Stihl Inc. celebrates PLANET Day of Service by giving back
Stihl Inc. of Virginia Beach, Va., teamed with City of Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation and K&D Round’s Landscape Services to clean up and renovate Beach Garden Park in Virginia Beach. This two-day project celebrated the annual Professional Landcare Network’s (PLANET) Day of Service, a nationwide Earth Day event. PLANET Day of Service was organized to demonstrate the importance of maintaining green spaces in recognition of Earth Day. Stihl Inc., a supporting sponsor of the national event, joined many companies performing a variety of volunteer lawn and landscape projects to give back to their communities around the country. An estimated 1,900 people working on 140 projects in 36 states, Canada and the Virgin Islands participated in PLANET Day of Service this year, contributing an estimated value of $660,000.
“We were thrilled to collaborate with Stihl to give back to the community and improve the environment for the fifth year,” said Joel Vanscoy, one of the owners and senior vice president of K&D Round’s Landscape Services. “We beautify the outdoors and make it more accessible and enjoyable to spend time with family and friends in an inviting setting.”
PLANET has launched a movement, “Come Alive Outside,” encouraging individuals, families and businesses to relax, reduce stress, and have fun outdoors, in their yards, parks and sports fields. “Come Alive Outside” demonstrates the power of the outdoors to beautify communities and enrich people’s lives. Stihl Inc. led the local effort to revitalize the environment, educate youth on environmental sustainability, and encourage citizens to practice stewardship of our green spaces. Volunteers from Stihl Inc., K&D Round’s Landscape Services, and City of Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation gathered to cultivate and redefine flower beds, prune trees and shrubs, create a wetland garden, and install a rock bed to control runoff erosion. Children of Stihl Inc. employees participated in planting daylilies in the wetland garden. Stihl Inc., Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation and K&D Round’s Landscape Services dedicated the new wetland garden to Virginia Beach Middle School, which is located in front of Beach Garden Park and uses the park athletic fields, as well as to the citizens of Virginia Beach. Plant materials were donated by Lancaster Farms.
“It was a pleasure to work with Stihl Inc. on the annual PLANET Day of Service landscaping project,” said Shawn Hopson, superintendent of special zones for Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation. “Over the past five years, Stihl employees, along with other local companies, have volunteered more than 1,850 hours and saved the City of Virginia Beach over $68,000 through the company’s participation in PLANET Day of Service.”
PLANET is an international association serving lawn care professionals, landscape management contractors, design/build/installation professionals and interior plantscapers.
For more information on PLANET Day of Service, visit http://www.planetdayofservice.org/. For more information about K&D Rounds Landscape Services, visit www.kdroundslandscape.com. For more information about Stihl Inc., visit http://www.stihlusa.com/.