Phillips 66 | Conservation in Action

Wetlands and Wildlife: Our Conservation Efforts in Action

We donate time, money and muscle to the environmental causes that are important to our employees and communities. The following are just a few recent examples of our conservation efforts.

Wetlands Restoration

Our support of Duck Unlimited’s (DU) Sargent Marsh Breakwater Project helped add shoreline protection along coastal marsh in the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in Matagorda County, Texas. Shipping traffic creates waves and the breakwater protects the marsh vegetation and provides a habitat for oysters, which help filter water. In January 2021, we finished another wetlands project with Ducks Unlimited. DU increased wetlands in Colorado’s Jackson State Wildlife Area along the South Platte River. The area is a waterfowl habitat, and by bringing in 11,000 cubic yards of dirt, the project nearly doubled the size of the wetlands for migratory birds.

Biodiversity Benefits

Our Habitat and Conservation Initiative helps support Phillips 66’s employees, communities, operating facilities and branded stations across the country and in the United Kingdom in updating landscaping with native plants that can enhance local biodiversity. We have partnered with local native landscaping organizations across many states to share educational material.

Downloadable brochures for specific regions and states provide guidance on which plants help support pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds and butterflies, beautify communities and enhance air and water quality.

Enhancing Trees for Houston

For many years, our employees have volunteered their time to support Trees For Houston, which plants and maintains thousands of trees in the Houston, Texas, area. In March 2021, Phillips 66 was the presenting sponsor for an annual fundraiser, which brought in $227,000 to plant and protect trees. The following month, a team of volunteers worked at De Chaumes Elementary School in Houston, planting native trees at the school, to bring shade and nature for the students and habitat for birds and other species.

Coastal Bend Area Parks

In the Coastal Bend area of Texas, we helped fund maintenance equipment for several parks, allowing staff to catch up on taking wildfire control measures, controlling invasive species and mowing large areas. Phillips 66’s contribution also enabled purchase of materials to help conserve the Goose Island State Park in Rockport, Texas. Materials included convenience stations, recycling containers, signage, and information kiosks constructed from steel and recycled plastic. The Park will leverage our donation with a federal grant, part of which will help fund construction of a trail system in the park.

Bird Migration

Every spring, approximately 3 billion birds migrate through the United States, and it is estimated that one-third of those pass through Texas on their travels. Bright lights from homes and businesses can disorient the birds at night. During peak migration, April 19 – May 7, 2021, we only used essential lights at our headquarters overnight in support of Lights Out Texas initiative to help the birds fly safely along their way.

Turtles Get a Lifesaving Cruise to Warmer Waters

February 20, 2021, was a great day for more than 2,000 green sea turtles. An arctic storm had swept through Texas a few days earlier and cold-stunned and paralyzed the at-risk sea turtles. An oil response organization fully funded by oil and gas shippers, including Phillips 66, was asked to help rescue the turtles.

A crew gathered at the Port Isabel Logistical Offshore Terminal and formed a human chain to load the 2,200 sea turtles onto a 210-foot platform supply vessel. The ship’s large deck and ramp that opens into the water meant that the turtles could make the 30-mile journey safely and then slide right into warmer waters off the coast of South Padre Island.