TAKEDA TO PLANT 2,000 TREES ALONG SAN DIEGO RIVER IN SANTEE

January 5, 2014 (Santee)--This is a story made in the shade!  Takeda California, a pharmaceutical company,  plans to plant 2,000 trees along a one-mile-stretch of the San Diego River in Santee’s new Walker Preserve on January 20.  That’s 20 times more trees than the drug discovery company used in paper during the entire last year.

The trees will be planted by Takeda’s employees, family members and friends.  The effort will benefit the San Diego River Park Foundation and Walker Preserve by introducing native Coast Live Oak, Scrub Oak, Englemann Oak, Laurel Sumac, Cottonwood, Sycamore, Lemonade Berry and Elderberry to lands previously used for mining operations.

“San Diego County is a hugely significant hotspot of biodiversity having more unique species of plants and animals than any other county in the mainland USA,” said Richard Dhu, program manager at The San Diego River Park Foundation.  He added, “We appreciate working with Takeda over the last four years to restore the natural beauty of our region. We hope more businesses will join us in helping to care for our local environment and helping to revitalize The San Diego River.”

The Walker Preserve was acquired in 2012 by the City of Santee in part to preserve wildlife in the area and to fill a crucial gap in the San Diego River Trail. The goal is to create a 1.3-mile long, multi-use trail along the river with interpretive signs and other public amenities.

“We want to offset our carbon footprint, and our goal this year is to plant 20 times more trees than we use in paper,” said Keith Wilson, president and chief scientific officer of Takeda California. “This should help to make a positive environmental difference in San Diego.”

The company will plant a mix of trees native to California and that are naturally found along the San Diego River. In addition to providing shade and removing CO₂ from the air, these trees will enhance water quality, habitats and resting areas for birds and other wildlife. They will also help to enhance the visitor experience when this stretch of the River Park System is completed and opened to the public.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring our partners at Takeda California and the City of Santee together to continue to implement the vision of the San Diego River Park,” said Rob Hutsel, Executive Director of the San Diego River Park Foundation. “The volunteers from Takeda have shown year in and year out their generosity, dedication to teamwork and making a difference for the community and the environment. We wish to thank them and the City of Santee for their ongoing support.”

In 2011, Takeda California helped The San Diego River Park Foundation to permanently conserve the 156 acre Peutz Creek Preserve through a $1,000 donation, as well as through an employee matching gift of $1,000. This, in addition to the many hours of volunteer service, supported the restoration project. Takeda California is no stranger to volunteerism and getting involved with the San Diego community. Their involvement with the San Diego River Park Foundation is part of TCAL’s ongoing dedication and commitment to society through corporate social responsibility activities. Each year Takeda California conducts several company-wide efforts that support local non-profit organizations, schools, and the environment.

Takeda California (TCAL) lis located in San Diego, a biotechnology working on programs for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, cancer, and various immune and CNS disorders. The Company also hosts Takeda's proprietary bacTRAP technology, which provides a molecular atlas of gene expression with unprecedented cellular resolution to enable the discovery of new drug targets with selective mechanisms of action. Additional information about Takeda California is available through its affiliate website, www.takedacalifornia.com

Takeda is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and one of the global leaders of the industry, Takeda is committed to strive towards better health for people worldwide through leading innovation in medicine.

The San Diego River Park Foundation’s mission is to engage people to work toward a better future for the historic San Diego River and the creation of a 52 mile river parkway from the mountains to the ocean. The River Park Foundation is a non-profit community-based organization that was founded in 2001. Since its founding, it has grown to more than 10,000 supporters and annually organizes volunteers who contribute more than 25,000 hours of service to San Diego. Visit www.sandiegoriver.org.