KnowBe4's 15th Anniversary: A Commitment to Biodiversity

As I publish my 50th monthly sustainability article, it feels especially meaningful to highlight KnowBe4's 15th anniversary celebration—two milestones converging around our shared commitment to environmental stewardship. August 10th marked KnowBe4's 15th anniversary, and we're celebrating in a way that reflects our environmental values with a comprehensive biodiversity initiative spanning four key ecosystems. We've made environmental donations part of our anniversary tradition since our 10th year.

Our Four-Pronged Environmental Impact

30,000 Mangroves Planted

We've partnered with Veritree to plant 15,000 mangroves in Kenya and 15,000 in Brazil. These coastal forests are critical for both local communities and biodiversity conservation. In Kenya, restored mangroves provide essential fishing grounds for coastal communities while stabilizing shorelines against tropical storms. In Brazil, our planting focuses on the Blue Amazon region in Maranhão state, along the southern border of the Amazon rainforest, where deforestation rates are alarming and only isolated patches of forest remain.

15,000 Kelp Plants Added to Ocean Forests

We've funded the planting of 15,000 sea kelp specimens. These underwater forests create essential habitats in cool, nutrient-rich waters along rocky coastlines in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans. Kelp forests support thousands of marine species and hold profound cultural significance for Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest, who have used kelp for food, medicine, and ceremonies for centuries.

Protection for 15 Vulnerable Species

Our initiatives directly support the conservation of 15 different species:

• ➜ In British Columbia: Herring, Salmon, Northern Abalone, Sea Urchin, and Tubesnout
• ➜ In Kenya: Crane, Comb Duck, African Bush Elephant, Aardvark, and the threatened Eurasian Curlew
• ➜ In Brazil: Goliath Giant Grouper, Manatee, Harpy Eagle, Jaguar, and Scarlet Ibis
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15 Beehives Adopted

For the fifth consecutive year, we've adopted beehives—this time 15 of them, in both the US and the Netherlands. Working with the Pinellas Beekeepers Association in Florida and Homestead De Giessen in the Netherlands, these colonies can support up to 600,000 bees collectively, pollinating approximately 4.5 billion flowers daily! 

Several KnowBe4 employees have visited our adopted beehives over the years, meeting with Pinellas Beekeepers Association leadership for educational experiences that connect them directly with our environmental initiatives.

Why This Matters

🐝 According to Greenpeace, bees pollinate about 80% of all plants worldwide and 70 of the top 100 human food crops that provide 90% of global nutrition. They're facing multiple threats—pesticides; habitat loss; an unstable, changing climate; and parasites—making conservation efforts critical.

🐟 Kelp forests in British Columbia are among the most productive ecosystems on the planet, sequestering carbon at rates far exceeding terrestrial forests. These underwater forests create complex three-dimensional habitats that nurture marine biodiversity and support commercial fisheries. With ocean warming threatening kelp worldwide, our restoration efforts help maintain these critical marine environments and the species that depend on them.

🇧🇷 The Amazon rainforest houses 40% of the world's remaining rainforest and 25% of its terrestrial biodiversity. Mangroves serve as carbon sinks while protecting coastlines and supporting marine life.

🇰🇪 Kenya's coastal mangroves have been rapidly declining due to urbanization and lack of effective governance. By restoring these mangrove forests, we're helping rebuild biodiversity hotspots while supporting vulnerable coastal communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems.

🌳 Mangroves represent one of nature's most valuable ecosystem types, delivering benefits far beyond typical forests. 

• ➜ Mangroves sequester carbon at rates 4-5 times higher than terrestrial forests per unit area. Their soil can store carbon for thousands of years, making them among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics.
• ➜ They form a natural barrier against storm surges, tsunamis, and sea level rise, reducing wave energy by up to 66%. This coastal defense saves communities billions in potential damage costs.
• ➜ Mangroves support approximately 75% of commercial fish species during some part of their life cycle. Their complex root systems provide critical breeding and nursery grounds that sustain global fisheries.
• ➜ Their roots act as natural filters, trapping sediments, heavy metals, and pollutants that would otherwise damage seagrass beds and coral reefs offshore.
• ➜ The extensive root systems stabilize coastlines by binding soil together, preventing up to 99% of sediment that would otherwise be lost to erosion.
• ➜ The ecosystem services mangroves provide (fisheries support, coastal protection, carbon storage) are valued at $33,000-$57,000 per hectare per year, far exceeding many other forest types.
• ➜ Despite covering less than 0.1% of the planet's surface, they harbor exceptional biodiversity, providing habitat for endangered species that cannot survive elsewhere.
• ➜ Unlike many terrestrial forests, healthy mangroves can adapt to rising sea levels by accumulating soil at rates that can match moderate sea level rise, making them self-maintaining climate adaptation tools.

Our 15th anniversary isn't just about celebrating our company's growth—it's about creating tangible environmental impact that aligns with our values and contributes to a more sustainable future for everyone.