Earth Day 2023: Gardenuity & Corporate Partners Impacting The Planet

Everything we are comes from the planet. At Gardenuity, we believe in the importance of investing in one’s self in order to invest in the earth. Last week, we discussed the importance of mental wellness in regard to the climate and the sustainability of the earth, as burnt-out people will surely burn out the world. 

It’s clear that the way we live and work is not only burning us out but causing us to make decisions that are destroying our own health and the health of our planet.

This is why, Gardenuity as a company focuses on Food for Nutrition (Food is Medicine), mental health, and the health of the planet.

Let’s look at just a few statistics:

The Environment: 

• The last seven years have been the hottest on record
• Levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere are higher than they have been for the last 800,000 years
• We are losing thousands of square miles of trees every year

 Our Health:

• According to the CDC, an estimated 90% of our healthcare spending goes toward treating mental health and stress-related chronic conditions
• By 2035, 600 million people will have diabetes
• Approximately 8 million children aged 13-17 report dealing with mental health struggles such as depression and anxiety
• The average American spends 6 hours and 59 minutes hours looking at a screen each day

These statistics are staggering and sobering facts to digest. Dealing with the realities of climate change is going to require a culture shift, but not one based only on how we burn fossil fuels. It’s also going to require a shift in how we burn energy as individuals. The solution is renewable energy at every level. That’s why achieving a sustainable planet must go hand in hand with living sustainable lives on a personal level. 

How Can Companies and Individuals Practice Sustainability?

In order to properly care for the planet and hone in on sustainability, we need to know what sustainability actually means and entails. Sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is our society’s ability to exist and grow without depleting all of the natural resources needed to live in the future.

Examples of sustainability:

• Using reusable water bottles rather than plastic disposables
• Switching water off when you are not using it
• Gardening
• Choosing to walk or bike rather than drive
• Carpooling with friends and co-workers
• Using bar soap rather than bottled soap
• Composting your food scraps
• Eating a plant-based diet

These are just a few of examples of how you can consciously make steps in the direction of the health of the planet. Practicing rituals of sustainability can also be good for one’s own health. As Donna Letier notes, “close contact with nature affects us on different levels; sometimes, we are filled with it, fully present and conscious of its effects, but it also works on us slowly and subconsciously in a way that can be particularly helpful.” 

There are many different ways to celebrate and lift up the earth. Although billions of people celebrate Earth Day every year, the earth should be celebrated and cared for every single day. Planting trees and gardens are common ways to partake in earth day activities, but even the simplest acts, like cutting down meat intake or reducing your time in the shower, can make a difference. 

Here is what Gardenuity is doing to celebrate the earth every day. 

• We are planting Strawberry Container Gardens with 450 pupils in partnership with the Roots Food Group Foundation
• We are bringing together communities virtually from across different AMLI residential apartment locations to build outdoor herb and veggie container gardens
• We have a 5 part series with a global technology company throughout April to talk about plants + people = a healthy planet
• We are hosting 500 employees in a Zen Garden workshop for a national healthcare company to talk about mental health and the health of the planet
• We are hosting corporate live, virtual, and hybrid workshops for thousands of employees as their companies recognize the value of Earth Day and utilize Gardenuity gardens to foster conversation around how they can be more sustainable

How can you make a difference to your own health and the health of the planet? Will it be gardening? Eating a plant-based diet? Going outside on a walk? Whatever you choose to do, we hope you will celebrate the Earth every day with Gardenuity.