Plant Amnesty does not use the nudge. The Seattle nonprofit group does not gently press people to change their behavior.
The organization’s mission is “to end the senseless torture and mutilation of trees and shrubs.” Plant Amnesty would like to take away your pruning saw before you topped another tree or turned another shrub into a lollipop or square box.
Plant Amnesty doesn’t use lawsuits or placards to attack those who torture trees. Instead, the group uses humor and controversy. Take a look at their latest gallery of pruning madness. Along with “Touch Tone Dialing” (above), you’ll find “No-Leaf Maple,” “Fried Green Eggs,” “Chicken on a Stick” and more.
Some of their events have featured Father Weedo Sarducci, giving absolutions to people who confessed their horticultural sins.
Humor works. It’s hard to stay mad when you’re laughing.
The organization’s approach also includes solid, easy-to-understand information on how to care for trees and shrubs. It’s presented through renovation workshops, classes, pruning guides, videos and more. Take a look at some of the great pruning information on the Plant Amnesty web site.
As The Lorax says in Dr. Seuss’s book: “I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” Where will we be when the last shrub is a cube and the last tree is nude?
Ed. note: In honor of my 10th anniversary in business, I am updating and reposting some of the posts from my (now-defunct) Sage Enviro blog to make it easier for people to find them.