Earth Day: Invest In Our Communities. Invest In Our Planet.
April 22, 2022, marks the 52nd Earth Day holiday—a day to raise awareness about our impact on the environment and the urgency to act. This year’s theme is “Invest in Our Planet,” and by working together to restore our local communities we can help build a healthy planet for future generations to enjoy.
As an organization, our aim is to build a responsible, trustful, and sustainable business that positively impacts the communities we operate in. That’s why we offer 40 hours of paid volunteering leave to all our colleagues. And our teams across the US are taking advantage of it with several volunteer efforts in support of Earth Day.
Supporting Houston’s Hermann Park
To prepare Hermann Park for its annual spring gala, Evening in the Park, the Progressive Houston team lent a helping hand by cleaning up the grounds, from raking leaves to litter removal. Funds raised through the gala are critical to the Hermann Park Conservancy’s ability to maintain and improve the park, one of Houston’s most important urban spaces that sees over 6 million visitors each year.
The park is also home to several islands that provide a protected habitat for native plants and wildlife, including several migratory birds like herons, cormorants, and ring-necked ducks.
Protecting Our Coastlines
Progressive teams across the country also organized beach cleanups to help preserve and restore our vital coastlines that support essential ecosystems. Our Boston team spent an afternoon at Castle Island removing beach pollution, including plastic bottles and other trash. In Chicago, the team visited North Avenue Beach--the most popular of the city's 26 beaches.
In San Diego, our team volunteered at Mission Beach located along the coast of Mission Bay Park--the ninth largest municipally-owned park in the United States. The Mission Bay area is home to essential wetlands and is also home to many rare and endangered species.
5 Ways You Can Invest in Our Planet
The complexities of environmental issues can make us feel powerless. But change starts with each of us. Luckily, there are many ways in which we can all play a part in supporting our planet.
- Participate in a beach or park clean up. Register your clean up or search for one near you here.
- Make a donation to have trees planted on your behalf, or plant a tree yourself. Trees clean the air and help combat climate change.
- It's a bright idea to use energy efficient light bulbs. And don't forget to turn off the lights when you leave the room.
- Switch over to non-toxic cleaning products in your home to help lessen the amount of pollutants entering our waterways.
- Avoid plastics and find alternatives to those single-use plastic products that surround us every day.
