Loll and Epicurean employees kicked-off this past Memorial weekend with our annual tree planting. This year we put in around 2000 trees and had more than 20 employees participate in the earthy affair. Loll employees and helper unloading trees at Chester Park It was a nice sunny and warm day for Duluth; a cooler full of Red Bull Cola helped quicken the spade’s pace. We planted two of our favorite spots; the rugged Chester Park and along the Lakewalk which is a walking and biking path that meanders along the shore of Lake Superior in the city of Duluth. Loll product designer extraordinaire Jeff Taly saving the environment Sam Cook from the Duluth News Tribune covered the story so well that we thought you would be best served to read about our exploits in Sam’s words: Greg Benson’s shovel made a sharp grating sound as he worked it into the rocky soil along Chester Creek. Benson, an owner of Epicurean Cutting Surfaces and Loll Designs, pushed through the glacial debris until he had created a small crater. He placed a seedling white pine in the hole and nudged soil around it. “We tell our customers we’ll plant a tree for every order we get at Loll Designs,” said Benson, 45. “It’s to help with the carbon offset of the shipping.” Epicurean Cutting Surfaces manufactures eco-friendly cutting boards and other products. Loll Designs make furniture from recycled materials. Benson and about 20 other employees of the two Duluth companies planted 2,000 trees along Chester Creek on Thursday morning. Last year, they planted 500 along Skyline Parkway near their offices. More environment-saving action “It’s our eco-initiative that we started a couple years ago, said Epicurean CEO Tony Ciardelli, 37. “We plant some trees and give back to the community.” The companies buy the trees from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The city of Duluth approved the planting, city gardener Tom Kasper said. Employees and other volunteers spread out Thursday along both sides of the creek, toting shovels, hauling seedlings in plastic bags or buckets. Seedlings included white pine, Norway pine, spruce, cedar, burr oak, elm, red oak, and birch. Planting trees has to be better than a day in the office or on the production line. A cardinal issues its sweet warbling from the forest canopy. Fledgling horsetail pushes up from the forest floor likes oft, green bottle brushes. Mature cedars look down on the proceedings like kindly grandparents. Through it all, Chester Creek tumbles through its canyon to Lake Superior. Epicurean and Loll Designs have committed to using a portion of their profits to plant the trees, Ciardelli said. Product design virtuoso John Kiffmeyer looking accomplished “You could Google 10 reasons to plant trees, and all those apply,” Benson said. “It’s something everyone wants to do. We’re greening up our community. And it’s getting people to do something different than they do every day.” – republished from an article by Sam Cook, Duluth News Tribune 10 reasons to Plant Trees: 1. Trees save energy and money. 2. Trees save tax dollars. 3. Trees cool our cities. 4. Trees clean our water and air. 5. Trees help community life. 6. Trees protect soil. 7. Trees provide habitat for many species including endangered ones. 8. Trees can pay your “carbon debt”. 9. Trees provide clean water and natural flood control. 10. Trees are a beautiful part of our lives. (Source: American Forests ®)