Costa Farms and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Deliver a Breath of Fresh Air to Boston

May 20, 2009 - PRLog -- Costa Farms, the largest producer of indoor plants in North America, recently teamed up with Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, the Jane Goodall Institute’s global environmental and humanitarian youth program, to help improve indoor air quality for some of Boston’s most vulnerable citizens – newborns and their mothers.

On May 14, volunteers from Roots & Shoots and Costa Farms distributed hundreds of Peace Lilies to new mothers at local hospitals and to households in Dorchester, Mass., as part of a grassroots public service campaign called “O2 For You:  Houseplants with a Purpose.”  These plants provide a “gift of fresh air” while reducing some common indoor air pollutants.

“We wanted to communicate the benefits of indoor houseplants,” says Jose Smith, Costa Farms CEO. “Most people are unaware of all the pollutants that exist in the indoor air environment – the glue used on rugs, the tint used in photo copiers in offices.  We should be concerned equally about the indoor environment as we are with the outdoors. Through this campaign, we aim to raise awareness about the role of houseplants in helping to purify indoor air.”

Studies show that indoor air can be up to 10 times more polluted than the outside air.   The average U.S. citizen spends approximately 90 percent of the time indoors; 65 percent of which is spent at home (Source:  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).  
According to former NASA researcher Dr. B.C. Wolverton, houseplants are a natural, green solution that helps to reduce symptoms associated with Sick Building Syndrome, a combination of ailments connected with an individual's place of work or residence. Costa Farms is donating the Peace Lily because of its proven ability to remove these toxins, called volatile organic compounds, from the air.

“Roots & Shoots groups are all about taking action to make a difference in their communities to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment,” says Sally Sharp Lehman, regional director for Roots & Shoots-New England. “Members of the Roots & Shoots group, B.O.L.D. Teens, from Dorchester, helped deliver the plants. The O2 for You campaign is a perfect project for these young people as they are dedicated to improving lives in their community.”
The O2 for You campaign was launched in 2008 in partnership with Earth Day New York.  To date, the campaign has delivered Peace Lilies to hospitals in New York City along with Earth Day New York, as well as in Philadelphia in cooperation with The Clean Air Council.  

About Costa Farms: Costa Farms is the largest producer of indoor plants in North America and the second largest in the world. Founded in 1961 by Jose Costa, the third-generation family business specializes in foliage and bedding plants with operations domestically in South Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and abroad in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Visit: www.costafarms.com and www.o2foryou.org.

About Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots: Founded in 1991 by Dr. Jane Goodall and a group of Tanzanian students, the Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen—for our communities, for animals and for the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in 110 countries, the Roots & Shoots network connects youth of all ages who share a desire to create a better world. Young people identify problems in their communities and take action. Through service projects, youth-led campaigns and an interactive website, Roots & Shoots members are making a difference throughout the United States and across the globe. For more information please visit: www.rootsandshoots.org, www.janegoodall.org and www.boldteens.org.

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