Walt Disney Company

Our waters are deeply connected. From the underground aquifers, rivers, lakes, and wetlands, to the undiscovered depths of the ocean, they are one fluid system. Healthy waters ensure a healthy planet.

Protecting and restoring this life-giving natural resource is a top priority for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). TNC’s 2030 goals include conserving 4 billion hectares of ocean, more than 10% of the world’s ocean area; conserving 1 million km of river systems, enough river length to stretch across the globe 25 times; and conserving 30 million hectares of lakes and wetlands.

The Walt Disney Company is a valued supporter in creating a healthy planet for people and wildlife. For decades, Disney and TNC have collectively advanced conservation, including freshwater and ocean conservation. Some recent examples include:

• Global: Disney worked with TNC in its release of the 20th Century Studios film Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). Through an award-winning campaign, the collaboration provided more than $1 million to support TNC’s efforts to conserve more than 10% of the ocean by 2030. 

• Orlando: Disney is advancing TNC’s work to scale green stormwater infrastructure to address growing freshwater demands, enhance water quality, improve water supply, and reduce flood risks. The project also provides community, economic, health, and nature co-benefits. 

• China: Disney is supporting TNC-China’s project for Qiandao Lake, a critical water source for the Yangtze River Delta region that supplies drinking water for 10 million people. The project demonstrates lake-inlet wetland restoration and maintenance with nature-based solutions while also raising community awareness of water stewardship.

• Los Angeles: The Bowtie Wetland Demonstration Project in Northeast Los Angeles—funded in part by Disney—aims to reduce pollutants and sediment entering the Los Angeles River during storm events. The project is also providing additional and improved native habitat and reduces local flooding. 

History

Disney has a long history of working with TNC to create a world where people and nature thrive. The relationship dates to the 1970s when the company helped establish TNC’s Disney Wilderness Preserve (DWP) in Florida.

The now 11,500-acre preserve, is considered a jewel for conservation given its location at the headwaters of the Everglades, restored wetlands, and more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. 

Disney helped fund the restoration of 3,500 acres of the preserve’s wetlands. The project was one of the earliest and largest wetland mitigation projects in the country. Today, the preserve serves as a model for conserving environmentally significant lands and as a testimony to the power of collaboration, preservation, and innovation.