1% For The Planet is a growing global movement of 1201 companies that donate 1% of their gross sales to a network of more than 1,781 environmental organizations worldwide. Their Mission: 1% for the Planet exists to build and support an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet.
All of us at Loll are excited to be able to contribute to environmental groups working every day to keep our planet blue and green. Again, for our third year as a member of 1%, we are abiding to the movement of thinking globally and acting locally with our donations. Thanks goes out to the groups listed below for their earnest environmental efforts, but also to our customers who in the most significant way enable us to make our donations possible. Thank you!
2010 Beneficiaries
Leading the effort to protect and restore the BWCAW from adverse environmental threats is the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. The Friends’ mission is to protect, preserve and restore the wilderness character of the BWCAW and the Quetico-Superior Ecosystem. The organization formed in 1976 to protect this vulnerable area and two years later shepherded legislation through Congress that brought full protection to the Boundary Waters. Today, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based organization of 4,000 members is a sentry against further harm in the BWCAW and the Quetico-Superior Ecosystem.
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Minnesota Waters envisions an engaged citizenry working to protect and restore Minnesota’s irreplaceable natural assets – our clean and healthy lakes and streams – for current and future generations. The mission of Minnesota Waters is to promote responsible stewardship of our water resources by engaging citizens, local and state policymakers, and other partners in the protection and restoration of Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.
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Windustry promotes progressive renewable energy solutions and empowers communities to develop and own wind energy as an environmentally sustainable asset. Through member supported outreach, education and advocacy we work to remove the barriers to broad community ownership of wind energy.
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Sugarloaf Cove is your own quiet spot on Lake Superior…on Highway 61, 73 miles north of Duluth and 6 miles south of Schroeder, Minnesota. For 30 years, Sugarloaf Cove was home to Consolidated Paper’s log rafting operations. Now it is a place to learn about the natural and human history of the North Shore, with a State Scientific and Natural Area at its core. Sugarloaf is a membership funded organization. Visit next time you drive up the North Shore along Lake Superior, Highway 61, Mile Post 73.3!
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The Trumpeter Swan Society (TTSS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to assuring the vitality and welfare of wild Trumpeter Swan populations.
Early settlers nearly destroyed this magnificent species, but many people have worked hard to save the last remnants and start them on the path to recovery. It is now up to us all to help nurture that recovery and help ensure that Trumpeter Swans will be secure in our modern world. TTSS is a means for those who cherish these swans to work together and support their continued restoration.
Since our founding in 1968, TTSS has provided the vision, knowledge, and advocacy to move restoration efforts forward and improve management of Trumpeter Swans across North America. Our 500+ members in the U.S. and Canada include interested private citizens, waterfowl propagators, businesses, and many of the professional waterfowl biologists and managers who have guided Trumpeter Swan management in recent decades.
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Loll and Epicurean completed our tree planting initiative on May 12th this year.
We planted nearly 4000 trees in two locations; Chester Creek Park in the city of Duluth, and the Amity Creek in East Duluth. Here is a press release sent out the day after:
DULUTH, Minn. – Efforts to keep Amity Creek a viable trout stream got a helping hand from employees of Loll Designs/Epicurean Cutting Surfaces on Wednesday.
Coordinating with the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) and the South St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), the company owners purchased about 3,000 trees and rounded up 20-some employees to plant them.
While some trees went into Chester Park, others were planted to shore up a troublesome area by Amity Creek where NRRI, the SWCD and the City of Duluth recently stabilized the stream bank to reduce sediment erosion. Excessive sediment has put the stream on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “impaired” list.
The newly planted trees are very appreciated by the restoration collaborators.
“As these trees grow they’ll improve the stability of the bank and minimize erosion, as well as provide shade to keep the water cool for trout,” said Tim Byrnes, conservation specialist at SWCD. “Planting native trees on an area cleared for pasture also restores the native forests that once dominated the area.”
For company leaders Greg Benson, Dave Benson and Tony Ciradelli, the tree planting effort is something they do for the long-term benefit of the community.
“It’s fun to do, and it’s something different that we don’t do at work,” said Greg Benson. “And of course there are all the environmental reasons for planting trees. We’ve been extremely busy, but I don’t think we’ll ever be too busy to take time each year to do this.”
More info on Amity Creek:
“Amity Creek is an important creek on the North side of Duluth MN. The creek’s headwaters start on the Northshore Highlands and flow down to Lake Superior. The geology of the area is varied, but a large portion of the soil is composed of clay till. Slumping and erosion of the clay banks along the creek create high sediment concentrations and turbidity in the creek which harm aquatic habitat.
Planting trees in this area help reduce peak flows that cause stream bank instability, as well as provide shade to keep the water cool for trout habitat. The planting site has been historically logged and cleared for agriculture. Planting native trees here will restore the native boreal forest that once dominated the area. The establishment of trees such as white spruce, white cedar, and white pine in this watershed will decrease turbidity, increase trout habitat, and restore a native forest type in a degraded reach of Amity creek.
This effort resulted from a unique partnership between Loll Designs, UMD Natural Resources Research Institute, Weber Stream Restoration Initiative, South St Louis Soil and Water Conservation Service, and the City of Duluth.”
