Roya Sabri | Hawaii 24/7 Reporter

On Friday June 7, employees of Information Handling Services (IHS) left their suits and ties at home to clean up the entrance of Waipio Valley.

The Colorado-based information company invited 400 employees who met their performance goals to a conference in Hawaii.

But IHS does not value only work performance. It also strives to increase its social consciousness through Corporate Sustainability.

Its mission statement says, “We encourage colleagues to engage in community outreach activities and believe in giving back to our communities through volunteer efforts and team-driven community improvement initiatives.”

In 2011, the company volunteered a total of 3,867 hours.

During their stay in Hawaii, IHS employees worked for the benefit of two Friends of the Future groups: the Waipio Community Circle and Na Kahumoku.

With Na Kahumoku, employees helped restore the Kaupulehu dryland forest by eradicating invasive species in hopes of creating a healthier microclimate, soil system and watershed. Kaahahui O Ka Nahelehele and the Hawaii Forest Association led the work.

Steve Roberson helps clean Waipio Valley entrance (Photo courtesy of Sarah Anderson Photography)

The Waipio Valley Community Circle hosted the group in cleaning the entrance of the Valley.

Their work exposing the valley’s topography will help Waipio Valley Community Circle plan its transformation of the site to an educational center for teaching visitors about the importance of Waipio Valley.

Waipio Valley Community Circle is part of the Friends of the Future family of 11 programs. Friends of the Future is a nonprofit 501(c)3 based on Hawaii Island, which has worked with community members for more than 20 years to improve the health related quality of life and preserve our cherished cultural anchors for all who live, work, and play here.

Na Kahumoku, a project of the nonprofit Friends of the Future (www.FOFHawaii.org), is an environmental and cultural youth leadership program with a focus on environmental education in the context of place, culture, and service. Kaupulehu is one of the places where Na Kahumoku serves and learns. Both an extra curricular and co-curricular program, Na Kahumoku currently exists as a class called “Polynesian Culture Club” at Kealakehe Intermediate, and as an after-school program with additional weekend and holiday programming.

IHS IHS is the leading source of information, insight and analytics in critical areas that shape today’s business landscape. Businesses and governments in more than 165 countries around the globe rely on the comprehensive content, expert independent analysis and flexible delivery methods of IHS to make high-impact decisions and develop strategies with speed and confidence.

IHS has been in business since 1959 and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, IHS is committed to sustainable, profitable growth and employs 6,700 people in 31 countries around the world. www.ihs.com

 Education about the dryland forest and coordination of the restoration work was provided by Kaahahui O Ka Nahelehele (www.drylandforest.org) and Hawaii Forest Industry Association (www.hawaiiforest.org).