If you like plants, chances are you’ve made use of the Garden’s Plant Information Service, whether asking a question by email or reading our multi-media gardening posts.
But did you know the Garden also provides sustainable living guidance through the Green Resources Info Service (GRIS)?
GRIS is run by staff from the EarthWays Center, the Garden’s Sustainability Division. Through this service, the sustainability team shares their expertise online, by email and phone, and through community talks and programs.
Why do we have the Green Resources Info Service?
Having a team of sustainability specialists is one of the many ways the Garden works to advance sustainable action. In fact, the Garden was one of the first American public gardens to establish a sustainability division. In 2000, a group of Green professionals joined the Garden and became our EarthWays Center.
Celebrating 25 Years of sustainable Leadership
The EarthWays Center is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2025. We’ll be hosting special events and classes throughout the year to mark this milestone.
“GRIS is a service we are so pleased to provide to Garden members and the general public,” says Glenda Abney, Vice President for Sustainability. “This kind of open offering from the EarthWays Center fulfills the Garden’s mission by addressing the impacts of our human activity on the clean air, clean water, healthy soil and diverse places that plants need to thrive.”
“GRIS educates in response to specific individual needs, and takes our sustainability messages out into public spaces, with solid, positive information and enthusiasm,” says Abney.
Is a real person answering my sustainability questions?
Yes! We can guarantee a real sustainability expert will be answering your calls and emails.
The service is primarily staffed by Jean Ponzi, a sustainability specialist who has managed programs for schools, businesses and the general public, throughout her nearly 30-year Garden career.
When questions or program development exceed her broad knowledge, “Green Jean” taps her colleagues’ specialties. She also frequently digs into research of sustainable product and service topics.
For example, a recent email from a parent about toner cartridge recycling as a project for schools resulted in an in-depth report. This was sourced from a local office supply specialist and published here on the Garden’s blog.
“Research is one of my favorite parts of this work,” says Ponzi, “Knowing what kinds of questions to ask, and where to look, to evaluate Green claims. I also love the process of communicating both the general sense and details of sustainability measures, in ways that will engage all kinds of Garden audiences. “
What kind of questions does the Green Resources Info Service Answer?
GRIS answers sustainable living questions of any kind with a personal response to email and phone inquiries.
Additionally, our Frequently Asked Questions and Green To Go Public Talk topics are posted on the Garden’s website.
GRIS is also the Garden’s go-to resource when the media calls looking for sustainable experts. GRIS shares information about important topics like invasive plants and behind the scenes of St. Louis’ recycling.
Common questions GRIS receives are: What’s Green about it? How does it work? Where can I find it? What’s the most sustainable choice?
The service is geared to help you source credible Green products and services, evaluate Green claims, and plan your Green living project.
We are all on a learning curve when it comes to sustainable thinking and practice.
“There are no ‘dumb’ Green questions,” says Ponzi. “People want updates on common practices like recycling and seek professional services and incentives for things like energy efficiency and rainscaping.”
It can be hard to decode messaging about environmental concerns, especially as public awareness of them proliferates,” says Ponzi. “We are all on a learning curve when it comes to sustainable thinking and practice – and this is akin to the kind of lifelong learning that gardening inspires!”
What sources is the Green Resources Info Service using to answer questions?
The EarthWays team contributes a huge sustainability knowledge base and professional network to the Garden. This group’s combined experience is a primary GRIS resource.
“We divide our project focus by audience,” explains Ponzi. “Some of us work in schools and with youth. Others, like me, work with adults and professional groups. I refer GRIS inquiries to colleagues as needed, for the most efficient, useful response.”
This includes forwarding general gardening questions to the Horticulture Answer Service. Although Ponzi does personally weigh in about native plants and ecological landscaping, a specialization and passion she cultivated through her EarthWays Center work.
In fact our regional native plant program, Grow Native!, recently honored Jean Ponzi as their 2024 Native Plant Ambassador!
The Green Resources Info Service in Action at the Garden
The Garden itself utilizes the Green Resources Info Service to help our signature events and everyday operations be more ecofriendly.
Some examples include the Garden’s use of cut versus artificial trees in the Frosted Forest section of Garden Glow. GRIS also supports our festival vendors with sourcing of the compostable products essential to the success of our Zero Waste event efforts.
The Garden also hosts the Green Living Festival each year. In 2025, the Green Living Festival returns to the Garden on June 7 for a day full of fun and purposeful interactions with local experts and vendors, presented by our EarthWays Center.
More Green Resources and Events
- Reach the Green Resources Info Service by email at greenresources@mobot.org or by calling 314-577-0246. Questions are reviewed and answered during normal working hours, usually within a day or two of being received.
- Green To Go Public Talks request (but don’t require) a modest honorarium and are scheduled to meet host group needs with speaker availability.
- Explore the Garden’s catalog of adult classes that includes climate action and seasonal Green Living offerings such as Recycling 101, Green Burial, and Technology of Single Stream Recycling.
- Check out regional education and action collaborations that Garden staff contribute to, such as the waste reduction campaigns Recycle Responsibly and Too Good To Waste, the annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival and other offerings from EarthDay-365, native plant events and webinars from Partners for Native Landscaping, and events from the Garden-led regional network, BiodiverseCity St. Louis.
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