As a locally owned and operated store, Patagonia Burlington is fortunate enough to collaborate with local action-oriented organizations. Through Patagonia’s environmental grant program, we partnered with Burlington’s Intervale Center and the Intervale Conservation Nursery to create a grant proposal. Over the last 2 years, the Intervale Conservation Nursery has been awarded $25,000 to raise awareness within our community about the importance of riparian buffers for the health of our waterways and to continue to grow the conservation nursery itself.

One could say that my love for trees, or anything outdoors started from a young age. Whether I was climbing trees, making elaborate forts high up, hanging upside down from low branches or simply hiding from my brothers in a game of hide-and-seek, my appreciation for what grows outside has always been there.

This love translated into my later years when I took a job at a local farm in Maryland, where I tended to all of the plants in the nursery and all of the gardens on the property. Whether it was garden maintenance, planting new flowers, watering the annuals and perennials, or simply thinning the peach trees to foster new growth, I loved being in the sun and watching all of these things take root.

The last mention in Patagonia’s mission statement reads, “use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” In 1985 Patagonia started funding grassroots, action oriented environmental organization, through the creation of an environmental grant program. Since the program’s conception, the company has been able to award $89 million dollars in funding to it’s grantees. You can connect and learn more about all of Patagonia’s grantees on Patagonia Action Works.

As a locally owned and operated store, Patagonia Burlington is fortunate enough to collaborate with local action-oriented organizations. These groups are spearheading projects to implement positive change to our community and environment. Last year through Patagonia’s environmental grant program, Patagonia Burlington partnered with Burlington’s Intervale Center and their conservation nursery to create a grant proposal. The proposal focused on raising awareness within our community about the importance of riparian buffers for the health of our rivers, streams, and Lake Champlain. After being reviewed by the environmental grant board, the proposal was awarded $5,000 dollars in funding.

Riparian Buffer - An area of vegetation that borders a body of water, usually a river or lake, that helps to protect the water quality and ecosystem health from adjacent land uses.