The 2011 Corpsmembers of the Year take a moment to snap a picture with Mr. Peanut at the this year’s National Conference
The Corps Network, the voice of the nation’s Service and Conservation Corps, and Planters, America’s leading snack nut brand, announced today at the annual Global Green event that they are partnering to transform unused land into fun, peanut-shaped urban parks called Planters Groves, designed by renowned landscape architect Ken Smith. The first Planters Groves in 2011 will be developed in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York City. The Corps Network and its member Corps from each city will lead the building of the parks working closely with the each of the communities and engaging volunteers.
New Orleans’ historic Central City neighborhood will be the first location where a Planters Grove will be opened. “We were excited when we decided with Planters that New Orleans would be the first city where we would work together,” said Sally Prouty, President and CEO of The Corps Network. She added that “the tremendous community engagement coming from the people of the Central City neighborhood has made us even more confident that this Planters Grove will be a huge success.”
The Planters Grove in New Orleans and those in the other three cities will be made in part by using locally sourced reclaimed materials, as well as native trees and plants from the legume family. The Corps Network’s local member Corps will lead the coordination with local community organizations for the Planters Groves’ maintenance, as well as lead seasonal planting efforts and ongoing programming that engages and benefits each community.
As part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, the recently released report, “America’s Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations” states, “Urban parks and community green spaces today play an important role providing places for recreation, quiet, and restoration…” The report further states, “People across the nation called for better collaboration between the public and private sectors to help citizens realize the benefits of connecting to the outdoors.”
James Jones, Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of The Corps Network said, “Today more than ever, it is important that we all come together to make a collective impact in our communities.” He added, “We are excited to be working with Planters, our local member Corps and community partners and believe our work together will serve as a model of public/private partnerships.”
To follow The Corps Network’s partnership with Planters and get updates on our work, you can “Like” The Corps Network on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCorpsNetwork and “Like” Mr. Peanut on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mrpeanut.
To learn more about Corps in your state and ways to volunteer, visit www.corpsnetwork.org.
About The Corps Network: Established in 1985, The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 150 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 48 states and the District of Columbia, The Corps Network enrolls more than 30,000 young men and women annually in service in addition to mobilizing approximately 227,000 community volunteers each year. For more information contact James Jones at [email protected] or visitwww.corpsnetwork.org.
About Planters: Planters, America’s leading snack nut brand, has a long history of pioneering industry firsts. This inventiveness is delivered through a diverse portfolio of nutritious and delicious plant-based snacks such as peanuts, cashews, almonds and other nuts. Planters NUT•rition offers a distinctive line of nut mixes that focus on specific nutritional needs. Planters almonds and pistachios are roasted with real herbs and spices, delivering extraordinary flavor. Planters Trail Mix blends roasted nuts, delicious fruit and other wholesome ingredients to help fuel an active lifestyle.
About Planters Sustainability: Planters has made considerable investments in greening their facilities through energy and water conservation, as well as waste reduction. As part of its brand citizenship, Planters has committed, in collaboration with The Corps Network, to developing green, natural spaces called Planters Groves across the U.S. The brand’s commitment to nut farmers is extended through the African Cashew Alliance (ACA), an initiative to improve cashew production, sustainability practices and increase the cashew-related income of 150,000 cashew farmers by 2012.
About The Corps Network
The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 143 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 44 states and the District of Columbia, Corps annually enroll more than 29,000 young men and women in service every year. Corps mobilize approximately 226,000 community volunteers who in conjunction with Corpsmembers generate 21.3 million hours of service every year. For more information, visit corpsnetwork.org or contact Levi Novey at [email protected] or 202.737.6272.
Media Contact:
Levi Novey
The Corps Network
1100 G Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202.737.6272
Fax: 202.737.6277
Email: [email protected]