Magee Design built this rain garden for a private school in Boyce, Virgina.Improving the environment and landscapes is a daily part of your job as a green industry pro. So as our country and 191 others celebrate Earth Day today, it’s a welcoming sight to see your community members showing appreciation for the things you work toward improving every day.
Since 1970, the United States has been celebrating Earth Day as a designated day to focus on the environment. Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed Earth Day after seeing the results from a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Sensing it was time for a change, Americans got behind this idea and made it a reality every April 22.
It’s this responsibility for improving our environment that has made “going green” more than a one-day thing. For me, it’s a day we can come together for a common goal that we share throughout the year.
No matter where you look, more landscapers are installing native plants, smart irrigation systems, rain gardens and creating LEED-certified projects. And not only is the green initiative affecting how landscapers go about their work, it’s changing the mindsets of customers. They are now wanting yards that prevent runoff, attract wildlife, use less water and require less maintenance. Some are even asking landscapers to pull up their yards altogether.
So as you give back by planting trees, installing gardens and volunteering today for Earth Day and on Friday for Arbor Day, remember a little goes a long way.
Thank you for your daily work, and continue planting for the future!
