Ameriwood

Ameriwood

Planting Little Seeds for Big Impact on Monarchs and Native Pollinators

Partnerships in Action: Corporate Philanthropic Support Case Study (Custom Campaign)

The partnership between Ameriwood and the National Wildlife Federation supports the creation of pollinator habitat and conservation education in US K-12 schools.

Type of Partnership: Philanthropic Support

Value: $50,000

Years: 2017-Ongoing

Conservation Priority: Pollinators

National Wildlife Federation Programs: Garden for Wildlife, Schoolyard Habitats

National Wildlife Federation Marketing Support: Post across social media platforms, custom blog detailing partnership, co-branded letter to school principals and administrators, website listing

Total Impressions: ???

The National Wildlife Federation and Ameriwood have partnered to educate students about the plight of America's pollinators and increase food and habitat for declining monarch butterfly populations in the monarch central migratory flyway.

About the Partnership
In 2017 Ameriwood, looking for a philanthropic partner to engage with on a campaign that helped address their concern for plummeting populations of monarch butterfly for their eco-conscious brand of kids furniture, Little Seeds, found a perfect fit in the National Wildlife Federation’s existing pollinator programs and our large presence in American schools and more than five decades of expertise in conservation education. Realizing the sharp decline in monarch butterfly populations (an over 90% decline of the overall population since the 1980s), and the crucial relationship pollinators play in propagating natural resources like crops and forests used in production, Ameriwood and the National Wildlife Federation are working to curb further decline by increasing the presence of milkweed plants, the monarchs’ sole source of food and preferred breeding location, in the middle of the country where the majority of the species migrate.

What Took Place?
Over two years and with $50,000 in philanthropic support from Ameriwood, the National Wildlife Federation provided 1,000 schools in the migratory pathway with butterfly seed kits, working in schools where the National Wildlife Federation already had an existing relationship through our Schoolyard Habitat or Eco-Schools USA programs and those nominated through the Little Seeds website. The kits included seed packets as well as educational materials for teachers to incorporate planting these pollinator gardens on school grounds and turn the gardens into living classrooms. Kids took part in the planting and observed as the plants grew and butterflies came to feed and reproduce—and, in the spring, saw newborn butterflies emerge from their cocoons.

Who Participated?
The National Wildlife Federation and Ameriwood staff worked together to recruit the selected schools with the National Wildlife Federation coordinating production and mailing of seed kits, including sending a co-branded letter to school administrators. Teachers and parent volunteers led groups of students in planting days (on average 20 kids involved in the actual planting).

Impact

• Approximately 20,000 K-12 students and 5,000 teachers/parent volunteers planted 1,000 Schoolyard Habitat pollinator gardens.
• 20% of participating schools created new schoolyard gardens and the remaining 80% enhanced existing outdoor classroom habitats in 2018.
• Using the partnership and content provided by the National Wildlife Federation, Ameriwood informed their eco-conscious Little Seeds brand customers about the efforts and the problem still facing pollinators in the country.

We enjoyed gathering supplies, getting dirty, removing invasive species and planting both seeds and plants in our garden. We also included three bird houses, food and water collection areas of native animals. The kids learned a lot about our area and how to make our common space more beautiful while helping the earth."

—Hoffman School, Glenview, IL