HERNDON, Va., February 1, 2010 — Planning for the second annual Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Day of Service on Earth Day, April 22, 2010, is in full force. This program is a grassroots effort and opportunity for PLANET members, state associations, supplier members, PLANET partners, and other green industry professionals to come together across the country for a day of giving back to their communities through volunteer landscape, lawn care, tree care, or interior projects.

This annual program kicked off on April 22, 2009, with more than 285 projects and approximately 2,000 volunteers in a total of 43 states and Canada. PLANET is looking to increase those numbers this year. “We’re shooting for more than 5,000 participants,” said Richard Heller, Landscape Industry Certified Manager & Technician, chair of PLANET’s Public Relations Committee. “Last year’s totals don’t begin to tell the entire story. Smaller projects mushroomed into larger projects and literally hundreds of non-landscape professionals who participated were not included in the final tally.”

Green industry professionals are already beginning to plan their projects for this year. Examples include refurbishing the landscape of a local cemetery with native grasses suitable to the dry climate, installing native plants and a drip irrigation system in a neighborhood park, installing monuments to be raised at a local memorial, and cleaning up the shores and accesses of a lake.

Interested participants for the 2010 PLANET Day of Service are encouraged to visit planetdayofservice.org for further information and to register and to sign up their projects.  The Web site contains a planning guide, videos, and pictures from last year’s projects, and tools and resources to help in putting together an event that will most benefit the community.

The Lead Sponsors for the 2010 PLANET Day of Service are Agrium Advanced Technologies, American Profit Recovery, JOHN DEERE, Lawns by Yorkshire, Inc., and Shindaiwa.

PLANET is the association of members who create and maintain the QUALITY OF LIFE in communities across America. With more than 3,500 member companies and affiliates, these firms and their employees represent more than 100,000 green industry professionals. For more information, visit LandcareNetwork.org, or call the PLANET office at (800) 395-2522.