Benefits, Books, Grants and Ideas
By Marvin Miller, AIB President
At a recent Cornell University conference examining the horticulture industry’s environmental impact, more than one speaker mentioned America in Bloom and noted how the program was raising industry awareness among cities, citizens, and public officials. I was particularly gratified to hear two speakers mention the “Community Resources” section of the AIB web site. The information collected here is not only aimed at helping cities with their AIB programs, but it also has turned into a tremendous resource for many looking for reasons to justify their involvement with plants.
The pages here are filled with all kinds of information which can help cities, researchers, or others understand the benefits of plants. These benefits are highlighted under categories such as health, economics, or one of the AIB contest’s judging criteria. Every study relating to people:plant interactions of which we are aware is listed here, and we are constantly adding new citations to the information documented.
There also is an opportunity to order our newest Best Ideas book or to download and view an older edition of the book for free. The newest edition, released last fall, is already an American Horticultural Society book award nominee, and it is in its third printing. This book really can provide a lot of ideas for a community to benchmark itself against other cities’ efforts and can help guide its own projects.
Another feature of the AIB Community Resource pages is the listing of granting agencies which have a history of providing funding for community greening programs. Some of these programs are aimed at city tree programs or other aspects of urban beautification. Others target school horticulture or youth garden programs or similar subjects. While some of the grants offer horticultural products like seeds or bulbs, others offer a different green input – cash.
The Community Resources section of the AIB web site provides a great way for a city to get started on the path to planting pride in its community. By coupling these pages with the information from other sections, e.g., the “Participation Toolbox,” a city could be well on its way to providing its citizens with a more inviting place to live and work.
At a recent Cornell University conference examining the horticulture industry’s environmental impact, more than one speaker mentioned America in Bloom and noted how the program was raising industry awareness among cities, citizens, and public officials. I was particularly gratified to hear two speakers mention the “Community Resources” section of the AIB web site. The information collected here is not only aimed at helping cities with their AIB programs, but it also has turned into a tremendous resource for many looking for reasons to justify their involvement with plants.
The pages here are filled with all kinds of information which can help cities, researchers, or others understand the benefits of plants. These benefits are highlighted under categories such as health, economics, or one of the AIB contest’s judging criteria. Every study relating to people:plant interactions of which we are aware is listed here, and we are constantly adding new citations to the information documented.
There also is an opportunity to order our newest Best Ideas book or to download and view an older edition of the book for free. The newest edition, released last fall, is already an American Horticultural Society book award nominee, and it is in its third printing. This book really can provide a lot of ideas for a community to benchmark itself against other cities’ efforts and can help guide its own projects.
Another feature of the AIB Community Resource pages is the listing of granting agencies which have a history of providing funding for community greening programs. Some of these programs are aimed at city tree programs or other aspects of urban beautification. Others target school horticulture or youth garden programs or similar subjects. While some of the grants offer horticultural products like seeds or bulbs, others offer a different green input – cash.
The Community Resources section of the AIB web site provides a great way for a city to get started on the path to planting pride in its community. By coupling these pages with the information from other sections, e.g., the “Participation Toolbox,” a city could be well on its way to providing its citizens with a more inviting place to live and work.
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Our city uses the book as an important resource and guide. We heartily recommend it.