UMG’s Green Team—an initiative of the company's All Together Now Foundation—has partnered with Goodr and the Captain Planet Foundation on a community-gardens project, with the goal of providing hands-on learning opportunities to students across the U.S.

The project's first garden, named “The Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) Community Learning Garden," was unveiled recently at Los Angeles' 49th Street Elementary School. During the opening ceremony, students and faculty were joined by urban gardening leaders to plant, harvest and taste-test produce. UMe’s Cynthia Sexton, EVP, music curation, creative synchronization, and a member of the UMG Green Team, and Ashley Summerral from Goodr were among the many attendees.

“The UMG Green Team was created to challenge ourselves to lower our carbon footprint and enhance our sustainability efforts by working initially with local employees and communities," said Susan Mazo, UMG’s EVP, corporate social responsibility, events and special projects. “The community gardens project is our first global initiative, and we’re thrilled to work alongside our close U.S.-based partners, Goodr and Captain Planet, to create spaces that help students deepen their understanding of gardening and natural systems.”

Stateside UMG employees had competed in a contest to lower their carbon footprints, with UMe emerging as the victor. The UMe Community Learning Garden, part of the UMG Green Team’s Earth Month celebration in April, was the prize.

UMG’s community-garden project was launched earlier this year, with gardens established in the U.K., France, Australia and New Zealand. The program is expected to expand to Brazil, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa and other territories. That reminds us: We need to go water our dying houseplants.

Photo: Celina Bhandari