Source: www.TurfMagazine.com
The New Hampshire Landscape Association (NHLA) has again approved a partnership agreement with the National Landcare Network, known as PLANET, by participating in a nationwide public space beautification effort known as PLANET Day of Service. This year steps up the New Hampshire landscape enhancement commitment, centered on Earth Week 2013.
PLANET Day of Service is an annual opportunity for green industry professionals across the country to join for a day of giving back to their communities through volunteer landscape enhancement and tree care projects. Such efforts showcase the environmental stewardship that lives within our industry, bringing NH landscaper’s good deeds to the surface. In the process, NHLA Members are branded as good corporate partners within their respective communities, another reason for consumers to choose an NHLA Member company for their landcare needs.
Those six NHLA Member companies (Fertile Ground, Pellettieri Associates, Inc., Belknap Landscape Co., Inc., Surfside Landscape, Labrie Associates and John’s Landscaping of Madbury) organized volunteer lawn care and landscape projects in communities across the state and uploaded the projects on www.planetdayofservice.org, which provided a central point for listings of N.H. Day of Service volunteer opportunities.
This year, with generous financial support from the Gilford, N.H., Rotary Club, NHLA members and the public have a unique opportunity to directly assist one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy through the a well-coordinated Planet Day of Service event.
The Village of Lindenhurst, N.Y., suffered some of the most damage of any town in Suffolk County. Since the storm hit, the Lindenhurst, N.Y., Rotary Club has been doing a terrific job of servicing their town, which suffered severe flooding. The two Rotary Clubs plan to team April 12-14, traveling to Lindenhurst, purchasing lawn and garden tools, equipment, supplies, food and coordinating transportation and housing for N.H. volunteers in landscape clean-up efforts.
Dale Squires, Marketing Manager of Belknap Landscape Company and Gilford Rotarian, explained, “We’ll go to 200+/- homes devastated by the flood to rake, clean up debris, repair lawns, shrubs and other plantings outside damaged properties. This is a meaningful beautification after Sandy effort, worthy of N.H. volunteer energies. Area youth groups, schools and civic organizations are invited to participate. We hope some of the NH Landscape Association members will be able to assist with skilled manpower to help direct the volunteers. Each property owner will receive a couple planters with flowers, a legacy of the NH volunteer assistance efforts."
Shared rides, housing and food are all provided at no cost. Details are available by emailing Squires at dale@belknaplandscape.com. All volunteers must be 12 or older, provide parental releases and register through the Lindenhurst Beautification After Sandy on Facebook or at http://tiny.cc/cleanupvolunteer.
The New Hampshire Landscape Association website at www.nhlaonline.org provides the public with convenient access to members who share a common interest and love of landscape design, construction and maintenance, providing quality, green industry goods and services.