There are more than 30-million acres of lawn in the United States. These healthy lawns and landscapes provide a cooling effect in summer months; in winter months, well placed trees and shrubs protect buildings from heat loss. Plants, trees, and grasses also convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, reduce our carbon footprint, absorb rainfall, and stop runoff. It is crucial we all find ways to enhance the green spaces around us as responsible stewards of our environment.
 
This spring we celebrate; National Lawn Care month, National Arbor Day and Earth Day, this makes us aware of the positive impact a green environment has on the aesthetic of our properties, not to mention the larger environmental and economic impact. Trees and plants in open green spaces such as yards, parks, and fields provide a mechanism for cleaning our air and purifying our water. The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) reports a lower incidence of crime in neighborhoods with well-kept lawns and landscapes, and a 15 to 20 percent increase in property values. It is important that we take care of our green spaces and protect them so that everyone in the community benefits.
 
Springtime, as a partner with the Central Oregon Landscape Contractor’s Association (OLCA), took part in a nationwide volunteer event, the PLANET Day of Service, on April 22 (Earth Day). This Day of Service was created by the lawn care and landscape industry to bring awareness to the significance of green spaces, allowing its members to organize volunteer projects in their hometowns with a nationwide impact.

Springtime spent the day working at Laurel Pocket Park on the corner of N.E. Olney and N.E. Eight Street, helping a team of local companies contribute a day of labor. Laurel Pocket Park is a memorial park that has been the passion of a community. Many countless hours have been donated to the planning and building of this park, not to mention all of the materials that have been donated by local businesses.