MARION, Iowa, September 10, 2020 (Newswire.com) - When it comes to the local community, Eco Lips (www.ecolips.com) takes their initiatives seriously. Eco Lips has recently partnered with Trees Forever, pledging $5,000 to their Planting Hope Tree Recovery program for the rebuilding of the community after the derecho storm that hit on August 10, leaving many devastated. Winds from the storm caused widespread damage to many trees and caused $23.6 million worth of damage to public infrastructure in Iowa. Eco Lips is joining forces with Trees Forever to help meet the $500,000 goal of replanting trees in cities, small towns, communities, and farms affected by the storm through landscape quality trees that can be enjoyed in public areas.

“Trees Forever is now more relevant than they ever have been!” states CEO of Eco Lips, Steve Shriver. “They’re a crucial part in rebuilding our community. We need our tree canopy back; we need Trees Forever. We also need to save the bees. After Indian Creek Nature Center (a favorite hiking spot of mine) was devastated by the derecho, I knew we needed to help them recover so they can continue sharing their amazing space and resources with our community.”

In addition, Eco Lips is pledging $2,500 to the Indian Creek Nature Center to assist with their Bee Maintenance program. This crucial program not only benefits the local pollinator population and harvests honey but also provides a hands-on learning opportunity for those interested in beekeeping at the hobby level. Their sponsorship also supports the rebuilding of the apiary, which includes materials, maintenance, and operations.

"Like much of our community, the derecho was devastating to Indian Creek Nature Center,” begins Executive Director of the Indian Creek Nature Center, John Myers. “We lost countless trees and suffered damage to many of our facilities, including our honey bee apiary. Eco Lips' generous donation will allow us to rebuild and enhance our beekeeping programs. Now more than ever, people need to focus on the benefits that nature provides and learning about honey bees and other pollinators is a great way to improve the environment and make a difference."

Eco Lips is active in other local philanthropic efforts such as ConnectCR, an ongoing project to bring together two major ventures in Cedar Rapids -- the revitalization of Cedar Lake and the creation of an iconic pedestrian/trail bridge south of downtown.