Surfin' the Internet for The Green Industry: foundations

by Hans C. Groot, Ph.D.

In our last column, we looked at some of the university websites and the information they provide. This time we'll take a look at what some non-profit foundations offer.

There are a number of industry-related foundations that carry out or support research related to the Green Industry. Some also say they carry out programs to educate or inform the public about their findings. Their websites, though, are generally not all that informative. The sites, by and large, carry little or no information about research specifics and also do not take advantage of the educational or informational potential of the internet .

One such example is the the Bedding Plant Foundation, Inc. [http://www.bpfi.org] established in 1981 by the Professional Plant Growers Association (PPGA), an international trade association for the greenhouse industry. It funds floriculture research and education to improve plant production, and scholarships to attract people to floriculture research, marketing, retailing , and related fields. The foundation says it helps growers educate the public about planting and cultivating beds and containers for the best quality flowers and plants. The foundation's website provides information on how to support the foundation's efforts but offers no information on what kind of research is conducted and also does not provide any educational content for the public.

Another foundation, the Horticultural Research Institute [http://www.anla.org/research/index.html] (HRI) was established in 1963 as the research division of the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA). It promotes research into the problems and opportunities of the industry and publishes these research findings for the industry and general public. It also assists its membership in the practical application of the results of HRI sponsored research.

Again, though, there is little to learn from HRI's website, such as information on the types of problems facing the industry nor any details about the research funded by the foundation's $2 million plus in grants. There are a few gardening articles, but access to those is limited to ANLA members. For the public, there are some fact sheets - the value of plants and landscaping, watering guides, and what to look for when choosing a landscape/lawn/tree care professional. The site explains how to subscribe to ANLA's "Journal of Environmental Horticulture but offers no clue as to the content of the journal, such as an index of published articles.

Then there is the Kee Kitayama Research Foundation [http://www.kkrf.org], named after the founder of the California Cut Flower Commission, and established in 1993 to conduct research and educational programs for the state's cut flower and potted plant industry. The foundation's website has information on the organization's mission and goals and offers a searchable database on prior projects carried out by the foundation but unless you have 'other' information, few clues are offered on how to carry out a search.

The National Arbor Day Foundation encourages tree planting and environmental stewardship. Aside from promoting tree planting, the website can help identify trees using an online feature, "What Tree is That?" Using it, you can match leaf and twig information to online pictures to make a positive identification of a tree in question. Additionally, the website also includes nine "simple" rules for taking care of trees.

Another foundation, the Theodore Payne Foundation, [http://www.theodorepayne.org/] operates a non-profit retail nursery selling California native plants and books - but, again, it does not use its website for sales nor does it include even a listing of available books.

The Hardy Fern Foundation [http://www.hardyferns.org/] is a non-profit membership organization established to provide a comprehensive collection of the world's hardy ferns for display, testing, evaluation, public education and introduction to the gardening and horticultural community. Its website has a list of recommended books, with brief descriptions of each, and information on how order a book on fern propagation or a Directory of Fern Gardens, Nurseries, and Reserves."

One of the best examples on how a foundation, or similar organization, can use the internet is The California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom [http://www.cfaitc.org/]. The foundation works with K- 12 teachers, students, and community leaders, to enhance education using agricultural examples.

Its website provides a wealth of information for both teachers and students. There is a teacher resource guide, lesson plans, and fact sheets - all downloadable and complete with information on file size and approximate download time. The fact sheets cover most of the major California crops - from almonds, artichokes, avocados to walnuts - and, if you have a specific need, you can indicate this for the preparation of future fact sheets. One download example is a new 16-page booklet that provides facts and activities for teaching children about the Red Imported Fire Ant, a potentially dangerous and destructive insect to the people, animals, and plants of California. It includes student activities, safety tips and lesson ideas and the website lets you know that file is 1Mb that will take about 5 minutes to download.

It also has information on special teacher training and student programs, a "Kid's Corner" with links to educational games (Pest Prevention, Food Safety and Nutrition , as well as links to a wide variety of agricultural organizations.