Organizations Announce Plans To Bring Environmental Education And First Annual "National Class Outside Day" To America's Youth During National Garden Month(R) MARYSVILLE, Ohio, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- If today's school children are to become tomorrow's environmental stewards, they need to spend more time outside learning and playing than they do today. This is the premise behind "30 Days of Green," a new educational campaign by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and Keep America Beautiful (KAB) that kicks off in classrooms nationwide this April, National Garden Month(R). ScottsMiracle-Gro and KAB have enlisted the National Gardening Association, the originators of National Garden Month, as well as Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, to create and distribute 30 Days of Green calendars to 81,000 4th - 6th grade classrooms. The calendars offer daily insights about green spaces and their environmental benefits, encouraging students to learn about nature and the environment through outdoor observation and experience. Anyone can participate by downloading the calendars through a Web site co-hosted by ScottsMiracle-Gro and the National Gardening Association at http://www.scotts.com/ or http://www.kidsgardening.org/. In addition to daily facts and suggested activities during the 30 Days of Green campaign, ScottsMiracle-Gro and KAB created the first annual "National Class Outside Day." On Friday, April 20, teachers and students across the country are asked to spend an hour of class time outside as a way to actively develop an appreciation for the outdoors while enhancing their existing curriculum of biology, language arts and more through gardening and other outdoor activities. Participating classes will also have the opportunity to nominate their school to receive a Learning Garden provided by ScottsMiracle- Gro and KAB in Spring 2008. "ScottsMiracle-Gro is proud of its continuing partnership with Keep America Beautiful to promote environmental stewardship at all ages," said Rich Martinez, chief environmental officer for ScottsMiracle-Gro. "Through the 30 Days of Green events like National Class Outside Day, we hope to instill the importance of a healthy, green world in young people so that the generations to come can enjoy the environmental benefits of green spaces." Select 30 Days of Green activities include: -- April 6-7 - Green spaces are areas such as parks and gardens that beautify communities and encourage healthy, happy recreation. Collect photos, drawings and other items that remind you of green spaces you've enjoyed, then write a paragraph about why you enjoyed it. -- April 12 - School lunches produce 1.2 billion pounds of trash each year. Bring a "litter-less" lunch and have a picnic outside. -- April 26 - Join KAB volunteers and clean-up thousands of acres of parks and trails and participate in a KAB Great American Cleanup(TM) event. The 30 Days of Green calendar is an expansion of previous ScottsMiracle- Gro and KAB stewardship efforts. Over the past two years, the organizations worked together with local volunteers and officials to create green spaces in 10 cities nationwide. These green spaces have contributed to the physical and mental health of the community and environment. About Scotts Miracle-Gro With more than $2.7 billion in worldwide sales and more than 6,000 associates, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care, with products for professional horticulture as well. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts(R), Miracle-Gro(R) and Ortho(R) brands are market leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup(R) brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. The Company also owns Smith & Hawken(R), a leading brand of garden-inspired products that includes pottery, watering equipment, gardening tools, outdoor furniture and live goods. Additionally, the Company owns Morning Song(R), the leading brand in the wild bird food category. In Europe, Scotts' brands include Weedol(R), Pathclear(R), Evergreen(R), Levington(R), Miracle-Gro(R), KB(R), Fertiligene(R) and Substral(R). For additional information, visit us at http://www.scotts.com/. About Keep America Beautiful, Inc. Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community's environment. The Great American Cleanup(TM) is the organization's signature program that mobilizes millions of volunteers to improve their communities through hands-on participation. For more information, visit http://www.kab.org/. DATASOURCE: Scotts Miracle-Gro Company CONTACT: Su Lok, +1- 937-578-5169, ; or Ashley Stockett, +1-312-297-7407, , both for Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Web site: http://www.scotts.com/ http://www.kidsgardening.org/ http://www.kab.org/

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