals including 75 of Canada's most endangered species.

"Our staff are in the field tracking some of Canada's most endangered species and habitats. They will now be able to snap photos of endangered shorebirds emerging from nests, quickly attach maps, geo-reference the site and send that to our offices, thanks to TELUS," said Dan Kraus, national conservation biologist with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. "This type of information is crucial to identifying areas in Canada that need protection, monitoring our existing lands and assessing what conservation actions are needed."

Conservation today depends on big data and digital infrastructure to help inform securement and management activities. In caring for nearly three million acres of habitat across the country, NCC relies on vast amounts of mapping and scientific information in its on-the-ground, conservation work. From hand-held GPS devices, to drone footage and satellite imagery, staff will now have better connections, faster internet access and the latest technology when making decisions as illustrated in this video .

"As a global leader in sustainability, conservation is one of the ways we are making the future friendly. We are proud to be the official technology partner of the Nature Conservancy of Canada," said Andrea Goertz, chief communications & sustainability officer, TELUS. "This substantial investment will provide NCC with the latest technology innovations so they're able to more effectively focus their efforts and existing resources on protecting Canada's unique and special areas so together we can create a healthier, more sustainable future for all Canadians."

Since 2010, TELUS has invested $1.47M in NCC initiatives as part of a focus on protecting Canada's natural environment, connecting their customers to nature and preserving wildlife and animal habitats. This continued partnership will also help NCC engage more than 7,500 enthusiastic volunteers, including TELUS employees, in stewarding and restoring conserved lands across the country.

"The Nature Conservancy of Canada's mandate includes connecting Canadians with nature. This generous contribution by TELUS will help get more people and volunteers involved in local conservation and stewardship projects," said Aaron Bilyea, national director of marketing with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. "It will also get people thinking about the places they want to see protected. We want more Canadians to care about these lands and waters and participate in helping protect them."

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU) is Canada's fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with $12.9 billion of annual revenue and 12.7 million subscriber connections, including 8.6 million wireless subscribers, 1.7 million high-speed Internet subscribers, 1.4 million residential network access lines and 1.1 million TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video. TELUS is also Canada's largest healthcare IT provider, and TELUS International delivers business process solutions around the globe.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed over $482 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 7.7 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Created in 2005 by President and CEO Darren Entwistle, TELUS' 12 Canadian community boards and 5 International boards have led the Company's support of grassroots charities and have contributed more than $60 million in support of 5,595 local charitable projects, enriching the lives of more than 2 million children and youth, annually. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

About Nature Conservancy of Canada

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is the nation's leading land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect 2.8 million acres (more than 1.1 million hectares), coast to coast.

Learn More:

Visit: natureconservancy.ca

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