Here at Plantlovers, we obviously love plants. We share that love by selling our green products to other people that have that same passion. The mission here is to bring as much life and joy into homes, offices, shops and more. With this massive production of plants, not all of them grow up to be absolutely perfect for sales, some grow a bit crooked, have a ripped leaf or might have some bitemarks of pests that have been removed. These little things make it hard for those poor imperfect plants to meet the standard set by the market and often end up in the thrash.
I was not a fan of this waste, these plants are perfectly viable and beautiful. I was sure they could serve a purpose, so me and my partner (not the girl in the picture haha) came up with an idea!
Filling Schools with Plants
Children need to be in touch with nature. This is a natural need, an important one that is deeply rooted in our history and evolution. I have been a lucky child, I grew up near woods and fields and would always be outside in nature playing, interacting, learning about the world around me. I realize not all kids have this privilege, which SHOULD be a right!
So that was our main goal, getting kids in touch with nature as much as possible. And the best way of doing that, is to make the places they visit most greener. Schools were the perfect adoption parents for our imperfect, third choice plants. Our green buddies are picked up by local schools and are cared for, used to decorate classrooms and spark interest in the students about plants and nature.
The Impacts of Connecting Kids with Nature
Our project has had a fantastic response so far, and we couldn’t be happier with the appreciated outcome! By donating these plants to educational institutions we are actively helping to engage children with nature, to grow an interest in the greener world around them and how to care for it. Not only does it spark engagement and interest, but studies have also shown that plants in classrooms improve focus, reduce stress and boost overall well-being. All while we are also reducing our waste of organic matter and resources. All of these factors come together in creating a more sustainable future, we reduce emissions by reducing waste, while the local, young generation can be inspired to take care of nature and the environment, these are movements we desperately need in our current climate.
How does it work?
Schools get in touch with us through personal connections, social media or learn of the project through the grapevine. They send a short motivation on why their institution wants some free plants and what the intentions are. We try to focus on more vulnerable communities, or schools with very limited budgets, but everyone is welcome to apply. After this we set a date for a visit in our greenhouse, often teachers come with a small van or car to then fill it up with marvelous green. These plants are kept on a separate table, collected and cared for by me until the teachers and I make a selection of all the houseplants they would like in their school. They get some stickers that they can put on the pots with our logo and a QR-code, so our project can spread easier between schools. And voila, the teachers drive off with a car full of free, lush plants with the intent to make their school a more comfortable and engaging learning environment.
The schools in the list below have already joined our project, and some still have some free spots in case you are looking for a school that cares about these things for your kids. Go give their websites a look if you are interested, it would be very much appreciated! I also added some pictures of the new homes for these educational plants!
Basisschool De Pijl – Antwerpen
Secundair Onderwijs Marco Polo – Antwerpen
CLW – Antwerpen
Freinetschool De Pit – Diest
Jeugdhulp Don Bosco – Vremde, Lier en Kessel
Basisschool Het Twinkelveld – Kalfort
Vakschool De Leerexpert – Schoten
Basisschool De Wegwijzer – Boortmeerbeek
Would you like to add your school to this list? Please send us an email at info@plantlovers.eu with a short motivation and introduction of your school! We look forward to fill more educational spaces with plants, and we need your help to do so!
Stay curious, and until next time,
Your inhouse biologist,
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