14th February 2012
Roses & Rhinos
Dear Friend,
On behalf of WWF, I’d like to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day.
You may be wondering what Valentine’s Day has to do with conservation. It’s a fair question. The thing is, we’re connected to the natural world every day – often without even realizing it.
Take Valentine’s Day: literally millions and millions of flowers will be given today. Ever wonder where all those flowers come from? Would you be surprised to learn that Kenya is one of the world’s major flower producers?
Just recently, I had a chance to visit Oserian, one of central Kenya’s large flower farms – and what I saw really opened my eyes.
This is a company that takes conservation seriously, because its business depends on having plenty of clean water to grow all those flowers. It also realizes that it is not alone and that fishermen, farmers and wildlife depend on water too. Oserian is aware that its mere presence in the Rift Valley presents responsibilities and opportunities that extend beyond roses and carnations.
I also loved that they call their homemade organic fertilizer “worm juice!”
On that romantic note, I invite you to read my story Roses and Rhinos – and see where your Valentine’s bouquet may have sprouted.
Gretchen Lyons
Manager Conservation Communication WWF
Read Gretchen's Roses & Rhinos story