Earth Day at ButterflyMX: Celebrating Our Planet by Building Community

On this Earth Day, the team at ButterflyMX is reflecting on our environmental impact as individuals and as a company. We’re taking stock of the eco-friendly initiatives we’ve already adopted, as well as practices we could implement to further reduce our carbon footprint.

First, we recognize the positive impact that work-from-home policies have on the planet and climate. From fewer carbon emissions from commuters to paper-saving digitalization efforts, ButterflyMX is doing its part by staffing a fully distributed workforce.?

But as the global workforce increasingly moves to remote work, we also recognize the need for community among teammates. Protecting our planet is a team effort in the same way that building a world-class access control solution is — neither is possible if we don’t work together! So this year for Earth Day, we brought the ButterflyMX team together for a community-building and Earth-celebrating virtual event: building our own butterfly gardens!

Celebrating Earth Day together?

Sustainability is an important factor for us at ButterflyMX as we work toward even greater energy efficiency efforts.?

As Lindsey Thacker, a People Specialist here at ButterflyMX, stated: “Sustainability is important to ButterflyMX employees and to the company as a whole. So for this month’s community event, we wanted to do something that’s not only fun but that will also promote sustainability and eco-friendliness.”?

At its core, Earth Day is a celebration of strides taken to raise climate awareness. It’s also the perfect time to make our own contribution to conservation, so we’re excited to share a peek into our Earth Day community event spent building butterfly gardens together.?

Each ButterflyMX team member who signed up for this event received a package containing:

• Soil builder
• Seeds for four different plants: butterfly weed, blue vervain, gold yarrow, and florence fennel
• A waterproof tray to build our seed-starting soil mounds

First, everyone was instructed to fill a small bowl with soil starter and a little bit of water. After mixing this concoction into a soil slurry, participants built small soil mounds using cookie cutters and placed them into waterproof trays. Then, each soil mound was topped with a few seeds, gently pressed onto the mound to ensure stable contact with the soil. After labeling each mound with decorative stakes, the gardens were complete!

The event ended with an engaging Q&A session, during which ButterflyMXers asked host Katie for tips on keeping our new seedlings healthy and thriving. Katie walked the group through best practices regarding sunlight, watering, and the right time to transplant the new plants.?

They may not look like much now, but in a few months time, participants will have beautiful, butterfly-attracting gardens!

A sustained effort to bring employees together

In an effort to foster relationships among employees who choose to work remotely, the ButterflyMX People team schedules community events to inspire employees to get creative. These virtual events give team members the opportunity to engage in non-work activities together!?

A few past virtual community events at ButterflyMX include:?

• Trivia
• Cookie decorating?
• Succulent planting?
• Candle making?

Since many of our employees are remote, we like to focus on ways that bring us physically together, as well. Many teams plan in-person meetups every few months where team members get to work alongside one another and learn from members of each department.

How you can make an impact in your community this Earth Day

Making a positive impact on environmental sustainability isn’t just corporate responsibility. Every day, people just like you can do your part to ensure a cleaner future.?

4 ways to make an impact on the environment this month:?

1. Avoid waste: By reusing and recycling as much as you can, you can help reduce the number of waste products that are littering the earth.?
2. Energy efficiency: Achieving energy efficiency can be as simple as changing lightbulbs to LED, turning off lights you aren’t using, and unplugging appliances when not in use.?
3. Plant something: Planting pollinating plants not only improves the beauty of the earth, but it also helps feed insects that need pollen to survive. Bees and butterflies are some of the most well-known pollinators that are in need of conservation efforts. This is why we opted to build butterfly gardens together at ButterflyMX!
4. Reduce fast fashion: Apparel made from synthetic fabric and cheap labor can have a major impact on the environment. You can make a big difference just by buying from fewer brands with these fashion practices.?

Lastly, you can do your part by investing in projects and businesses that have a heart for the planet and the people who live on it. Learn more about joining our team by visiting our Careers page !