Earth day every day
This year marks the 51 st anniversary of Earth Day. As people around the world are encouraged to celebrate the occasion by planting a tree or taking a moment to appreciate the natural world, we are grateful to work in an industry where we are constantly reminded of the benefits of nature. These days, I think we’re all feeling energized by the increased demand for green goods that began during the pandemic last year and hasn’t showed signs of stopping.
We are encouraged by trends showing that social media campaigns and increased attention surrounding the benefits of planting natives and pollinator plants are working. We have more and more requests for natives and nativars that are driven by creative marketing efforts and pollinator displays in garden centers and through the use of social media platforms. We have also noticed increased interest from our customers in learning what integrative pest control measures we take when controlling insect and disease issues, and we welcome these conversations as a way for us to seek out more sustainable practices in our nurseries.
As the frequency of large wildfires in the western United States continues to increase, a recent study (published in the science journal Frontiers in Forests and Global Change) shows that we have significant gaps in our tree supply chain that will make it difficult to achieve replanting efforts without increased investment in tree nurseries. This could open up big opportunities for growth in the tree nursery industry, from seedling production to the expansion of tree nurseries themselves, to the labor required to plant the trees. With investment in the nursery industry, we could turn this potentially dire situation of deforestation into a positive opportunity to create jobs and repopulate our forests.
Although we have a lot of work to do in restoring our natural world, we are inspired by the trends we are seeing across industries to make meaningful change. And we’re also hopeful and confident that current and future generations will continue to embrace this renewed interest in plants and engagement with the green industry long after the pandemic is over. After all, the mental and physical benefits of a greener world are undeniable, and perhaps one of the few benefits resulting from the pandemic is reminding people of that.
