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No organization has ever attempted a concerted effort to reach and educate consumers about the many benefits of green spaces at home, work and play, but that is about to change under an Evergreen Foundation initiative.
Den Gardner, executive director of the foundation, announced plans at a press conference Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Green Industry Expo. Gardner outlined plans by a coalition of green industry suppliers, service companies, media and others to raise $2 million in the next six to 12 months for a first-ever industry consumer outreach effort.
The foundation expects its fundraising efforts to be successful based on its initial efforts to raise the necessary seed money.
“Our goal in June when we met was to raise $200,000 in 90 days, but we did so in 60 days,” Gardner says. “With seed money in place, we have now formed a board of directors and established four committees in the areas of research, organization, fund raising and marketing communications. Once the necessary funding is in place, we plan to begin communication to the public in late 2004 or early 2005.”
Board Director Chris Lemke of WeedMan says the Evergreen Association initiative has struck a strong chord with major companies serving the industry. More than 20 major companies have already signed on, and other companies will be contacted in the coming months to enlist their support.
“This is something that individual companies cannot do on their own,” Lemke says. But a company can support an industry effort. We’re making history because no one has ever tried to do this before in the green industry. The great news is that overhead for the organization is already covered, so contributed funds will be used to get the message out through public relations, advertising, direct mail and point of purchase collateral.”
Gardner says industry support is also expected to counter activist efforts to curtail use of pesticides, fertilizers and severely restricted water for lawns and other green spaces. Such efforts are already underway in New York State, Minnesota and several western states, as well as in Canada.
“Every facet of the green industry – pesticides, equipment, seed, nutrients, irrigation and more – is at stake here in the United States,” Gardner says. “To make sure consumers understand the benefits of green spaces we’re taking a proactive effort to educate and inform consumers.”
To benchmark consumer attitudes, the foundation conducted a national online survey to evaluate environmental, economic and lifestyle attitudes about green spaces. The survey was completed in October with responses from 611 adults who own a single family home, condominium or town home, and has a degree of error of +/- 4 percent.
Among the survey findings:
Regarding market potential, Gardner says only 27 percent of the respondents said they use a professional lawn service, but 43 percent agreed with the statement, “Lawn and landscape care is a chore I wish I didn’t have to do.”
Officers are: President, Dale Amstutz, Northern Lights Outdoor Lighting; Vice President, Cindy Code, Lawn & Landscape magazine; Secretary, Phil Fogarty, Growing Opportunity; and Treasurer, Tom Delaney, PLCAA.
Board directors include: Cynthia Amos, The Irrigation Association; Jeff Bollig, GCSAA; Sandra Burns, The Davey Tree Expert Co.; Dan Carrothers, Bayer Environmental Sciences; Doug Fender, TPI; Scott Frith, Lawn Doctor; Debra Holder, ALCA; Ron Johnson, Syngenta; Pat Jones, Golfdom magazine; Bill Klutho, John Deere Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division; Chris Lemke, WeedMan USA; Paul McDonough, LESCO; Tim Maniscalo, Dow AgroSciences; Chris Schmenk, The Scotts Co; and Steven Trusty, Trusty & Associates.
For more information about the Evergreen Foundation contact Executive Director Den Gardner at 877-758-4835 or evergreenfound@aol.com, or visit www.evergreenfoundation.com.