Throughout July, Proco is championing sustainability and what it means for all our stakeholders—that’s our clients, candidates, colleagues and communities.
Each of our offices takes part in a Proco+ Day every quarter, letting us achieve positive outcomes for our communities. This time, we decided to incorporate the theme of sustainability into these activities.
Our Mexico office showed off their green thumbs and went tree planting. They volunteered with a local initiative, Ectagono, for a team-building afternoon where they got their hands dirty, gave back to their community and become one with nature. We asked Veronica Moran to report back on what they got up to—here’s what she had to say!
What is Ectagono and what type of work they do?
Ectagono is a Mexican social enterprise that provides a space for start-ups to support urban regeneration, well-being and eco-technology. Their services include creating urban orchards, supporting reforestation, apiculture and others. You can find their website here: https://ectagono.com/.
Why did you choose to volunteer with Ectagono?
Because we’re focusing on sustainability this month and everyone in the Proco Mexico office wanted to help with reforestation. Pollution is a huge problem in Mexico and in April, May and June of this year, we had some of the highest CO2 levels on record. We’re experiencing a climate emergency and this is our way of giving back to Earth and taking care of our home. Also, we volunteered with Ectagono three months ago, so we wanted to return to continue to support the cause.
Why do you think it is important for businesses to support their local organizations?
Because, in doing so, we strengthen our relationships with our local community.
Why do you think people should take environmental sustainability more seriously?
We need to repair the damage that we’ve done to the planet because we only have one place to live and we need to take care of it. We also need to be more conscious of the environmental impact that our habits have. I recently read that “The world doesn’t need one person being perfect at sustainability; the world needs millions of people doing their best at being sustainable.”
What did you learn from volunteering at Ectagono?
Planting a tree is easier than you think! Taking care of what you plant is the real challenge.
We learned that the topsoil is where the most nutrients are. We learned that to plant a tree, you have to dig a hole, then remove any roots and put nutrient-rich earth on the bottom, then hydrogel to make sure that the tree roots are hydrated and then add compost. You have to break the roots of the tree to give it more space to stretch out, then cover everything up with the rest of the soil. The trees need four meters between each other so their roots don’t get tangled.
Most importantly, we learned that we have to connect with nature and the more contact we have with nature, the more our balance in life is improved.
Want to join a company that gives back to the local community? We’re always looking for talent and driven people, so head over to our careers page to see our current vacancies at weareprocogroup.com/vacancy/
