A Not-So-Nutty Idea from Planters

Planters, the peanut people, kicked off its 2011 "Naturally Remarkable" campaign this week in Los Angeles at an event hosted by Global Green, a leading environmental organization.

The project will transform vacant land into peanut-shaped urban parks, called Planters Groves, in four U.S. cities: New Orleans, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York City.

Part urban revitalization, part art, the Planters Groves were designed by Ken Smith, the renowned landscape architect, to encourage local communities to come together in sustainable imaginative spaces. They will be constructed in part from locally reclaimed materials and native trees and plants from the legume family. The designs for each park will capture the unique flavor of its city with a statue of the iconic Mr. Peanut seated at a bench to create a charming landmark for the space. 

Each Planters Grove will be built entirely by and for local communities, led by The Corps Network's national network of 30,000 conservation volunteers. The spaces will be maintained and programmed by local neighborhood associations as part of a long-term investment by Planters and The Corps Network.

Wait, there's more nuttiness in store. Mr. Peanut's newly introduced Planters Nutmobile, will make stops in over 16 U.S. cities part of the Naturally Remarkable Tour. Solar panels on the roof, a wind turbine and a biodiesel generator provide energy for tour stop needs. Low-energy LED lights provide interior lighting, with reclaimed wood used to create the flooring.

"During this tour, wherever we go and whatever we do, Planters intent is to leave these communities more ‘Naturally Remarkable' than when we found them and to plant something forward for future generations to enjoy," said Jason Levine, senior director of marketing for Planters.

It will also leave visitors more ecologically informed. Visit Mr. Peanut on Facebook. What a fabulous way to just go nuts!