Earth Day Projects Improve Green Spaces From Philadelphia to Seattle

Hundreds of ARAMARK Earth Day volunteers planted trees, removed debris, eliminated invasive plants, and even helped release a rehabilitated hawk into the wild during April and May, in support of Earth Day. From Philadelphia to Seattle, ARAMARK volunteers joined with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and other organizations to take on projects to improve their local environments.

“The group had a great time,” said the Chicago, Illinois ARAMARK volunteers, who cleaned up a park and built benches at Pocket Parks and Little Village

In Seattle, at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG), and Seattle Parks and Recreation, volunteers removed invasive blackberries, ivy and holly. 

“Native plants will be able to thrive in this natural environment, as long as the invasive plants are removed,” the volunteers explained. “This not only provides actual life to the plants, but food and shelter for wildlife in the area.”

In Oakland, California, volunteers placed 500 pounds of mulch and picked up a few hundred pounds of trash in and around Saucel Creek.

“We were grateful to work alongside ARAMARK as we marked the 41st annual Earth Day,” said SCA Communications Director Deirdre Fitzgerald.

Students from the Belmont Ridge Middle School in Virginia partnered with ARAMARK and the National Conference Center for the past three years, participating in ecological events and hospitality service training. Earth Day activities this year included the release of a rehabilitated Red-Tailed River Hawk back into the wild.  Students also cleaned up the land in and around the creek that runs through the NCC property, and planted three trees donated by Brickman Landscaping, a partner for the past five years.

Check out some of the media coverage from the ARAMARK Earth Day events across the country. Click on the links below to view some of the coverage:

• In Leesburg, Virginia, activities with Belmont Ridge Middle School at The National Conference Center  were featured in The Loudon Times Mirror and on YouTube:

• Stamford, CT volunteers were featured in the local Patch

• Oakland volunteers were mentioned in the San Francisco Gate