Sony Pictures Entertainment joined with Los Angeles-based environmental nonprofit organization TreePeople and muralist David Legaspi III on a campus beautification project at Culver City Middle School yesterday.
“While our commitment to education and the environment are year-round, we are always happy to have the occasion of Earth Day and Sony’s Global Volunteer Day to rally the troops for a big project,” said Janice Pober, senior vice president of Global Corporate Social Responsibility. “This year, it is an absolute pleasure to work with our old friends at TreePeople, as well as the talented artist David Legaspi III to help beautify Culver City Middle School.”
As part of the campus beautification project, the Culver City-based studio’s employees will work alongside Legaspi on a mural he designed for the Culver City Middle School (CCMS). The school is home to a unique butterfly garden, which served as inspiration for the mural. The design features the life cycles of the butterfly and the frog, a host of butterfly-attracting plants and other wildlife found in Los Angeles County.
“I am proud to be a part of this project with Sony Pictures,” Legaspi said. “My work is often influenced by nature, and this installation provided a perfect opportunity to celebrate the incredible garden at CCMS.”
TreePeople citizen foresters and John Rego – who is also Sony Pictures’ executive director of sustainability – will guide fellow employees in planting and caring for trees on the campus, and revitalizing the garden with a variety of native plants. This includes performing maintenance on trees that were first planted by Sony Pictures employees more than 10 years ago. Rego and other Sony Pictures employees will continue caring for the trees on the site as part of a Tree Care team.
“Sony Pictures has been one of our most committed and generous supporters for the last 20 years,” said Andy Lipkis, founder and president of TreePeople. “They were the first corporation to have their employees trained as TreePeople citizen foresters, leading the way for many others to roll up their sleeves and make a difference.”
Volunteers from the company helped create the garden 11 years ago, and it continues to serve as a learning center and celebrated natural feature of the school.
“The students here love the butterfly garden and it’s a wonderful learning opportunity,” said sixth-grade science teacher Carlene Daggett. “We are so grateful for Sony Pictures’ continued support and the hard work of all of the employees.”
