Join REI in making the fight for life outdoors part of your life with The Opt to Act Plan - 52 weeks of simple actions to reduce your impact, get active, and leave the world better than you found it. Full details can be found here.
Week 11: This Valentine’s Day give a plant or local in-season flowers instead of roses.
Yes, that bouquet seems romantic. But in reality, the cut flower industry relies heavily on imported flowers—in 2017 alone, the U.S. imported more than 4 billion roses from Colombia, according to The Washington Post. Those imported flowers also are often treated with pesticides and packaged with tough-to-recycle materials like cellophane. So this year, think local: Purchase a plant from your local nursery for a loved one, or support a local grower from a flower farm in your area.
Take part: Feb. 9–15, 2020
Read More: DIY: How to Plant and Grow Herbs in a Pot